Rams Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Week 1 Outlook: Who to Start With Cooper Kupp Injured

The 2023 NFL regular season is almost here, which is great news for fans of the sport. Fantasy owners are eager to see if their draft picks turn out and determine whether this will be a successful year or not. It’s already a stressful start to the season for any Cooper Kupp investors, as the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver is dealing with a hamstring issue.

While Kupp hasn’t been ruled out of the season opener it’s unlikely he would star if he were to suit up. Our weekly projections only have Van Jefferson ranked, so are he or any other Rams receivers worth playing in Week 1? Who exactly is quarterback Matthew Stafford going to be throwing to?

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Van Jefferson Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Jefferson is coming off an injury-riddled season of his own, having played in just 11 games. He caught at least two passes, but no more than three, in the team’s final nine contests. In seven of those games he finished with under 50 yards, while in the final two, he managed 77 and 61 yards. He received anywhere from two to seven targets a game and scored just three times. 

Our Week 1 projections have Jefferson projected for seven targets, 3.5 receptions, 44 yards and 0.3 touchdowns. He’s got a 66 “trust” rating. Those numbers are all with Kupp still being listed as questionable.

Those marks are pretty much on target with what Jefferson averaged last season. While you might be thinking there’s a good chance Jefferson outproduces those projections, especially with Kupp banged up, or out entirely, a closer look into last year’s production for Jefferson shows that he almost played exclusively without Kupp on the field in 2022. So if you are one who relies on history, it shows you that Jefferson doesn’t suddenly turn into a star when Kupp is off the field.

The Rams open the regular season on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. Jefferson played in both contests against the Seahawks in 2022, with four targets, two catches, and 39 yards in the first matchup and seven targets, three grabs, and 61 yards in game two.

Tutu Atwell Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Atwell is listed as the Rams’ other starting receiver heading into week 1. He played in 13 games in 2022 after being drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft and seeing zero targets as a rookie. Atwell had just 35 targets, 18 receptions, 298 yards and one score.

Like any other Los Angeles receiver not named Kupp or Jefferson, Atwell does not crack the top 80 in our Week 1 projections. Atwell did record 17 of his 18 2022 receptions after Kupp went down. However, there was only one occasion in which he went over two catches: a five-catch, 50-yard performance against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Atwell had two receptions in each game against the Seahawks in 2022. In the first game, he went for 48 yards, while in game two he managed 27 receiving yards.

Ben Skowronek Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Skowronek is another potential wide receiver that Stafford has to throw to. Skowronek enjoyed some success at the beginning of the 2022 season, but struggled after Kupp went down before ultimately missing the last portion of the year with an injury of his own.

In the five games following Kupp’s injury in 2022, Skowronek had just one game in which he had over two catches and 30 receiving yards. He did finish the season with 61 targets, 39 receptions and 376 yards, so there is at least a bit of chemistry between him and Stafford. One thing to note is that Skowronek has not found the end zone as a receiver in either of his two professional seasons and often played as more of a fullback than in a traditional wide receiver role.

Skowronek managed two catches for 30 yards on three targets in his lone game against Seattle last year.

Puka Nacua Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

The Rams selected Puka Nacua out of BYU with the 177th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has gained some hype throughout training camp, and our own Mark Morales-Smith featured him as a deep sleeper to know, check out his article for a closer look at Nacua's outlook. 

Demarcus Robinson Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Demarcus Robinson is the only other wide receiver on the active roster heading into week 1, and the former Chief and Raven has no history of catching passes from Stafford. Robinson does have 20 or more receptions in all six years of his NFL career, including a career-high 48 grabs with the Baltimore Ravens in 2022, but doesn't project to see much work in this Rams offense.

Who Do I Start Week 1?

It was a rough year for the Rams in 2022 after some big-time injuries, and 2023 isn't getting off to a great start with Kupp already banged up. Given the star receiver’s injury history, it seems unlikely the team pushes things in Week 1 and he suits up. If he gets the green light, I’d proceed with caution, as his snaps would likely be monitored, and his touches limited.

Jefferson is the only other Rams’ receiver that shows up in our weekly projections, and he’s the only guy aside from Kupp I’d consider starting in Week 1. With that said, given Jefferson’s limited production with Kupp out in 2022, I’m skeptical about starting him, even as a flex player. He likely isn’t going to be targeted enough to haul in a whole bunch of passes, and unless he breaks off a big play, it’s unlikely his yardage total is anything too special. With a not-so-great history of not scoring touchdowns, there’s a lower chance he bails you out with a score. His past production in a similar situation is just too much of a risk to take, although if you wanted to gamble, Week 1 would probably be where I try it.

The unknown of who might emerge as the Rams’ next leading receiver behind Kupp and Jefferson also has me avoiding any other wideouts on the roster for a potential Week 1 start. If Kupp eventually is listed out and you want to take a gamble on any of the team’s other receivers that’s likely a free agent in your league, I’d lean toward Skowronek, although I’d be trying my best to avoid the Rams altogether.