Fantasy Football Injury Impact: Omar Cooper Jr.'s Absence Boosts Adonai Mitchell, Kenyon Sadiq

It was a great season debut for the New York Jets. Geno Smith and his crew led the team to a dominant 23-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. It is the first time since 2022 that both New York football teams have been over .500, and the first time since 2009 that they both began 1-0.

As good a game as it was for the Jets, injuries arose. Rookie wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. suffered what appears to be a high ankle sprain. After making a few aweing early players, his season will now be on hold. For how long, and to whose benefit? Let's discuss.

Fantasy Football Impact

To begin the season, I had projected the following yard-shares of the Jets passing offense:

Garrett Wilson: 28.5%
Adonai Mitchell: 14%
Omar Cooper Jr: 13.5%
Kenyon Sadiq: 13%
Mason Taylor: 10%

Cooper Jr. now leaves his 13.5% out for the taking. The number was also a volatile one in an unseen offense of many new weapons. It should be noted that the yard-share number could have been much higher. On just 2 passing snaps played, Cooper Jr. did have 1 reception for 30 yards.

I would now modify the Jets' passing offense to the following expectations while Cooper Jr. is sidelined:

Garrett Wilson: 31.5%
Adonai Mitchell: 18.5%
Kenyon Sadiq: 15.5%
Mason Taylor: 12.5%
Isaiah Williams: 10%

The biggest bump goes to Mitchell. He experienced a very satisfying Week 1 with 3 receptions on 3 targets for 60 yards. The target share came to about 13% for Mitchell, but playing as many passing plays as Garrett Wilson, that number is deserving of being bumped closer to 20%.

Cooper Jr. is mainly a slot receiver. With him being out, the upgrade will go to Williams, the team's other slot receiver. In fact, the Jets had been rumored to be playing Williams ahead of Cooper Jr. on the depth chart. Unfortunately, Cooper Jr. got hurt too soon for us to truly weigh whether that was playing out.

Williams ended up playing the 3rd-most passing snaps of any Jets pass-catcher. It was 19 plays for Williams that resulted in 1 target, 1 reception, and 7 yards — less than stellar. Williams is not a player to pick up in fantasy football if trying to replace Cooper Jr.

Sadiq had a nice day in the office. He scored a touchdown on what was ruled a rush, not a reception. Sadiq added 3 receptions for 21 yards on 13 passing plays: a 13% target share.

The only Jet still worth starting will be Wilson. Mitchell creeps into relevancy, but the latest FPI update still has the Jets implied to score about 20.4 points per game. Mitchell is worth a roster spot, but not quite a start. He will likely be in the WR55-70 range in Week 2 once my projections go public on Wednesday.

Sadiq is also a nice prospect. Its usage is not high enough for a weekly start; rather, it's a high-upside stash. As the year goes on, we can expect Sadiq to become increasingly involved. He did miss part of training camp due to an injury.

Omar Cooper Jr. Injury Update

It is reported that Cooper Jr. has suffered a high ankle sprain. The recovery time for such an injury depends on the severity. He is most likely to miss at least 3 games, possibly more than 6. We will await further clarification for Aaron Glenn as the week goes on.

Omar Cooper Jr looking elusive in his debut 👀 pic.twitter.com/6ZpODPEwgw
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) September 13, 2026

There is really no value in which Cooper Jr. can be put up for sale in fantasy football. He did play with a ton of fire, breaking multiple tackles on his reception and blocking defenders into the dirt. The rookie will have the coaches' ear. He can hopefully carve out a much larger role as the year goes on. In other words, hold Cooper Jr.

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