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Texans 2020 player props: Brandin Cooks ready to explode

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The Houston Texans' offense is going to look a little bit different in 2020.

Gone is wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who was shipped to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson. To shore up the receiving corps, the franchise added veterans Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb in free agency.

How will this new-look unit jell with quarterback Deshaun Watson? Let's dive into the Texans' 2020 player props and see if there's any value.

Brandin Cooks - O/U 875.5 receiving yards

Over: -115
Under: -115

It's odd to see a player as productive as Cooks switch homes so often. Houston will be the fourth franchise in seven years for the receiver, who's coming off arguably his worst season.

Following four straight campaigns with 1,000 yards and at least five touchdowns, he put up just 583 yards on a career-low 42 catches. Cooks was also hampered by concussions, forcing him to miss a couple games.

If he can stay healthy in 2020, I really like his upside in the Texans' offense.

Cooks desperately needs a quarterback who can stretch the field efficiently. L.A.'s Jared Goff was solid in this department in 2018, ranking No. 3 among quarterbacks in completed air yards, No. 1 in money throws, and No. 12 in deep-ball completion percentage. Those results helped Cooks produce 80 catches, a career-high 1,204 yards, and five receiving touchdowns.

However, Goff regressed significantly in 2019. He finished No. 6 in completed air yards, No. 22 in money throws, and, most importantly, was No. 30 in deep-ball completion percentage.

Enter Watson, who's a perfect match for Cooks.

The star quarterback is no stranger to chuckin' the ball. He finished No. 8 in the NFL last season in both deep-ball completion percentage and completed air yards, as well as No. 5 in money throws.

This is a really good fit for Cooks. He's only 26 years old, he can fly, and he's in an offense that will feature few other mouths to feed. After sharing targets with Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp in L.A., Cooks will see a huge increase in his first year with the Texans.

Pick: Over

Randall Cobb

I like adding a snippet or two on certain players even if they don't have props available because they could be valuable in weekly player prop formats during the regular season. One such player who could see a slight uptick in production is Cobb.

Positive regression candidates come in all shapes and sizes. Leonard Fournette is a good buy-low option after registering 300-plus touches and only a handful of touchdowns; Breshad Perriman might explode after leading the league in uncatchable target rate.

Cobb's luck - or lack thereof - was a bit unconventional in 2019.

Yahoo! Sports' Ian Hartitz tracked every nullified touchdown during the regular season, and Cobb was one of 10 players in the league to have multiple touchdowns called back by penalty.

A 55-catch, 828-yard season as the No. 3 option in the Cowboys' offense was a brilliant campaign for the veteran, but he should have had five receiving touchdowns, his most since the 2015 season.

If you're looking for an extremely low buy, Cobb's the guy.

Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.

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