Cooper Kupp Trade: How Would This Impact His and Puka Nacua's Fantasy Football Outlook?

The 2024 NFL season has not officially wrapped as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles battle in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday. Most NFL fans still have their attention on Sunday's game with FanDuel Sportsbook offering a large array of Super Bowl betting odds.

However, 30 teams are already working toward improving for the 2025 season. This includes the Los Angeles Rams looking to trade wide receiver Cooper Kupp. After setting the record for the most point per reception (PPR) fantasy points in 2021, Kupp finding a team could have a big impact on fantasy football.

Let's break down what a trade would mean for Kupp and the Rams.

The Rams' Decision to Trade Kupp

Before we dive into this potential move, let's look at how we got here. The 2021 season was one to remember as Kupp totaled 145 receptions, 1,947 receiving yards, and 16 touchdowns. Not only did he become the fourth wideout to win the triple crown since 1970 -- which Ja'Marr Chase became the fifth in 2024 -- he also was named Offensive Player of the Year while helping L.A. win a Super Bowl.

Kupp enjoyed a historic 367.0 FanDuel points and 21.6 fantasy points per game in half-PPR in 2021. However, it's been a constant decline of production since. Injuries have been the main problem as Kupp hasn't played in a full season since 2021, reaching 9, 12, and 12 appearances over the last three seasons. He hasn't reached 1,000 receiving yards once during the span and saw his FanDuel points per game drop to 18.2, 11.2, and 11.8 since 2022.

The decline has even shown in his advanced stats. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Kupp had a -5.0% catch rate over expectation (CROE) and 1.6 receiving yards over expectation (RecYOE) per game in 2023, followed by a 0.9% CROE and 2.6 RecYoe in 2024. None of this is on par with Kupp's former Offensive Player of the Year production.

Of course, Los Angeles drafting Puka Nacua is a large part of this equation. He's topped Kupp's stats over the last two seasons, reaching 1,486 receiving yards in 2023 and 990 yards over 11 games in 2024. After totaling at least 15.0 RecYOE per game over his first two seasons, Nacua clearly emerged as the team's WR1 with better efficiency.

According to Spotrac, Nacua will be paid about $1 million in 2025 and $1.2 million in 2026 while Kupp is owed roughly $30 million in 2025 and $27 million in 2026. For a team that showed major improvement in 2024 with key players on rookie contracts, it makes sense for the Rams to offload Kupp's contract, creating even more cap space (currently 15th-most this offseason). Plus, Los Angeles should be able to acquire some form of assets for Kupp.

Best Trade Destinations for Cooper Kupp's Fantasy Football Value

Trade rumors swirled around Kupp prior to the deadline in the 2024 season. With Kupp officially announcing the intention of a trade, this is no longer a matter of if but when it goes down.

Don't expect the Rams to fetch a huge haul for Kupp. He's declined, has a handsome salary, and turns 32 in June. Which teams would make sense for Kupp? Where would be the best landing spots for Kupp's fantasy football value?

This process is so early on that nearly any team under the sun could be a "good fit" for Kupp. Who doesn't want another receiver, especially with past success on this level?

Landing with one of the Detroit Lions or the Cincinnati Bengals could be the best spot. Both teams were in the top seven of points per game (PPG) and top half of passing attempts per contest. Our schedule-adjusted rankings have the overall offense and pass offense for each team in the top eight.

The Lions lacked a consistent third target, and Tim Patrick is a free agent. Cincinnati's WR2 Tee Higgins is also an unrestricted free agents and should fetch top dollar. Higgins logged 15.5 FanDuel points per game in 2024. Kupp would get an immediate role with a ton of targets if the Bengals looked to replace Higgins with Kupp.

The Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans are a few more receiver-hungry teams that could present exciting roles. The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers will also likely look to upgrade their receiving rooms, but the ceiling of Kupp's fantasy value probably wouldn't be as high on one of these teams.

Some of the league's best offenses with plenty of scoring potential would be the dream come true for Kupp's fantasy outlook.

How a Cooper Kupp Trade Impacts Puka Nacua's Fantasy Football Value

Going into the 2024 season, Nacua was 14th off the board and WR8 in Fantasy Pros' average draft position (ADP) for half-PPR. After missing Week 2 to Week 7, Puka finished as WR28, failing to deliver on his ADP. However, Nacua still logged 15.2 FanDuel points per game -- which was actually improved from 14.5 in 2023.

Los Angeles recorded the 12th-most passing attempts per game while finished as the 13th-best adjusted offense and 14th-best adjusted pass offense. This was while finishing with Pro Football Focus' third-worst pass blocking grade too. Upgrading the pass protection should be atop the priority list this offseason, which should in turn improve this offense and create more opportunities for Nacua. Plus, trading Kupp gives the Rams more money to play with, increasing chances for an improved offensive line.

Across the board, everything points to a sky high stock for Puka's fantasy football value. His ADP from 2024 should be just as high, if not even higher. Nacua should expect an elevated role with Kupp out of the fold, and he already enjoyed a team-high 30.4% target share and 25.5% red zone target share. Honestly, I don't see how either one of these numbers can move much more.

Improving from his 15.2 FanDuel points per game in 2024 will mostly be about if this Rams offense can overall improve, presenting Puka with more targets and scoring chances. L.A. finished 19th in points per game (21.9); there's plenty of room for improvement.

Returning to 2023's production will be Nacua's fantasy football hopes for 2025. He finished as WR4 in the 2023 season. Nacua is surely the man on the Rams' offense going forward.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.