The Rams won’t have Cooper Kupp for the next four weeks after he suffered an ankle injury on Sunday, which will land him on injured reserve. He’s been their best offensive player and really the only one who’s produced consistently this year, so this is a massive loss for the Rams.
It’s also a significant blow for anyone who has Kupp in fantasy. Just as the Rams won’t be able to replace him, no fantasy owner will be able to fill the void of Kupp.
And when looking at the Rams’ roster, it’s hard to see any receiver who will become a fantasy star in the next month. Here’s a run down of three Rams receivers who are at least somewhat fantasy-relevant.
Allen Robinson
Robinson has been one of the most disappointing players in the NFL this season – both for the Rams and from a fantasy perspective. He was expected to bounce back from a career-worst season in 2021, but all he’s done is 3.2 catches and 32.4 yards per game. He hasn’t had a single game with more than seven targets or 63 yards, and it’s not because Kupp was getting all the targets.
Robinson is a No. 1-caliber receiver, and he was exactly that several times in his career: 1,400 yards in 2015, 1,147 yards in 2019, 1,250 yards in 2020. With Kupp out, Matthew Stafford will have to target Robinson more. He’s actually made the most of his opportunities in recent weeks when passes have come his way, but the big plays have yet to happen.
I think Stafford (or John Wolford) will give Robinson more opportunities to make plays down the field with Kupp sidelined, but I wouldn’t stick A-Rob in your fantasy lineup yet. See how Week 11 goes and then consider plugging him in.
Van Jefferson
Jefferson is a guy who should benefit most from Kupp’s absence. He’s been the No. 4 receiver since he returned from a knee injury, with his playing time decreasing each week. Now that Kupp is out, the Rams have little choice but to give Jefferson more snaps.
He and Stafford had a strong connection last season, particularly on deep passes. The Rams still need a downfield threat this year and Jefferson is the best option to fill that role.
Jefferson is still working his way back from missing the first six games of the season but as he gets more comfortable on his knee, his numbers will improve. We’ll need to see how the Rams deploy him on Sunday before anyone should consider starting him in fantasy.
Ben Skowronek
Skowronek has only played 57 fewer snaps than Robinson and has very clearly been the No. 3 receiver for Los Angeles. He hasn’t done much as a receiver in the last three games, catching just three of his 10 targets for 24 yards, but in the first six games, he was targeted 29 times, caught 23 passes and had 221 yards.
The Rams are using him less as a fullback now and more of a true receiver, which will give him a higher fantasy ceiling. But he shouldn’t be started in fantasy right now, given the state of the offense.
