Cooper Kupp has pretty much always been a stalwart for your fantasy football team ever since being drafted in 2017. But his 2021 performance is one for the record books, marks that likely even he won’t be able to touch.

145 receptions, 1,947 receiving yards, and 16 touchdowns came close to setting historical marks across the board in ‘21 – Kupp fell 4 receptions short (of Michael Thomas), 17 receiving yards short (of Calvin Johnson), and 7 receiving touchdowns short (of Randy Moss). These numbers were the biggest reason why the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, as well.

2022 Season in Review

Kupp struggled in the season after his breakout ‘21 campaign, having fought through an ankle injury and only suited up for nine games. While he still finished as the WR23 in PPR formats after just playing in nine games, Kupp certainly had a rough year after his career season.

His quarterback, Matthew Stafford, also only played in nine games of the ‘22 season, dealing with injuries that eventually saw Bryce Perkins and Baker Mayfield make starts. Last season became a throwaway year for the Rams with their two star players on offense out, leaving quite a sour taste in the mouths of their fan base.

75 receptions, 812 yards, and 6 TDs is still an impressive season for an NFL wide receiver, and he was on pace for another 100+ reception, 1,500+ receiving yard, and 12+ TD season before his injuries. There still seems to be a lot left in the tank for Kupp, but injuries at his age certainly can start to catch up to a wide receiver used as heavily as Kupp has been in his career.

2023 Season Preview

It is a realistic expectation for Kupp to not make his ‘22 production a constant for the rest of his professional career. While there is some concern about his ankle injury being something that pops up again, that mindset should not hold you back from drafting him as early as 1.03 in your fantasy football drafts this season.

A generational talent with no improvements made to the wide receiver core around him, combined with his starting quarterback returning to pre-injury form, spells for a perfect concoction of yet another top season for Kupp.

Van Jefferson and Ben Skowronek are the next guys in line for the Rams, two very uninspiring names. They did draft BYU receiver Puka Nacua and signed Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson, and none of these three names are worth mentioning in detail when it comes to Kupp’s case for your fantasy football roster.

Besides his history of injuries, there is one huge factor that could contribute to a down year for Kupp – his age. Being on the wrong side of 30 years old (barely) means that he likely will begin his decline over the next few seasons, and this year is likely the start of that.

Anytime a receiver, especially one that makes a living running routes over the middle of the field, hits that scary age-30 threshold, all bets are off for how much longer he can operate as a household name for fantasy football. Kupp is not some ordinary WR3 on a middling offense, but you are absolutely right to pause a bit when seeing his name near the top of your draft board.

Relying on his health and the health of Stafford is what will dictate what kind of a season he has. With offseason participation from both Kupp and Stafford pointing the direction of this offense finally back in the right direction, you should look to invest in Kupp in your fantasy football drafts.

While seeing another ‘21 season from Kupp may not be the most realistic expectation, even the pace that he was on last year before his injury would make him one of the five top-scoring wide receivers for fantasy football purposes.

The Rams’ offense has the potential to rekindle some of its explosiveness that disappeared once Kupp and Stafford were injured. With Sean McVay running the ship on offense still in Los Angeles, anything is possible for this roster.

While not as ‘safe’ of a bet (there is no safe bet when it comes to fantasy football) as either Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase, Kupp should be coming off the board right around the same time that Tyreek Hill is and before A.J. Brown and others. Kupp’s ceiling in the Rams’ offense is unmatched across the league, and having shown a consistent rapport with Stafford in the past certainly paints a league-winning picture if you draft him.