Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Dillon Gabriel

Friday, October 3, 7:56 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp has entered the bench stash phase of his career. He is not a viable option in Week 5 when the Seahawks host the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers have an untested passing defense, but Kupp has been too inconsistent to this point in the season. Kupp has only surpassed 6.6 fantasy points one time this season. Additionally, the Seahawks' passing volume is low. Quarterback Sam Darnold is averaging 25 passing attempts per game, and 8.5 of those passes are going to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Some of that has been due to game script. The offense has been relatively efficient, and the defense has been elite, resulting in a lower passing volume. If the Buccaneers' offense challenges Seattle in Week 5, the passing volume could increase. However, Kupp is too risky a player to deploy right now. He still has talent, but as of now, he is a better wide receiver for the Seahawks than he is for fantasy.

Saturday, October 4, 9:50 AM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel will make his NFL debut in a tough matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in London in Week 5. The Browns benched ineffective starter Joe Flacco earlier in the week and will turn to Gabriel, whom they drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. The rookie faces a tough task right off the bat against a Brian Flores-led Minnesota defense that tends to cause havoc for even the top quarterbacks in the league. The Browns are likely to limit Gabriel's pass attempts in his debut as a run-heavy offensive approach is likely. Treat Gabriel as a high-end QB3 in fantasy leagues for Week 5.