Cooper Kupp to be Traded: Potential Landing Spots, Fantasy Impacts

More than ever, the NFL truly never sleeps. The season isn’t even over yet, and two superstar players may already be on the move. Last year’s Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett has requested a trade out of Cleveland, and now 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp announced that the Rams are planning on trading him. Let’s break down Kupp’s top potential landing spots, plus the fantasy impact of his departure from Los Angeles.

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Top Cooper Kupp Landing Spots

Pittsburgh Steelers

A big-name team fresh off a playoff berth with *checks notes* Calvin Austin III as their second most productive wideout, the Steelers are sure to be one of the first teams mentioned for every available wide receiver this offseason. The fit makes sense, too. Kupp is best viewed as a slot receiver at this point in his career, meaning he should slide right in next to a true outside receiver in George Pickens. It’s not a perfect match, as the Steelers quarterback situation (or lack thereof) probably won’t appeal to the 31-year-old vet. But the Steelers are currently tied for the lowest odds of landing Kupp (+500), so don’t be surprised if he is in black and gold by August. 

New England Patriots

The only team that will be more linked to every available wide receiver than the Steelers is the Patriots. They desperately need to give Drake Maye at least one reliable target, and they have the cap space and draft capital to make it happen. Of course, this means they have options. They have been heavily linked to Tetairoa McMillan, the consensus top receiver in this draft class, with their fourth overall pick. New England is also expected to be the frontrunner in the Tee Higgins sweepstakes if the Bengals aren’t able to hold onto their WR2. With that said, there’s nothing stopping the Patriots from adding one of those guys and Cooper Kupp. Kupp’s $30M cap hit may turn some teams off, but New England has the most cap space in the league. We can’t underestimate how much that could grease the wheels for the former Triple Crown winner to end up in Massachusetts. 

Cincinnati Bengals

From the team favored to sign Tee Higgins to the team that’s about to lose him, the Bengals are actually ahead of the Patriots in terms of betting odds to land Kupp. Honestly, I don’t necessarily see this landing spot. Why would Cincinnati let Higgins walk only to pay a receiver who is older and worse but still expensive? With that said, they are a contending team and would have a gaping hole behind Ja'Marr Chase at receiver without Higgins. There’s also something poetic about Kupp joining the team against whom he won a Super Bowl MVP. 

Washington Commanders

With Jayden Daniels surpassing all expectations in his rookie season, the Commanders were ahead of schedule this year. They made it all the way to the Conference Championships, but their demolition at the hands of the Eagles made it clear that Washington’s roster simply wasn’t ready to be a true contender. One of the biggest holes on that roster is at receiver, where Noah Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Dyami Brown all took turns filling in at WR2 behind Terry McLaurin. Heading into the offseason with a ton of cap space, you can bet that Washington’s decision-makers will be looking to build around Daniels while he is still on his rookie contract. Adding Kupp as a reliable target in the slot makes a ton of sense, although I do wonder how well he would fit in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. 

Los Angeles Chargers

As much as we like to talk about scheme fits and cap implications, it’s important to remember that NFL players are people, too. Kupp has spent the last eight years of his life in Los Angeles, and he has three kids. The idea of staying in town has surely crossed his mind. And it’s not like the fit is terrible, either. Outside of Ladd McConkey (who is not just a slot receiver), the Chargers have essentially no playmakers on the offensive end. They are also another team with plenty of cap space, ranking sixth in the league heading into the offseason. Again, Greg Roman’s offense might not necessarily be the best fit for Kupp, but otherwise, this move makes perfect sense.  

Fantasy Impact Of A Cooper Kupp Trade On The Rams

While we don’t yet know what team he will play for, one thing is for certain (well, as certain as things get in the NFL): Cooper Kupp is not going to be a Ram in 2025. Even in a down year, he posted a 25% target share in his healthy games this season, so Kupp’s absence will certainly be felt. The obvious first response is to expect more targets for Puka Nacua, but it’s not possible for him to improve much on his 38% target per route run rate, which was already 6% clear of any other player with at least 200 routes. 

Instead, we can expect Kupp’s targets to be distributed among the Rams’ remaining options … a group that might look very different by the time the season starts. Behind Nacua and Kupp, sixth-round rookie Jordan Whittington is essentially the only receiver who the Rams have under contract for 2025. Whittington has earned some buzz as a sleeper, and this news is undeniably a boost to his value, but it’s hard to see the Rams heading into a season with him and his 22 career receptions as their second target.

In terms of other weapons, Tyler Higbee and Kyren Williams may see more targets with Kupp out of the building. But if I had to guess, the Rams’ second-leading receiver in 2025 isn’t yet on their roster. The one exception could be if this move is the first domino in LA moving toward a rebuild, including a Matthew Stafford retirement. If that’s the case, we may be in for a whole lot of Whittington, but it might not really matter without a real QB under center.

Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasySP. Find him on Twitter @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.