Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Xavier Legette

Friday, September 5, 2:13 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp is checking in as a flex option in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. Kupp is coming off a season with the Rams that began very auspiciously but finished horrendously. Kupp was a clear-cut WR1 over the first half of the season, but he was completely phased out of the offense towards the end. He only earned nine targets over his final three games, and he moved on from the Rams this offseason. Kupp did not show any signs of slowing down when he was given opportunities in 2024. This is certainly not the same player who took the league by storm in 2021, but Kupp should present solid value out of the slot in Seattle. He is going to be where quarterback Sam Darnold needs him to be at all times. San Francisco presents a tough matchup in Week 1, but they will need to focus their energy on stopping wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Kupp's role in the slot is more immune to tough matchups than outside wide receivers, giving him flex value with solid WR2 upside in Week 1.

Saturday, August 9, 3:36 PM

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette was ejected from Friday's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns after a first-quarter altercation. The 24-year-old did not record any catches or targets before being thrown out of the 30-10 loss. Legette was a first-round pick in last year's draft, with a rookie stat line of 49-49-4 on 84 targets. Panthers head coach Dave Canales acknowledged that while the play was physical, Legette's response was a liability. "You can't do that... both guys got ejected, rightfully so," Canales said, per Darin Gantt of panthers.com. The incident occurred while Legette was downfield blocking and got tangled up with Browns cornerback Rayshawn Mitchell. RotoBaller projects Legette as WR69 with a slight uptick in catches, yards, and TDs this season. He is most likely to be behind rookie stud Tetairoa McMillan and veteran Adam Thielen in targets. Still, he could emerge as an upside WR4/5 if anything happens to Thielen as the season progresses.