After an injury-plagued week for NFL teams losing high-profile wide receivers, Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp is set to return Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings after suffering an ankle injury that’s had him sidelined since Week 2. But the big question is whether he’ll still be wearing a Rams uniform in Week 9.
A trio of The Athletic’s reporters reported Tuesday that the Rams have been shopping Kupp ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline. With several teams seeking to backfill for injured pass catchers and others looking to bolster their receiving corps for a playoff push, there would seem to be several suitors that make sense. Senior fantasy writer Jake Ciely teamed up with The Athletic’s NFL reporters to evaluate which of six potential landing spots could be the most advantageous for fantasy managers.
6. Denver Broncos
There are several reasons why pursuing Kupp wouldn’t make sense for the Broncos. For starters, the team has only $4.1 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap. Even if the Rams paid a hefty chunk of what remains of Kupp’s $15 million base salary, fitting the star receiver into Denver’s financial puzzle could be tricky. Plus, the Broncos sent away a combined six first- and second-round picks in trades for Russell Wilson and Sean Payton the past two years and could be reticent to move premium draft capital for a 31-year-old receiver with documented injury issues the past two seasons.
Still, the Broncos, who are 4-3 ahead of a home game against the 1-6 Panthers on Sunday, have a clear need for a playmaker on offense. Kupp would be the immediate top target for rookie quarterback Bo Nix, and would be a player who could be trusted to get open quickly. The move, provided Kupp is healthy, would immediately boost a passing offense that has been one of the league’s worst this season and would be a clear sign the Broncos are serious about making a playoff run in 2024. — Nick Kosmider, Broncos writer
Fantasy fit: This would be the cliché of parking a Lamborghini in a garage or, heck, taking it out for a drive … on the beach. Kupp would struggle to have top 25 value, even with his ability to help Nix. Courtland Sutton is already droppable, and Troy Franklin would go from intriguing stash to waivers again. Please don’t let this happen. — Ciely
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s no secret that the Steelers are interested in adding a wide receiver. After Pittsburgh missed out on Brandon Aiyuk and Davante Adams, Kupp might be the team’s last and best chance to add an impact player in the middle of the season. While Kupp’s age (31) and injury history might give the Steelers some pause, the receiver would certainly fit nicely into offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s system. Kupp is an excellent blocker who would mesh well with a run-heavy offense. He has speed and the quick twitch to run the entire route tree, which would be a nice complement to a deep threat like George Pickens. And as a team-first veteran, he’d add a voice of leadership to a young and inexperienced receiver room. The only question is whether the Steelers are willing to meet the Rams’ demands in a trade, and whether they believe his contract will fit into their future. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers writer
Fantasy fit: If you don’t already know how unappealing the Steelers would be from a fantasy perspective, just read what DeFabo said: “Kupp is an excellent blocker who would mesh well with a run-heavy offense.” Blocker. Run-heavy offense. The Steelers’ offense with Russell Wilson will barely support the WR2 value of Pickens, who couldn’t even manage that value level with Justin Fields under center. Adding Kupp would hurt Pickens, and while it would boost Wilson a bit (mid-high QB2), this isn’t the Wilson — or offense — that supported DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Kupp would be a low-end WR2 — if that — and Pickens a boom-bust WR3/4, or what he was before Wilson replaced Fields. This landing spot narrowly edges out the Broncos as the worst possible outcome. — Ciely
4. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers need receiver help, but the money feels like a non-starter in a potential Kupp trade across town.
Using figures from Over the Cap, Kupp has $9.16 million in salary remaining for 2024. The Chargers have $8.56 million in cap space. So the Rams would have to take on some of the salary to facilitate a trade.
According to reports, the Rams are willing, but the more salary they take on, the better draft-pick return they will demand. The Chargers moved on from two over-30 receivers — Mike Williams and Keenan Allen — for money reasons this past offseason. Would they turn around seven months later and trade premium capital — a second-round pick, likely — for an over-30 receiver who has played just two games this season because of an ankle injury?
On top of that, the Chargers would have to come up with the cash to pay Kupp this season. And it would not be an ideal rental situation as the Chargers would have to eat $5 million in dead money if they wanted to move on from him this offseason. In that case, Kupp would not factor into the compensatory pick formula.
If the Chargers make a move for a pass catcher ahead of the trade deadline, I think they would target a cheaper player who would serve as a rental for the remainder of 2024. — Daniel Popper, Chargers writer
Fantasy fit: Even if this surprise move took place, I wouldn’t be overly excited for fantasy purposes. Yes, Justin Herbert would get back into the high-end QB2 conversation, and the Chargers would likely pass more. However, while Kupp would still see a target share of around 30 percent, the targets wouldn’t hit double digits regularly because the Chargers don’t need to throw that often. Kupp’s arrival would hurt Ladd McConkey and ruin any hope for a Quentin Johnston breakout or bounce back. Kupp would likely fall into a Zay Flowers-like fringe-WR2 value. You’d get some top 5 weeks and others outside the top 40. The Chargers offer a better landing spot than the Broncos but a weaker one than the Cowboys, even as Kupp would be the Chargers’ top target. — Ciely
3. Dallas Cowboys
There’s no question the Cowboys could use another threat at receiver. Their expected No. 2 coming into the season, Brandin Cooks, is on injured reserve. And although he’s expected to return, Cooks was a non-factor in the offense even when he was healthy this year. Jalen Tolbert is making progress but profiles as a solid No. 3 receiver, and Jake Ferguson is a reliable option in the passing game but is more of a security blanket than a game-breaker. The Cowboys need someone opposite of CeeDee Lamb who could help free him up, and someone who can make teams pay when they overcommit coverage to Lamb. Kupp, when healthy, could be that guy.
Speaking of health, that is a yellow flag for the Cowboys, as Kupp has had a hard time staying healthy. The money is another thing that would make the Cowboys hesitate to make the move. Dallas has plenty of cap space, but Jerry Jones and the front office have shown to be reluctant to do anything with it. If the Rams eat the salary, as has been reported, that would drive up the price of the draft pick compensation. With the Cowboys signing Lamb and Dak Prescott to huge contracts and expected to do the same with Micah Parsons soon, they’re going to have to rely even more on their draft-and-develop philosophy. That’s why, although the Cowboys could use a player like Kupp, it feels unlikely that a deal gets done. — Saad Yousuf, Cowboys writer
Fantasy fit: This would be a better fit for the Cowboys than fantasy … at least for Kupp. Prescott would get a boost that may help get him back into the QB1 tier. Prescott had 19.7 and 19.9 fantasy points per game in 2021 and 2023 while throwing for at least 4,449 yards and 36 touchdowns in both seasons. Kupp would step in alongside Lamb but would be the No. 2 in Dallas. Lamb wouldn’t take much of a hit … this year. Lamb was in the No. 1 overall fantasy pick discussion this year, and Kupp can open things up for him, but the target share won’t leave enough room for Lamb to reach that top spot. Kupp can be a WR1 again, but on the Cowboys, he’d be more of a WR2, as he likely wouldn’t see his usual 30 percent-plus target share. Tolbert would go from a fun WR4 to irrelevant, and Jake Ferguson would remain a fringe TE1 with an even lower floor. — Ciely
2. San Francisco 49ers
Kupp to the 49ers? Kyle Shanahan would break down a castle gate to get at someone like Kupp. He runs crisp routes, picks up yards after the catch and, best of all, could come in on a Friday and play on a Sunday because he’s already familiar with the offense and terminology.
It would be a very ironic trade considering the 49ers and Rams have battled over trade prizes over the years — Matthew Stafford in 2021 and Christian McCaffrey in 2022 — and therein lies the rub.
Shanahan and Sean McVay are rivals. And it goes beyond being in the same division. McVay is a former Shanahan mentee who won a Super Bowl before Shanahan did. It’s extremely hard to envision the 49ers shipping a star player to Los Angeles. It’s only slightly more likely one would go in the opposite direction. — Matt Barrows, 49ers writer
Fantasy fit: The 49ers are the second-best landing spot on this list. Kupp would eliminate the pain of losing Brandon Aiyuk, but like with the Cowboys, Kupp would have a lesser target share than if he stayed with the Rams or was traded to the Buccaneers. As we’ve seen, though, the 49ers offense can sustain two wideouts with top 20 value, even with McCaffrey in the mix. Deebo Samuel was WR9, and Aiyuk was WR13 in fantasy points per game last year. If Kupp joined the 49ers, he, too, would have top-20 potential. Brock Purdy could also be elevated back into the top 10 — where he was last year, thanks in part to McCaffrey — with Kupp’s arrival. But a slight ding would come to George Kittle — still a top-5 option but down from being in the No. 1 spot. — Ciely
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1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Injuries to Chris Godwin, who is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, and Mike Evans make the Bucs wide receiver-needy. And trading for Kupp would make sense from the standpoint that he should be able to transition easily, given the offensive system Liam Coen runs is a derivative of the Rams’ offense. Coen was a coach for the Rams for four of Kupp’s eight NFL seasons. What’s more, Kupp practiced with Baker Mayfield when the QB was with the Rams in 2022. But trading for Kupp would almost certainly require a major monetary commitment and a significant percentage of cap space. The Bucs are already heavily invested in the position with Evans, who signed a two-year, $41 million contract in the offseason. And Godwin’s contract is up in 2025. If the Bucs overspend on wide receivers, they won’t be able to address other long-term concerns sufficiently. — Dan Pompei
Fantasy fit: Before his injury, Godwin was the No. 2 wideout in all of fantasy. Kupp could replicate what Godwin brought to this team with or without Evans in the lineup. This is the best landing spot for Kupp’s fantasy value, as he would see a significant target share — one similar to his with the Rams — and a passing situation as good as or arguably better than the Rams. Kupp would have top-10 fantasy value with the upside to be the top wideout, and Evans (when back) would still be inside the top 20, as he was with Godwin. Mayfield would continue his QB1 days, but the hits would come to Cade Otton — back down to a streaming option — and Jalen McMillan et al., who would all be irrelevant again. — Ciely
(Photo: Matt Kartozian / Imagn Images)
