Cooper Kupp believes the Los Angeles Rams intend on trading him. In real NFL terms that probably means the Rams will have to eat some of Kupp's salary and it means we should expect Puka Nacua to get more company in the Rams receiving corps. But what we're more interested in is what it means for Cooper Kupp's Fantasy Football value.
Kupp finished last season with 67 catches for 710 yards and six touchdowns across 12 games. He averaged 14.6 PPR Fantasy points per game, which ranked as WR22. But that doesn't quite tell the full story. Kupp scored 32 Fantasy points in Week 1. He scored 28.6 points in Week 11. He only topped 61 yards once in his final eight games including the playoffs.
Kupp has not missed at least five games in three straight seasons and will turn 32 in June. As Theo Gremminger and I discussed on Fantasy Football Today Dynasty, it is getting harder and harder to trust Kupp as a reliable starter in Fantasy Football, and his Dynasty value is already plummeting.
Still, in the right situation, he could be a big help to a quarterback, and could find relevance as a low-end WR2. Here are my favorite potential landing spots, you'll noice that I think the best situation for Kupp is one where he can be a reliable WR2 with a good QB, that's why I'm leaving the Raiders, Patriots, and Broncos off the list.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders have a true number one wide receiver in Terry McLaurin, and a young superstar quarterback in Jayden Daniels. Kupp could function as a short-area target and take advantage of the space created by Daniels and McLaurin's connection. Also, the team could potentially lose 186 targets from 2024 in free agency, so Kupp could come in and earn eight targets per game without impacting McLaurin's target share. If the Commanders pull this deal off there is a legitimate argument for Daniels as QB1 overall in 2025.
Houston Texans
The Texans just hired Rams' assistant Nick Caley to be their offensive coordinator. Caley should know as well as anyone how much Kupp has left in the tank. Like Washington, Houston has a true number one wide receiver in Nico Collins and a young future star at quarterback in C.J. Stroud. They're also losing Stefon Diggs to free agency and there is no telling when Tank Dell is going to be 100% again. Kupp could help Stroud rebound after a disappointing second season without impacting Nico Collins' stranglehold on WR1 targets.
Cincinnati Bengals
If the Bengals lose Tee Higgins to free agency and the Rams agree to take on a big chunk of Kupp's contract, this could be the very best fit. Ja'Marr Chase just won the wide receiver triple crown and there was still room for Higgins to earn nine targets per game and score 10 touchdowns. Can you imagine the season Joe Burrow could have if he had Chase and Kupp healthy for 17 games? Records would be broken.
Darkhorse: Jacksonville Jaguars. Yes, they would have to cut Christian Kirk post-June 1, but Liam Coen was in Los Angeles with Kupp before he was in Tampa Bay.
