Is Rams Star Cooper Kupp Still First-Round Fantasy Pick?
The opportunity cost might be too high for the star receiver
Cooper Kupp suffered a setback with his hamstring injury just a week before the 2023 NFL season kicks off, which makes the Rams wide receiver a risky top choice in fantasy football.
Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay on Thursday considered Kupp day-to-day, per ESPN. The 30-year-old suffered the injury on Aug. 1 and was optimistic he could play in the Rams' season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. The Super Bowl LVI MVP missed the last eight games of last season due to a high ankle sprain -- a season after he achieved the NFL triple crown in receiving.
The Rams are projected as a fringe playoff team, but the loss of Kupp will significantly hurt those chances, especially after Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly Stafford, revealed the quarterback had trouble connecting to the younger receivers on the team. She admitted Thursday she regretted making those comments, but it does not inspire optimism if you're a Rams fan.
Kupp's average draft position in Yahoo drafts is seventh overall as the WR4, according to Fantasy Pros. If you still haven't drafted yet, it's hard to be confident in Kupp as a top-five wide receiver.
Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown have the potential to reach those heights, and running backs Bijan Robinson and Saquon Barkley have secure-enough roles to pay off their ADPs.
The size and settings for your league will matter the most. If you have an IR spot, Kupp might be worth the price. The key is to hit on wide receiver throughout your draft.
But you're looking for ceiling options in the first few rounds of the draft. Kupp still is one of the best receivers in the league, but how much is he going to play this season? Los Angeles might have another lost season and won't feel the pressure to rush Kupp back from his injury.
There's just too much uncertainty to bust on your first-round pick and start off way behind in your league. Again, if you're confident you can hit on receiver throughout the draft, then Kupp still is a solid first-round pick. But there are multiple better options in the second half of the first round to roll the dice on Kupp.
