Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is coming off the greatest single season for a wide receiver in fantasy football history. What is Kupp’s fantasy outlook, and where does his current ADP sit heading into 2022 fantasy football drafts?
Cooper Kupp’s fantasy outlook for 2022
What exactly changed from 2020 to 2021 that saw Kupp ascend into the stratosphere of fantasy production? The primary difference was the upgrade from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford. The latter locked in on Kupp as his primary target and architected yet another historic fantasy season, this time with a receiver built very different from Calvin Johnson.
Kupp averaged 25.9 PPR fantasy points per game. He was the overall WR1 by 4.2 ppg, the largest gap between the WR1 and WR2 in fantasy history.
Kupp reached historic heights through both volume and efficiency. He led the NFL in target share at 31.7%, snap share at 94%, red-zone targets at 38, yards per route run at 3.38, and a host of other categories. Most importantly for fantasy, Kupp won the receiving triple crown, leading the NFL in receptions (145), yards (1,947), and touchdowns (16).
Entering the 2022 season, Kupp is the clear WR1 and should be drafted as the first wide receiver off the board. There may be people out there that think Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase are worthy of the top spot. They are both immensely talented and elite fantasy assets. However, Kupp was in a tier by himself in 2021 — he’s earned the top spot entering 2022.
How the Rams’ depth chart impacts Cooper Kupp’s fantasy projection for the season
Kupp’s overall WR1 season largely came out of nowhere. I understand why some may be skeptical, but I buy it as completely legitimate.
The Rams have a consolidated offense. They funnel targets and touches to their top two wide receivers and lead running back. Last season, the Rams attempted 602 passes and ran the ball 420 times. Of those 1,022 opportunities, 72% went to Kupp, Robert Woods/Odell Beckham, and the running backs. The Rams went on to win the Super Bowl.
This is Sean McVay’s offense. They run 11 personnel more than any team in the NFL (86%) and throw to their best players. No team targeted the wide receiver position more than the Rams last year at 71.8%. Kupp is undoubtedly their best player.
The Rams traded Woods to the Titans and replaced him by signing Allen Robinson. They still have Van Jefferson as their WR3. While Kupp most likely will not repeat the same extraordinary numbers in 2021, there’s no reason he shouldn’t put together another dominant campaign.
Kupp’s ADP for 2022
Kupp is typically the first wide receiver off the board and goes within the first four picks of fantasy drafts. He is third overall and the top WR in PFN’s consensus 2022 PPR fantasy rankings. If you pick high enough to draft Kupp, feel free to do so literally whenever you want.
You only get one first-round pick. If you choose to use it on Kupp, I doubt you’ll regret it. He was the most valuable player in fantasy football last season. You will find no objection from me if you take Kupp as high as first overall.
