Raiders' Updated Depth Chart, Fantasy Football Outlook After Amari Cooper Retirement

Five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper has retired from the NFL, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Cooper signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Raiders on Aug. 26, but his 10-year career is now over.

The Raiders' depth chart had listed Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker and Dont'e Thornton Jr. as starters, with Cooper and Jack Bech as backups.

With Cooper now retired, Las Vegas only has four active wide receivers on its 53-man roster.

Per Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Raiders have Alex Bachman, Shedrick Jackson and Justin Shorter on the practice squad.

Meyers is the team's No. 1 wideout, and he led the Raiders' position group with 87 receptions, 1,027 yards and four touchdowns.

The 28-year-old notably asked for a trade after his representation and the Raiders were unable to reach terms on a contract extension, but the Silver and Black declined the request. He's still an active member of the team with one year left on a three-year, $33 million contract.

From a fantasy perspective, Cooper's retirement may not move the needle too much for the top end of Las Vegas' skill-position group. The ex-Alabama star's production waned in 2024, as he caught 44 passes for 547 yards and four scores over 14 games for the Browns and Buffalo Bills, who added him via trade last October. He amassed six catches for 41 yards in three playoff games.

Of course, Cooper was a tremendous player at his best and amassed seven 1,000-yard seasons, including a career-high 1,250 for the Cleveland Browns in 2023. Simply put, he was a dangerous No. 1 wideout. It's also possible Cooper could have showed a form more reminiscent of his pre-2024 tape.

However, given his most recent output, coupled with his spot on the depth chart, Cooper appeared to be closer to the back end of the receiver room than the front.

Meyers and Tre Tucker enter the year as the clear No. 1 and No. 2 wideouts on the depth chart. Tucker, who is used in the slot, was third on the team in targets last year (81), and he turned those opportunities into 47 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns.

Chances are their fantasy outlooks are unaffected. If anything, their fantasy ceilings are capped because they are in an offense that will likely feature superstar tight end Brock Bowers (112 catches, 1,194 yards and five touchdowns) and Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty at running back the most.

The Cooper retirement may have the biggest fantasy impact on rookie Dont'e Thornton Jr., a rookie fourth-round pick out of Tennessee who figures to be the wideout opposite Meyers on the outside. He's a big-play threat who had 26 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns in his final year at Tennessee.

Nick Walters and Taylor Rocha of KTNV spoke with Thornton, who will be assuming the X receiver role. Simply put, it's his time to shine.

It's hard to ignore what he brings to the table, as relayed by NFL analyst Warren Sharp even before the draft.

Thornton received much praise from head coach Pete Carroll for his preseason work. With Cooper no longer on the roster, he's further entrenched as a top-three wideout, and fantasy analysts noted the impact.

We'll see how it all plays out in Vegas soon enough, when the Raiders visit the New England Patriots on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET to begin the season.