Fantasy Football Outlook
2023 is the year of taking a wide receiver early in your fantasy football drafts. What better player to build your team around than the former triple-crown winner, Cooper Kupp? Kupp was in the midst of dominating fantasy football once again when he suffered an ankle injury. During 2022 Kupp was the WR1 through Week 9, averaging 24.8 PPG.
Kupp just turned 30 this summer, which is extremely old, but his age doesn’t affect him nearly as much as these other top receivers. Instead, Kupp dominates with his elite route running and game IQ from the slot. Although Kupp has a few concerns heading into this year, it’s hard to argue with a WR1 season in 2021 and a WR1 season through 9 games in 2022.
This year it’s almost necessary to anchor your team around wide receiver due to the positional scarcity in the middle rounds. Kupp is a phenomenal cornerstone for your fantasy team, as he provides a floor-and-ceiling combination that can’t be matched.
Fantasy Football Outlook for 2023
Currently, Kupp is going as the WR4 in Underdog fantasy, a half-PPR format. However, on ESPN, which is a full PPR league, Kupp is being drafted as the WR3. I love Kupp for this season, but I understand why he’s going behind Tyreek Hill on Underdog.
For one, Hill thrives off yards and touchdowns instead of receptions. In a half PPR format catches aren’t nearly as valuable. On top of this, stacking is very valuable in tournament-style leagues. Taking Hill allows you to take a correlated risk on the Dolphin’s offense.
You can also get Tua Tagovailoa at pick 91.9, which makes it extremely easy to have a Hill and Tagovailoa stack. It’s unlikely, but there’s even a chance to go all in on the Dolphins’ offense by taking Jaylen Waddle if he falls past ADP.
With wide receivers being pushed up draft boards, Kupp is an elite receiver I feel comfortable building my team around. For one, Matthew Stafford is finally coming back from his elbow injury and should be significantly better in 2023. Stafford is one of the most disrespected quarterbacks in all of fantasy with an ADP of QB21. In 2021 we saw what a healthy Stafford can do, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the two link up for another record-breaking season in 2023.
Low-level projection: 105 catches, 1250 yards, 9 touchdowns. 284 pts (PPR)
Mid-level projection: 120 catches, 1510 yards, 11 touchdowns. 337 pts (PPR)
High-level projection: 140 catches, 1850 yards, 14 touchdowns. 409 pts (PPR)
Dynasty Football Outlook
Unfortunately, dealing with aging superstars in dynasty fantasy football leagues is always a challenge. There’s no denying that Kupp is a top 5 fantasy receiver this season, but he’s also 30 years old. According to our latest dynasty startup Superflex ADP, Kupp is going off the board at 38.5, the WR13 in startup drafts.
If you start your draft with other contending players, I would be okay with taking Kupp as early as the third round. It’s great to get value, but at the same time, the goal of a dynasty is to win a championship. If you have the opportunity to load up on players who will be elite for the next 1-2 years, you can easily win your league right out of the gate. While the rest of your league is scrambling for young talented players, Kupp could lead you to a championship in year one.
Two younger players going right after Kupp are Kenneth Walker and Drake London. There’s no doubt the two are phenomenal players. However, at the end of the day, you’re getting more value by taking the bona fide stud right now.
One of the most common mistakes dynasty players make is undervaluing the importance of scoring points. While Kupp may not be a long-term elite dynasty asset he gives you an abundance of what you need to win a championship. Points!
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