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The WR5 on the season is available in free agency in 45% of My Fantasy League-hosted leagues.
That’s right, Cooper Kupp, who is third in the NFL in receptions, seventh in receiving yardage, and ninth in receiving touchdowns, is available in redraft leagues. Should you add him?
Kupp, unfortunately, went down with an ankle injury in Week 10. He sprained an ankle in Week 8, too, but he didn’t miss any time after that one. This time, his injury is much more severe. It is a high-ankle sprain, probably Grade 3, and it will cause him to miss six-to-eight weeks. Can he get back in time to help your team win a fantasy championship?
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What Procedure Did Kupp Have Done?
Cooper Kupp underwent a tightrope procedure on November 16. The procedure involves a surgeon attaching a fixation plate to the outside of the fibula and then threading a tight rope cord through the fibula and tibia to hold them and stabilize them as they heal.
The recovery time is reported as six-to-eight weeks by most news outlets, but a few are reporting five-to-six weeks. The time frame can vary in different cases. Dr. Jesse Morse, “the Fantasy Doctor,” says that Tua Tagovailoa had the procedure done in college and was able to return in three weeks. However, the Rams are sitting at 3-7, half a game ahead of the last-place teams in the NFC, and they’re nearly eliminated from the playoffs. Would the Rams rush Cooper Kupp back?
What Is Kupp’s Timeline For Return?
If you look six weeks ahead from when Kupp had his surgery, that’s Week 16, when the Rams host the Denver Broncos. If all goes smoothly, Kupp could be back in Week 16 (vs Den), Week 17 (@LAC), or Week 18 (@Sea). For fantasy purposes, it would only matter if he is back in Week 16 (the fantasy semi-finals) or Week 17 (the finals).
“The good news,” Morse said, “is that once he’s back, he’s very low-risk for re-injuring that high ankle because it is surgically repaired.”
The bad news is it still takes time to recover. Depending on how the process goes, getting Kupp back on the field by Week 16 might be rushing it. And if you are the Rams or Kupp, what is the point of rushing it? By then, the Rams will almost certainly be eliminated from the playoffs. They’ll have no reason to put Kupp at risk, and Kupp will have no reason to risk his career.
Even if the high-ankle injury is fully recovered, there’s always the potential for new injuries. Kupp has already had other injury scares this year. Matthew Stafford has missed time. Multiple offensive linemen went down.
It is unlikely that Kupp plays again this season.
What Is Kupp’s Upside For Fantasy?
Unlikely doesn’t mean impossible. If Kupp does come back, he would make many a fantasy playoff team unstoppable. If you add Kupp’s numbers to a team that is already in the playoffs, you would be taking a winning team to a championship level.
Consider the following team, which is 7-4 and tied for first place in a Rotoballer Challenge league (which just happens to be my team):
| Average Scoring | |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 24.4 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 14.1 |
| Latavius Murray | 9.9 |
| Justin Jefferson | 21.6 |
| Chris Olave | 14.5 |
| Michael Pittman | 13.9 |
| Jahan Dotson | 9.5 |
| Demarcus Robinson | 6.6 |
| Taysom Hill | 9.4 |
| Daniel Carlson | 10.7 |
| Buffalo Bills | 11.3 |
| TOTAL | 145.9 |
| RANK | #3 |
The team is treading by each week with strong play by its QB and WR1 but weak RB play. I had to put WRs in my flex spots most weeks, and the bottom few WRs don’t always hit. My players would rank third in average scoring if every player scored their average every week, but that doesn’t always happen.
Now add Cooper Kupp to my team, and this is what happens:
| Average Scoring | |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 24.4 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 14.1 |
| Latavius Murray | 9.9 |
| Cooper Kupp | 22.3 |
| Justin Jefferson | 21.6 |
| Chris Olave | 14.5 |
| Michael Pittman | 13.9 |
| Jahan Dotson | 9.5 |
| Taysom Hill | 9.4 |
| Daniel Carlson | 10.7 |
| Buffalo Bills | 11.3 |
| TOTAL | 161.6 |
| RANK | #1 |
Kupp instantly becomes the WR1 and increases the team’s average weekly score by 15, which would put it #1 in the league.
This would happen with most teams. Kupp is one of the top-five WRs when healthy. Unless you are starting Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, Davante Adams, and Jaylen Waddle, you are going to see a massive improvement if you are able to start Kupp.
Should You Add Cooper Kupp in Fantasy Football?
The potential upside from adding Kupp is extremely high, but the chance of it actually coming to fruition is relatively low. But what are you missing if you add Kupp?
There’s one roster spot you can’t fill with someone like Mack Hollins, Isaiah McKenzie, Alec Pierce, Corey Davis, or Ben Skowronek. How much of an improvement is Mack Hollins over your current WR6 sitting on your bench? At best, it’s a wash, and if he does spike, you won’t be able to predict it anyway.
By now, if you have seven or more wins, you are probably going to end up in the fantasy playoffs. If your core team is healthy and your berth is secured, you must prepare to fight for the championship title. You won’t win your fantasy championship because you started Ben Skowronek instead of Darnell Mooney. You will win it if your Cooper Kupp bet pays off.
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