Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Theo Johnson

Sunday, November 2, 7:00 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (hamstring, heel) was ruled out ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football. As expected, Kupp will head to the sideline as he's dealing with multiple injuries. This is bad news for an already banged-up wideout group in Seattle. The loss of Kupp figures to mean increased roles for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tory Horton, and Ricky White III on Sunday. Horton could be a look as a streaming option for fantasy managers attempting to replace Kupp ahead of kickoff.

Saturday, November 1, 3:13 AM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson enters Week 9 as the TE16, with his fantasy viability heavily reliant on scoring after accumulating four receiving touchdowns on just 23 catches this season. Johnson maintains a significant role with a 78.7% snap share and 37 targets through eight games, but the upcoming matchup presents a challenge against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers defense is tough against tight ends, ranking as the 10th-ranked fantasy defense and limiting the position to an average of only 11.95 points per game. Although the 49ers' pass rush ranks 31st in the NFL with nine sacks, allowing quarterback Jaxson Dart time, San Francisco's solid Red Zone Defense ranks 7th, making Johnson's primary source of fantasy value--touchdowns--more difficult to come by. Therefore, Johnson remains a low-floor, touchdown-dependent TE2 for Week 9.