Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Josh Downs

Friday, August 21, 8:56 AM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp is still running with the starters, but the fantasy case keeps getting thinner. He played 16 games last season and caught 47 passes for 593 yards and two touchdowns on 70 targets. Meanwhile, Jaxon Smith-Njigba exploded for 119 catches and 1,793 yards, and Seattle has spent this summer talking about a bigger offensive role for Rashid Shaheed. Kupp has made plays in camp, including a one-handed grab from Sam Darnold, so this isn't about him suddenly looking finished. It's about volume. Seattle attempted only 481 passes last season, fourth-fewest in the NFL, and Kupp was already living on a modest target share before Shaheed's role started growing. RotoBaller has dropped Kupp to 222nd overall in its Aug. 19 PPR rankings. At 33, he can still give Seattle useful snaps and have the occasional fantasy week. There just isn't much pointing toward a return to steady starting value. Kupp looks more like deep bench depth than a receiver fantasy managers should be trying to force into drafts.