Throughout the NFL playoffs, Sam Wallace, Mark Drumheller, and Jonathan Fuller will be highlighting the biggest NFL free agents heading into the 2025 offseason. We'll be breaking down the best and worst landing spots as well as projecting where key players will eventually sign.

Today's subject? 2024 Buffalo Bills WR Amari Cooper.

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Best Landing Spots For Amari Cooper in 2025 NFL Free Agency

Jonathan Fuller: I struggle to see how another change of scenery would be better for Cooper's future than staying in Buffalo and getting an offseason to build chemistry with Josh Allen. The Bills should have one of the NFL's highest-scoring offenses again in 2025 but need to improve their weapons if they are going to get over the hump and make a Super Bowl run. 

Cooper was pretty underwhelming in his time in Buffalo, but he was earning plenty of targets to start the season in Cleveland. The splits are jarring: He averaged 8.3 targets per game in Weeks 1-6 and fell all the way to 3.6 targets per game in his 11 contests with Buffalo. The reality of who he will be in 2025 is probably somewhere in the middle.

Giving Cooper another season and adding at least one legit pass catcher via the draft or free agency would be a good move for all parties involved. Cooper isn't a true No. 1 WR anymore, but Buffalo seems comfortable with a rotating cast of role players and letting Josh Allen elevate the players around him. In a larger role, Cooper could land in the five to six target per game range, which would be enough to make him a solid fantasy option. 

Mark Drumheller: Playing alongside Josh Allen might be the best gig in football heading into 2025. Sure, Pat Mahomes is in his own tier. However, there isn’t anyone remotely close to Travis Kelce chewing up target share in Buffalo. 

Let’s take a look at how the Bills offense stacks up:

  • Scoring: 30.6 points per game (2nd) 
  • Points Per Play: 0.5 (2nd)
  • Red Zone TD Conversion Rate: 69.6% (2nd) 
  • EPA per play: .186 (2nd) 
  • Dropback EPA: .298 (2nd) 

The beauty of the numbers above, and Buffalo’s mindset heading into next year, is the inevitable urgency to improve an already unstoppable unit. The Bills desperately need to overtake the Chiefs in the AFC, and Cooper can be a big part of the solution after a full offseason with Josh Allen and Joe Brady. 

The bottomline is this: Cooper has a chance to play in an high-powered offense headed by an elite quarterback. As a 10-year veteran, he has been around the block enough to understand how special of an opportunity he has in front of him. 

I agree with Sam: Buffalo is by far his best landing spot.  

Sam Wallace: Remember when Cooper was perpetually "only" 22 years old? For the longest time, he was always so young in our minds relative to how much NFL experience he had. Fast forward and now he's almost 31 years old.

Time flies.

Cooper joined the Bills ahead of their Week 7 matchup but was never really a factor for them or for fantasy managers. He did top 50 receiving yards in four of his eight regular season games and hauled in a pair of scores but was nonexistent during the postseason.

There are reports that Buffalo is interested in retaining Cooper and getting him a full offseason with Allen. For their part, the Bills could certainly use the help. No offense to Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, and Curtis Samuel, but none of them profile as a No. 1 option.

That could be why the Bills, despite finishing second in scoring with over 30 points per game, only had one player with more than 600 yards receiving, and no one score more than five TDs through the air.

Cooper's best landing spot is right where he is. While I'm not sure how much he has left in the tank now that he's on the other side of 30, his history of consistent, high-end production is exactly what this team (and fantasy managers) need heading into next season.

Worst Landing Spots For Amari Cooper in 2025 NFL Free Agency

Jonathan Fuller: Amari Cooper really struggled to create separation in 2024, ranking 134th among qualifying receivers in ESPN's Open Score. This showed up in his overall production and efficiency, as he posted career lows for receiving yards and yards per route run. Some of that could be due to injuries and the midseason change of teams, but heading into his age 31 season it is fair to assume his best years are behind him. At this point, Cooper would benefit from being a secondary option on a team with an elite No. 1 receiver and an experienced QB. 

There are plenty of teams who don't meet that criteria, but the one that stands out to me is the Patriots because of their desperate need at the WR position. I have higher hopes for their top receiver spot to help Drake Maye's development. 

If New England really splashes out and signs Tee Higgins along with someone like Cooper to be their second option, that would be more viable. My concern is that they might settle for Cooper plus a couple more swings at the position on Day 2 or 3 of the NFL Draft. In that scenario, I'm not sure how much the offense would improve, and we could end up in the same situation again — where you don't really want anyone from the Patriots for fantasy football.

Mark Drumheller: Cooper is a smooth route-runner with a big frame. Maximizing his value requires a quarterback who can deliver the ball consistently with timing and anticipation. That’s a feat very difficult for rookie quarterbacks to perfect as they transition to the closing speed of defenders and tight windows of the NFL. 

For that reason, I landed on the Tennessee Titans as his worst landing spot. If you’re not already locked into our latest mock drafts from Matthew Freedman and Thor Nystrom (shame on you), consider this: They are in agreement that the Titans are likely drafting a quarterback at No. 1 overall. 

From a fantasy perspective, it doesn’t matter whether it’s Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. The situation would be far from ideal for a veteran wide receiver. The Titans offense is a work in progress at best — one that still needs help on the offensive line. 

Nashville might be a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to play there if I was Amari Cooper. 

Sam Wallace: At this point, you know the worst landing spots for wideouts this offseason. The Raiders, Patriots, Giants, and Steelers all have significant need at the position and have the cap space to make something happen.

However, none of those teams are legit contenders, and Cooper's best chance for both NFL and fantasy success is staying right where he is. However, I will also toss in the Commanders as a potential landing spot for a productive, veteran WR. Cooper, paired with Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin, could be a ton of fun for everyone involved.

Where Will Amari Cooper Play in 2025?

Jonathan Fuller: Cooper didn't flash enough to create a huge market for his services in free agency, and the Bills don't seem to have hit on their recent draft picks at WR or TE, so a reunion makes sense for both sides. Giving Cooper at least one more season to fit into Joe Brady's system and get reps with Allen is probably the highest upside option for his 2025 fantasy value.

Mark Drumheller: I will be very interested to see how this one plays out. In my opinion, it comes down to how much weight a potential Super Bowl carries with Cooper at this point in his career. 

Here’s where it gets tricky. There are plenty of playoff teams that could offer him better compensation than Buffalo. The Chargers, Broncos, Steelers, and Packers all come to mind.

While Cooper would fit nicely with all them, there is only one Josh Allen. I think Cooper comes back to the Bills as we agonize all summer about projecting his upside. 

Sam Wallace: Let's get Cooper and Allen a full offseason together and let them cook next season. With the high-scoring output this offense generally produces, a legit wideout should help Buffalo get over the hump in those critical moments in December and January.

For all the latest NFL free agency news and fantasy analysis, subscribe to the Fantasy Life Newsletter to have it delivered directly to your inbox, for free, every day!