Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Christian Kirk

Sunday, December 28, 9:24 AM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp has been underwhelming during his first year with the team, but last week's season-high snap share offers plenty of optimism near the end of the regular season. Kupp played 93% of the snaps in last week's overtime win over his old team, the Los Angeles Rams. Despite the increased involvement, he posted modest volume with four targets, three catches, 39 yards, and a lost fumble. With that being said, managers should feel optimistic that his high snap share could lead to improved volume in Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers. Kupp, who is the WR33 in half-PPR leagues over the last three weeks, faces a Carolina defense that has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to slot receivers in 2025. His 284 slot snaps rank 14th-most among wide receivers this year. Kupp enters Week 17 as the WR49 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings.

Friday, December 26, 9:03 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk is coming off one of his best games of the season last week against the Raiders, as the veteran played his most snaps (39) since Week 9 and had his most targets (5) since Week 12. He'll have a tougher matchup this week against the Chargers on Saturday and is a high-risk play for fantasy purposes since his role is still extremely shaky. He finishes second on the team in receiving yards and tied for second in targets last week, though, so it's possible he'll continue to trend up as the Texans continue their playoff push. Since he only has 25 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown this season, Kirk is a high-risk option in this tough matchup in Los Angeles, and he's just the No. 67 WR in RotoBaller's rankings. He can be left on the bench or waiver wire in most leagues, but it is worth monitoring his involvement to see if last week's performance was a matchup-based outlier or the start of a trend.