Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks' 2015 Fantasy Outlook After Drew Brees' Injury

You might not necessarily want to reach for that panic button if you have Marques Colston or Brandin Cooks on your fantasy football team, but start tempering your expectations for a possibly short-term future without Drew Brees.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport sent shock waves throughout the league when he reported Monday that Brees possibly injured his shoulder in the New Orleans Saints' 26-19 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, the team will know more about the severity after monitoring his response to treatment on the ailing shoulder.

This tweet from ESPN Stats & Info illustrates why fantasy owners could potentially be concerned with Brees' absence:   

Luke McCown is a career NFL backup quarterback whose last start came in 2011. Meanwhile, Garrett Grayson was a third-round draft pick in a class that boasted little depth at the quarterback position.

In the case of either guy starting, Colston's and Cooks' respective fantasy values don't have anywhere to go but down.

And the problems might not end when Brees gets back on the field.

Should Brees only miss two or three games, there's still no telling how healthy he'd truly be. Would the shoulder injury continue to linger over the remainder of the season? Let's not forget we're talking about a 36-year-old quarterback.

When it comes to Colston and Cooks, you should hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

Last year, Colston ranked 33rd in total fantasy points among wide receivers on NFL.com, which was a slight step backward after he finished 28th in 2013. The 32-year-old hasn't eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving since 2012, and he's unlikely to do that in 2015 with Brees out of action.

Even if Brees plays every game for the Saints this year, Colston's ceiling is that of a WR2, and the more realistic expectation is for him to be a steady flex option for owners in standard leagues.

Colston's floor doesn't fall too far with McCown or Grayson at QB, but any hopes he produces like a WR2 go out the window. Consider him strictly a flex at this point.

At least in fantasy terms, Brees' injury is far more damaging to Cooks, who looked set to take a big step forward in 2015 after his injury-shortened rookie campaign. NFL.com's Michael Fabiano doesn't foresee that breakthrough coming now:

Rotoworld's Josh Norris was skeptical about Cooks' ability even during Sunday's game, thus making you wonder how the second-year star will play without his starting quarterback:

It's not as if Cooks will fall off a cliff in terms of numbers, but, like Colston, his ceiling will be lower. Whereas Cooks could've potentially broken into WR1 territory this year, WR2 seems the likelier designation.

He should still see a good number of targets in the Saints offense, which would help him remain a solid fantasy producer.

But if you gambled on Cooks and reached for him early in your draft, receiving a full return on your investment is becoming more doubtful.