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Brandon Marshall is a better fantasy bet than Brandin Cooks in 2016

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 29: Brandon Marshall #15 of the New York Jets carries the ball in the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins on November 29, 2015 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

This offseason, we’ve gone through some of the toughest questions that fantasy football owners have asked themselves in early drafts. Whether it be A.J. Green vs. DeAndre Hopkins, Drew Brees vs. Ben Roethlisberger Ryan Mathews vs. Duke Johnson or some other quandary, we’ve got you covered.

One of the most difficult decisions fantasy owners face on a yearly basis is whether they take the older, more consistent player, or the up-and-comer who could break out and win you your league title.

Today we’ll be examining two players who fit this mold at wide receiver in the Brand(o/i)ns: Brandon Marshall and Brandin Cooks. Both of these players finished in the top-12 a year ago, and both are being drafted inside the top three rounds in early drafts. Let’s dissect these two to see why Brandon Marshall is ultimately the right pick.

Quarterback strength

This one is about as clear cut as it gets, as Cooks is being dealt passes from the future Hall of Famer Drew Brees, while Marshall is going to be retrieving passes from Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Before the love fest begins on Fitzpatrick, you should know that he had created just one 1,000-yard receiver over his timespan in the NFL before Marshall and Decker, and that was DeAndre Hopkins in 2014. Despite playing in just 12 games with Fitzpatrick, Hopkins racked up 1,048 yards and six touchdowns in those games.

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