Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Jameson Williams

Saturday, June 29, 1:27 PM

ESPN's Sarah Barshop lists Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp as one of the team's most surprising offseason standouts, which even she admits is odd. Kupp, who was the 2021 receiving triple-crown winner, has played through significant injuries in each of the past two seasons. He finished 2023 with 59 catches for 737 yards and five touchdowns, his fewest receiving yards since 2018, when he played in only eight games. However, Kupp is healthy this offseason, and it showed on the practice field. Head coach Sean McVay said during organized team activities that he doesn't think "anyone really understands the amount of things [Kupp was] working through last season" with his injury and that the receiver has been able to build his body "from the ground up." Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting the 2021 version of Kupp anymore, especially with Puka Nacua in the fold, but if he's healthy, he can still deliver value as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 in 2024.

Wednesday, July 24, 1:25 PM

The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner writes that Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams looks like a completely different player from a year ago early in training camp. Williams looks stronger through the middle and more explosive with better body control in the air and near the sidelines. Head coach Dan Campbell already said earlier this offseason that the 23-year-old former first-rounder looks like "a man on a mission" in 2024. The former 12th overall pick was recovering from a torn ACL heading into his rookie season and missed time due to a suspension in 2023, so he's been a first-round bust to this point. Williams' big-play ability is undeniable, though, and he has a chance to solidify the WR2 role in Detroit this year behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, which would make him an interesting WR4/flex play in standard-scoring fantasy formats.