Devastatingly, Rams WR Cooper Kupp’s brilliant sophomore campaign has been cut short due to a non-contact Week 10 ACL tear. Prior to the injury, Kupp was the WR10 in fantasy points per game (15.5) thanks to a strong Red Zone rapport with Jared Goff that netted a team-high six receiving TDs in only 7 games played. Kupp also operated as Goff’s safety net out of the slot, and was a consistent third-down chain mover for this team. The injury is brutal for both the Rams and Kupp’s fantasy owners, and carries massive rest of season implications.
Offensive guru Sean McVay loses a crucial mismatch weapon, as Kupp expertly ran the entire route tree and could be moved all over the lineup. In his absence, expect even more targets for the recently-surging Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods. In particular, Woods could see a massive Red Zone usage spike, as his five “Inside-the-20” targets decisively trailed both Kupp and Cooks (12). He seems like the most natural fit into the slot, as well. Meanwhile, Todd Gurley‘s steady volume buffet should remain in tact.
Though the main beneficiaries will be these three fantasy stalwarts, some new upside could emerge as well. In particular, the wiry Josh Reynolds (2% owned) will see a snap increase and has done damage with his limited looks in the past. McVay has praised Reynolds’ “wide catch radius” and “rare body control for a player of that size,” which has all the makings of a Red Zone maestro. In fact, Reynolds has hauled in all three of his 2018 RZ targets, with two going for scores during Kupp’s missed Week 8. He’s well worth a speculative add. Additionally, TEs Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, who both scored Sunday, could see great RZ usage. Even with the third easiest ROS TE Schedule, neither are appealing fantasy options, as they’ll constantly nibble one another’s cheese.
