Week 6 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Cooper Kupp came back from injury and largely picked up where he left off last week. He gained 118 yards on eight receptions. Kupp's 12 targets led the team in his first game back.
Arizona has shown little interest in stopping opposing wide receivers and has been shredded the last two weeks by Brandon Aiyuk and Ja'Marr Chase. Kupp is an auto-start as our WR4 this week.
Week 5 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Cooper Kupp is "no longer limited" according to Coach Sean McVay. It remains to be seen if he'll return to action in Week 5.
Week 1 at Seattle Seahawks
Cooper Kupp has officially been ruled out of Week 1 contests. As of now, that's the only update worth providing but it appears that IR is a distinct possibility. The hamstring setback that he suffered is too much for him to play through at the moment. Fantasy managers should be prepared to make other arrangements for the time being.
Fantasy Upside
Cooper Kupp has been a consistent performer for the Rams and a reliable option for fantasy managers. Despite an injury-shortened 2022 season, Kupp still managed to haul in 75 receptions for 812 yards and 6 touchdowns in just 9 games. This translates to an average of 8.3 receptions and 90.2 yards per game, along with 0.67 touchdowns per game. Kupp's ability to produce at such a high level, even in a shortened season, demonstrates his value. With Matthew Stafford still at the helm of the Rams' offense, Kupp should continue to see plenty of targets in 2023.
Fantasy Downside
The only concern with Kupp is his health. His 2022 season was cut short due to an ankle injury, and this could be a potential risk factor for fantasy managers considering drafting him. With Kupp's presence at June's minicamp, most of that worry should be squashed but it's something to keep in mind if he starts slow.
2023 Bottom Line
Despite the injury concerns, Kupp's production when healthy is hard to ignore. He's a high-volume receiver and his connection with Stafford is undeniable. We have him ranked as the overall WR2 behind Justin Jefferson for 2023, and he's worth considering in the first round of your draft. His potential to finish as the overall WR1 is clearly there.
Week 10 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Somehow with all the dysfunction on the Rams’ offense in 2022, Cooper Kupp just keeps chugging along. In Week 9 on a day when Matthew Stafford had his worst performance of the year only completing 13 passes for 165 yards, Kupp dropped 8-127-1 vs. the Buccaneers. Kupp has proven all year long that not only is he matchup-proof, but he is Stafford-proof as well. This season Kupp leads the NFL in targets and receptions and is fourth in receiving yards per game.
This week Kupp does get a tougher matchup vs. a Cardinals team he has “struggled” against over the past few seasons. In the last four games vs. the Cardinals, Kupp has averaged 6.8 receptions, 73 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Granted these numbers are still solid for season-long leagues, but due to his lofty price tag in DFS, it might be best to fade Kupp in Week 10.
Week 9 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cooper Kupp might be the only wide receiver in fantasy football that could have a disappointing 8-79-1 receiving line. Still, Kupp was every bit as dominant vs. the 49ers coming out of the bye even with Stafford throwing for less than 200 yards on the week. The Rams’ offensive struggles vs. the 49ers are well documented, and with the Rams’ offense struggling prior to Week 8 these less than stellar outputs vs. the 49ers last week weren’t all that surprising.
This week Kupp will get a true blow-up spot vs. a Buccaneers team he dominated in 2021. In two games vs. Tampa Bay, Kupp put a ridiculous (9-96-2) and (9-183-1) receiving lines. These receiving lines would justify starting Kupp in DFS as his current price on Draft Kings is $8,900. Kupp’s lofty price tag will always deter people from playing him, but his high floor along with the ceiling he has shown vs. the Buccaneers in the past could make him a nice play this week.
Week 8 vs. San Francisco 49ers
The lone bright spot for the Rams’ offense in 2022 is Cooper Kupp. Kupp has pickup up where he left off last season as he currently leads all wide receivers in fantasy points through Week 7. Through his first six games, Kupp has four games over 25 fantasy points and just two below 20. This high floor makes Kupp arguably the best fantasy asset so far this season. Back in Week 4 when the Rams faced the 49ers, Kupp went for 14-122 on 19 targets. This production lines up with his dominance of the 49ers last season as he went for (7-118-1), (11-122), and (11-142-2) in the three games vs. the 49ers in 2021. Typically, we fade Kupp in DFS due to his lofty price tag, but due to his dominance vs. the 49ers over the past two seasons, buying up for Kupp could be a contrarian move in Week 8. Furthermore, if you have Kupp in season-long leads, he should be an elite option this week.
Week 6 vs. Carolina Panthers
Cooper Kupp had another great game, despite a tough loss to the Cowboys, catching seven of his 10 targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. Kupp has caught all but one of Matthew Stafford’s five touchdown passes this year and he has an astounding 49 receptions in five games.
Kupp is a must-start regardless of matchup, but he gets a nice one this week against the Panthers. Carolina ranks 21st in aFPA to opposing wide receivers this year and is in disarray after firing their coach and defensive coordinator this week. Expect another big game from Kupp and we have him ranked as an elite option once again.
Week 5 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Cooper Kupp is following up a historic 2021 with another gem of a season in 2022. Currently, Kupp is top five in every meaningful receiving category and leading the NFL in targets and receptions through Week 4. The question isn’t whether or not to start Kupp in season-long leagues, but we instead will use this section to identify his matchup for DFS. The Cowboys this season are 26th in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers, and 23rd in fantasy points allowed in the receiving game alone. The Cowboys have been solid vs. number one wide receivers allowing a solid, but not an elite day to Mike Evans (5-71-1) and shut down Ja’Marr Chase (5-54) in Week 2. Kupp’s lofty $9,600 on Draft Kings means he would need to put up anywhere from 24-30 PPR points for us to get value. Based on some of the early season struggles of top number one wide receivers, Kupp might be best as a DFS fade for Week 5.
Week 4 at San Francisco 49ers
Cooper Kupp is a monster. He was “contained” last week by the Cardinals, and still wound up with 64 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on four receptions and one rushing attempt. If that’s a “down” game for Kupp, sign me up.
This week, keep Kupp active against a tough 49ers defense. While the games have been low-scoring in general when the 49ers are involved, Courtland Sutton and Tyler Lockett have both produced solid fantasy lines the last two weeks against the defense, so Kupp should have no trouble getting his. He’s a must-start every week, regardless of matchup.
