What to expect from Cooper Kupp’s fantasy football return in NFL Week 8

It should be a time of pure celebration for Cooper Kupp fans and fantasy managers. He returns tomorrow to Thursday Night Football – a prime time Island game, no less! – namely for a home game against Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings. Hopes are likely to be high. Rams fans should be happy.

Unfortunately, the air in LA has become quite thin. Trade rumors involving Kupp himself and quarterback Matthew Stafford hang over the franchise like a haze from Southern California. Retaining both Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford at the end of this season is absolutely untenable. Trying to maximize return value for both at the close could be the best course of action for the company.

Especially if they lose to the Vikings tomorrow night. This makes ugly decisions all too easy. And I don’t think McVay, Nine & Dime (as Stafford and Kupp are called on their Breakfast Brothers podcast via the Rams social media account) or this young, physical Rams defense are going to play this game like a twosome. 4 team.

What does this mean for Kupp in fantasy lineups and DFS contests? So!

analysis

It’s pretty simple here. We await the moon for Cooper Kupp. We expect its absolute ceiling. This is not a start or sit decision. We’re just talking about whether we expect the Rams to potentially tone down his workload since they’re 2-5 and need forward thinking in the front office.

That’s noise. Let’s put any workload concerns to rest, shall we? Expect Kupp to hit the road and run routes like a madman. He will end up among the top names if not like that The First of all name, on the routes running stat for tomorrow evening. Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp are absolute competitors and are known for being tough, even-keeled veterans. They won’t let this whole affair stop them from winning tomorrow night’s game at any cost.

However, I will briefly discuss the business side of potentially retaining Cooper Kupp in a trade and why I think it’s unlikely. You can skip to the stats and bottom line if that’s all you care about.

The business of the whole thing

Keep in mind that I say the above primarily as a Matthew Stafford fan. As someone who isn’t quite ready or has yet to come to terms with the fact that the Rams are going to blow it up at the trade deadline.

You can decide for yourself whether my belief that the aging core of this Rams era isn’t ready to give up on the season, especially after clinching a playoff spot in 2023 despite starting the year 3-5, is biased or not and a prediction of the stakes I place on the game. That’s okay!

However, I firmly believe that this is a Rams team that believes they have been dealt a bad hand. One devastating injury after another at the start of the year. This is a roster made up largely of the same group that topped the standings after Week 9 in 2023; It’s still fresh in their minds and they know they can win.

In hindsight, I think the Rams went into Week 7 against the Raiders with their minds on things – Kupp was inactive, Whittington only saw the field for nine snaps on offense, Kyren Williams only touched the ball 21 times and Stafford threw the ball only 23 times – that if the defense couldn’t win them in this game, the Vikings game would be hopeless anyway. The defense won the game. McVay passed all three game balls to the secondary. Momentum.

This context is all too important because it means the Rams likely won’t hold back on their offensive game plan tomorrow. And of course the focus is on Cooper Kupp.

The statistics of everything

Kupp’s stats are the only time he ever played against the Vikings:

• 2021 (with Stafford as QB): 13 scores, ten receptions, 103 yards; one carry for four yards
• 2019 (with Jared Goff as QB): 11 scores, nine receptions, 162 yards, two touchdowns

I’m betting that Kupp’s third game against the Vikings as a Ram will look statistically very similar to his first two.

The only stat that matters: You don’t want to be 0-1 when you start Cooper Kupp against the Vikings tomorrow.

Conclusion

Expect McVay and Stafford to dig deeper into their pockets than they have in a long time. Kyren Williams will eat, and other receivers like Tutu Atwell and Colby Parkinson will get their food too.

This also applies to Cooper Kupp. In their run after Week 8 in 2023, when they essentially had to win to be competitive, Matthew Stafford threw the ball an average of 34.7 times per game. This year he is averaging just under 25 attempts per game. His offensive line isn’t quite healthy yet, but it’s getting healthier. He’ll handle 25 attempts with ease tomorrow night.

Encouraging Stat: In Week 1 against the Lions, the last time Stafford had his full arsenal of offensive weapons and was running a game plan that included his entire offensive line, he threw the ball 49 times. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Stafford eclipses 40 pass attempts tomorrow night.

That means Cooper Kupp should see at least fifteen targets. Expect a slight WR1 performance tomorrow night. Set it and forget it. Kupp wants to remain a Ram as much as you want him to carry your team.

Unless Kupp’s injury worsens, I’m calling it a nuclear performance from Nine & Dime. Legacy games are coming.

Set yours DraftKings Fantasy football lineups here: NFL fantasy football millionaire worth $2.75 million [$1M to 1st].

All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds are subject to change.

I’m a promoter at DraftKings and also an avid fan and user (my username is thegreatdansby9). Sometimes I play the games I give advice on on my personal account. Although I have expressed my personal opinions on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the opinion(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment when compiling their lineups. I may also use players and strategies other than those recommended above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to non-public information