Fantasy Football Player Notes

Despite the entire Rams' offense cratering around him last season, Cooper Kupp was on his way to another fantastic season before being shut down with a high ankle sprain. With the Rams out of the playoff picture and the team in shambles, Los Angeles put Kupp on the shelf. Kupp ranked third in target share (31.0%), fourth in target per route run rate (31.5%), and 12th in air yard share (34.5%). All of this culminated in another WR1 finish in fantasy points per game. Kupp is amazing when healthy, but at this point, his health is a massive question mark that has me heavily fading him in last-minute drafts before Week 1.

I don't normally have a heavy infatuation with a wide receiver drafted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, but I do for Puka Nacua. I won't apologize for falling head over heels for a wide receiver that you can easily draft with your final pick in best ball drafts and redraft that ranked second and sixth in yards per route run over the last two years (minimum 50 targets per PFF). Nacua has highlight reel body control and strong mitts. Last year he ranked 17th in contested catch rate (minimum ten contested targets per PFF). Nacua has a fairly easy path to playing time this season, with only Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell ahead of him to start camp. Nacua could get some Robert Woods-esque handoffs this year after amassing 357 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns at BYU. Nacua is a smash pick.