Cooper

Kupp

The Rams didn’t have much interest in passing the ball on Sunday and seemed to want to get off the freezing-cold field as quickly as possible. As a result, Kupp was barely used and now has back-to-back games with just three targets. That’s not ideal for the fantasy playoffs. You’d think he would be in for a better showing against the Cardinals next week, but if the Rams get an early lead then they may lean heavily on the run again, which makes him a bit of a risky WR2.

Kupp received the first target of the game, and while he received two more chances, he essentially became a blocker on screens for Puka Nacua and the 29 rushing attempts for Kyren Williams. It’s the first time that Kupp has been held without a catch since November 10, 2019 against the Steelers. The 31-year-old will hope to be more involved against Week 16 against the Jets, but you have to acknowledge the risks.

Puka Nacua saw 14 targets and dominated the Bills’ secondary on Sunday, so it was Kupp’s turn to play second fiddle; however, the 31-year-old also made a few tremendous catches, including a touchdown against double coverage where he was able to pin the ball against his knee and then haul it in. While Kupp may not have as much juice after the catch as he used to, he remains a strong route runner with elite hands and is firmly on the WR2 radar in fantasy leagues.

Kupp was mostly unheard from through the Rams’ Week 13 game against the Saints. He managed a few short receptions, but Puka Nacua was the clear No. 1 target for designed touches and downfield targets. Kupp will still get opportunities the rest of the season, but it has become more evident that Nacua is becoming the preferred top target in the Rams offense. Working out of the slot, Kupp will rank in the low-end WR2 range for Week 14 against the Bills.

Kupp managed just 33 yards on 10 targets before a 27-yard touchdown with just over one minute remaining in a three-score game, clearly taking a backseat to second-year star Puka Nacua when the latter is healthy and on the field. Even so, Kupp’s trip to the paint was his fifth score of the season for the veteran pass-catcher, still keeping him on pace to potentially hit double-digit touchdowns for the third time in his career while battling through significant injuries. Kupp’s next chance to find pay dirt comes in Week 13 against the porous Saints defense.

Kupp’s second 100-yard game since returning three weeks ago also doubled his season touchdown total. Naturally, he was once again out-produced by Puka Nacua, but this was the best Kupp has looked post-injury. His 10 targets did lead the team. Nacua also picked up some sort of mid-section injury, though he played through it. Nacua has a higher weekly ceiling, but Kupp isn’t exactly lacking upside, while his floor remains quite high. He’ll find himself on the WR1/2 borderline for a tough Week 12 matchup with the Eagles.

Kupp’s seven looks paled in comparison to the 14 of Puka Nacua, with the talented second-year receiver now finally healthy after multiple injury scares with his knee. Even so, Kupp made numerous key catches to move the football as quarterback Matthew Stafford’s preferred intermediate target. The Rams struggled in the red zone and were held out of the end zone for only the second time with Stafford under center, capping Kupp’s fantasy upside in the process. Kupp will look to get back in the scoring column in Week 11 when the Rams travel to face the Patriots.

Kupp saved a quiet Week 8 box score with a touchdown. His stat line didn’t need saving this week as he was able to dominate LA’s targets and top 100 yards for the first time since Week 1. Kupp’s lofty target total could be written off as the product of Puka Nacua getting ejected at the end of the first half, but Kupp had nine targets to Nacua’s four before the second-year wideout was tossed. The more likely explanation is that Nacua is still working through his knee injury and his opportunities were limited. If Nacua isn’t at full strength for LA’s Week 10 matchup with Miami, Kupp will jump him in the fantasy rankings in route to a WR1 projection.

Paraphrasing in-house Rams reporter Stu Jackson, McVay “also said that there’s a lot of speculation, and certain things he’s seen circulating are not true and have been addressed.” That’s ... mostly a denial. In his own words, McVay was a little more emphatic. “I’m really glad to have Cooper Kupp back with us. And that’s what I expect to stay that way.” “Expect” is doing a little work there, but now on a two-game winning streak and on better footing in the down NFC West, the Rams will probably stand pat. They have 12 more days to think about it.

Active for the first time since Week 2, Kupp found himself once again competing for looks with Puka Nacua, who himself was active for the first time since Week 1. The Rams treated Nacua like more of a game-day decision, but it was Nacua who looked more ready for prime time, though both wideouts seemed to resume their typical roles. One of Kupp’s missed connections was a drop, while he committed a costly mental mistake when he went out of bounds late in the fourth quarter to stop the clock before the Rams punted the ball back to the Vikes. Kupp’s score was a seven-yarder where he worked free in the end zone for a scrambling Matthew Stafford. Although Nacua’s 106 yards will get the Week 8 headlines, Kupp is again a weekly must-start heading into Week 9 against the Seahawks. We might spend some time debating whether he should be a WR1 or WR2, but it doesn’t really matter.