Cooper Kupp is a fantasy football star, but he’s yet to grace a field this season and won’t for a minimum of two more weeks. That much we know, but beyond that, we are talking about a tough situation to evaluate.
Timing is everything. Think about it. From waking up on time to making sure you walk the dog on time to getting work on time to showing up to a dinner date on time — if you nail the timing of things, life is just that much easier.
Fantasy football is no different. Is it time to trade for Kupp?
Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision.
Should Fantasy Football Managers Trade for Cooper Kupp?
Kupp was a first-round pick for most of this summer and while his stock fell as the season approached, he was still selected early enough in most drafts that his absence has put that team in a bind.
Maybe they’ve been able to survive, but I’m guessing that I’m not the only one in a league where the Kupp manager is 0-2 and in “I need to make something happen soon” mode.
Desperation leads to misevaluation.
How To Approach Trading for Kupp
The sales pitch you can make to the Kupp manager is pretty straightforward. That manager is no longer in a position to embrace the unknown and needs to get on track sooner rather than later.
MORE: Early Week 3 Start’ Em, Sit’ Em Picks
The uncertainty around Kupp is also something you can leverage: we aren’t positive that he will return when first eligible to come off of IR in Week 5 and Puka Nacua is a target vacuum, thus capping Kupp’s upside (when Kupp went bonkers in 2021, he had 56 more catches than any other Ram had targets).
Who are some of the players currently on IR that are worth stashing in your fantasy football league? Here are the top names to consider. https://t.co/Tr3CYtXAqG
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If this manager is on the fence, go ahead and mention the upcoming schedule. Even if Kupp returns in Week 5, it’s not like he will have an easy path to work back into form.
Three of the Los Angeles Rams‘ first four games after the potential return are at the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dallas Cowboys.
That’s no fun, and then you get a bye in Week 10, giving you the ability to pitch Kupp as not a reliable asset until mid-November, a thought that will be terrifying to a team that is in panic mode already.
If I’m 0-2 and holding Kupp, that’s a pretty strong case for me to move on and get a piece (or pieces) that will help me NOW. If I’m 2-0 and looking to acquire the former All-Pro, there’s a strong case to be made there as well.
Matthew Stafford looks to have juice (league leader in passes thrown 10-plus yards through two weeks), the Rams might be better than we thought in a weak NFC where anything is possible, and he’s Cooper freaking Kupp (220 catches and 22 TDs over his past 26 games).
At this moment in time, assuming you already have a competitive team, targeting Kupp in a trade offers much more long-term upside than risk. Play around on our Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer.
Right now, he’s not going to cost you the type of asset you can’t replace, but he could offer you production down the stretch that wins you your league.
With these soft tissue injuries, there is always the concern of injury and that will certainly be the case here. I can’t tell you that it won’t be. What I can tell you is that poor weather conditions likely won’t be the cause of any injury.
After that bye in Week 10, the Rams either play at home or in warm weather for five of their next six games.
The time is now. If you want to be bold and take the leap, there’s no better time. Nacua is taking the fantasy world by storm and the Kupp manager could be reeling.
Players like Mike Evans and Jordan Addison have scored 14-plus points in both games this season, are they sell-high types that you could build a Kupp offer around?
Hunter Henry has done that at the TE position, and if you can offer the Kupp manager two players that he/she views as a weekly starter, how could they pass it up?