With the NFL season opener just days away, it is time to do some bold predictions for the players who will likely make a difference in Week 1. If there was one player with a huge breakout year in 2021, that player was Cooper Kupp. After being relatively quiet since his rookie campaign, Kupp went off last season. Starting the year out of the NFL Top 100, the wide receiver had one of the best offensive seasons in league history.
He led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16). All of that was capped off with a Super Bowl MVP and ring where he had eight catches for 92 yards and two scores.
Now recognized by his peers, players ranked Kupp No. 4 in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022. If that indicates something, players believe Kupp can be dominant once again. He also signed a huge three-year, $80 million extension with the Los Angeles Rams, meaning the front office believes in the wideout's future with the team.
It will all start on Thursday when the Rams open the season at home versus the Buffalo Bills.
With that being said, here are three bold predictions for Cooper Kupp in Week 1 against the Bills.
3. Cooper Kupp will have at least 100 receiving yards, two touchdowns
Fans have multiple reasons to believe Cooper Kupp will have another stellar year. Although it will be very difficult to replicate his 2021 numbers, they should still be worth a Pro Bowl selection. In Week 1, Kupp and the Rams will face one of the best teams in the league and one of the Super Bowl contenders.
The Buffalo Bills had the best defense in the NFL in the 2021 season. They led the league in seven categories, including total defense, points per game allowed, and total yards allowed per play. Although it will certainly be a challenge, Kupp can definitely score multiple times on Thursday.
First, he will have Matthew Stafford as his quarterback once again. Their connection last season was very impressive, and things should continue in 2022. Stafford will likely struggle a bit against former teammate Von Miller. Last season, the quarterback led the league in interceptions thrown with 17. So, Kupp will have to be very active so the Rams can still play well.
Still, fans should not be surprised if Kupp goes off and leads the league in receiving yards and touchdowns again. It will all start with at least 100 yards and two scores against the Bills in Week 1.
2. He will lead the game in targets, catches, receiving yards and touchdowns
Cooper Kupp leading the Rams in targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns would not be a surprise. However, the former Eastern Washington Eagle has a big chance of leading both teams in those categories.
The Bills have perhaps one of the most promising wide receiver duos in Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis. Although Diggs is WR1, Davis is coming off a playoff record-breaking performance with four receiving touchdowns. It is likely that the former UCF Knight will earn a larger role on the team's offense.
Additionally, Buffalo has Isaiah McKenzie, who has been a pleasant surprise in training camp. With Cole Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders out of the picture, the return specialist should become one of the team's main targets.
Also, Josh Allen is a dual-threat quarterback. This means that the Bills might utilize a lot of runs since Aaron Donald and company might pressure Allen and he might need to escape.
All of those factors, especially the deep receiving group, indicate that Buffalo's numbers will be very spread out among its players. Because of that, Kupp, the clear receiving player from the Rams, will lead the game in targets, catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.
1. Cooper Kupp will lead the league in fantasy points in Week 1
If a player leads a game in all those offensive statistics, he will probably also earn a lot of fantasy points. All of that might result in Cooper Kupp being the main player in fantasy leagues in Week 1. There are many reasons why fans should believe it and still select him high if their drafts have not started yet.
Kupp had a 75.9% catch rate in 2021. So, if he has a big amount of targets against the Bills, he will likely have tons of catches. He is also very effective following the reception, recording 846 yards after the catch, which was more than the Rams' second-leading receiver had in total (Van Jefferson with 802 yards).
Even though he will face a tough defensive unit, Kupp has proved he is not afraid of big games. Fantasy team owners should smile every week they have Kupp on their rosters. Against Buffalo, he could easily be the best player among both rosters, and he will show it on the field that it is the case indeed.
Because of all of these, Kupp has a real shot at having the most fantasy points in Week 1. Expect him to score at least 15 fantasy points, but do not be surprised if he goes for 20-25.
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