Is Amari Cooper playing Monday night? Fantasy injury update for Browns-Steelers Week 2 Monday Night Football

Matt Lutovsky

Is Amari Cooper playing Monday night? Fantasy injury update for Browns-Steelers Week 2 Monday Night Football image

Few things are worse for fantasy football owners than "questionable" players ahead of Monday Night Football. With two MNF games in Week 2, the odds went up that at least one of your start 'em, sit 'em decisions would be held hostage by a key injury, and sure enough, Amari Cooper made sure it would happen. Getting the latest news on Cooper will be crucial as you try to either continue your early-season winning streak or avoid an 0-2 start.

We'll continue to update this article with news on Cooper until the official active/inactive report comes out on Monday around 6:45 p.m. ET.

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Is Amari Cooper playing Monday night Week 2? 

UPDATE: ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that Cooper is unlikely to play on Monday night against Pittsburgh. Given the early reports, fantasy owners should not wait for Monday night to sub in a replacement for Cooper.

UPDATE 2: Cooper is officially ACTIVE. It's unclear if he will be on a snap count or used primarily as a decoy, but if you waited for Cooper despite negative reports on Sunday, he'll be in there.

Cooper (groin) missed practice early in the week, but it was reportedly not injury-related. However, after getting in a full session on Friday, Cooper was limited on Saturday and ultimately listed as "questionable" ahead of Monday night's game in Pittsburgh. It's unclear just how serious his injury is, but anytime there's a late-week downgrade, it's a worrisome sign.

Right now, we'd guess that Cooper will suit up, but his fantasy owners better pick up a pivot from Monday's games just to be safe. The easiest and safest option is Donovan Peoples-Jones, who should see a nice uptick in targets if Cooper is out. You could also grab Allen Robinson II, who's also in line for more targets with Diontae Johnson (hamstring) sidelined. Other legit options include New Orleans' Rashid Shaheed and Carolina's DJ Chark (hamstring) if he's active. 

Ultimately, we think it's worth waiting for Cooper, as Pittsburgh struggled last week with San Francisco's combo of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Even at less than 100 percent, Cooper has a higher ceiling than most of your bench options. His seven targets last week tied for a team high, and he lit up Pittsburgh for seven catches, 101 yards, and a TD when these teams met in prime time in Week 3 last season.

Matt Lutovsky

Matt Lutovsky Photo

Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.