Jonathan Taylor, Cooper Kupp will return in Week 5


Welcome back Jonathan Taylor and Cooper Kupp. Fantasy football managers are waiting to add two stars to their starting lineup like children waiting for holiday gifts.

After both players – who were going in the first rounds of fantasy drafts in July and early August – were placed on IR at the end of the preseason for dramatically dropping their respective ADPs, it caused disappointment and dismay in the fantasy community. Was. In Taylor’s case, the drop was like a stone falling from a tall building. Personally, I had Taylor selected in the eighth round of the draft in late August.

When both were announced to be activated for Week 5, it was hard to predict how they would perform, no matter how obvious the excitement of getting them into fantasy lineups was.

In the end the results were mixed.

Cooper Kupp makes successful return to fantasy action

It seemed as if Kupp had hardly any punts, taking 12 targets and catching eight of them for 118 yards. In the Rams’ opening 14-play drive, Kupp was targeted on six plays, even on three consecutive plays. So Matthew Stafford and the Rams were throwing Kupp in the deep end from the beginning, with the wide receiver swimming like an Olympian:

For those who were worried that Kupp’s return would impact the production of early-season waiver wire discoveries Puka Nakua and Tutu Atwell, it was business as usual – in one respect. As my colleague Matt Harmon predicted, Nacua is filling Robert Woods’ outside role to complement Kupp’s work in the slot:

Nacua had 11 targets, catching seven for 71 yards and a score. While Atwell caught Matthew Stafford’s second touchdown, he was targeted only five times, making two catches for nine yards. Atwell could become a week-to-week boom-bust play, while Nacua is a top-20 wide receiver and every-week starter for fantasy.

Kupp? Lock him into your starting lineup, though keep in mind that Kupp has suffered two hamstring injuries since the start of training camp, and Dr. Edwin Porras consistently points out that it is very important to consider a player’s injury history for his future health. is important.

Jonathan Taylor’s managers may have to wait a little longer

Taylor entered the Week 5 contest against a solid Tennessee run defense after being a full participant in practice before the game. This was his first full practice since playing on December 17, 2022, when he suffered an ankle injury that would require surgery and end his season.

Without making any contact in a game or practice after the injury, it was difficult to expect Taylor to take on a full workload against the Titans. A certain Yahoo writer even mentioned that the Colts’ backfield will continue to be sloppy, and Zack Moss will continue to be a factor in this offense.

Taylor, almost predictably, ran the ball six times for 18 yards, leading the Indianapolis offense. This was a disappointment for fantasy managers expecting a big game from Taylor. Beyond expectations was how Moss passed the Titans for 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and also added two catches for 30 yards. With 32.50 fantasy points, Moss was the RB2 in the week before Sunday night:

How will this backfield shake out in the coming weeks? Well, the Colts gave Taylor a three-year contract extension, and of course he was on track with his last game seeing more than six carries in a week. Fantasy managers can expect his workload to increase and Moss’s to decrease accordingly. This will likely be a gradual process, so both factors will remain in place in the coming weeks.

The status of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder when he landed awkwardly after being tackled on a running play, will need to be monitored. Richardson underwent an MRI Sunday night, the results of which will determine how much time he will miss, if any. When he’s healthy, the Colts will have a unique rushing attack that can be complementary in nature.

Richardson will help Taylor, as there will be one less defender in the box as the defense will often spy Richardson, who is an excellent dual threat. Taylor will help Richardson in the play-action game, as he will have to keep defenses honest with the threat of the 2021 rushing champion’s breakaway ability whenever he touches the ball. Once Richardson gets back healthy and gets some reps with Taylor, the Colts offense is going to be fun for fantasy managers.

Yes, all the best to Jonathan Taylor and Cooper Kupp.




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