Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Rams Fantasy Outlook After Brandin Cooks' Injury

The Los Angeles Rams entered the 2019 season expecting to be an offensive juggernaut, which is exactly what fantasy football players relying on their playmakers want to hear. 

Unfortunately for the Rams and said fantasy players, one of those game-changing weapons suffered an injury Sunday when wide receiver Brandin Cooks went down with a concussion. It is another setback at the position after Cooper Kupp tore his ACL last year.

That means attention naturally turns to the other pass-catchers on the team. Here is a fantasy breakdown for some of the other top options.

Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp

Considering Robert Woods was already a productive fantasy receiver before Cooks' setback, this doesn't do much to change the equation with his usage. If anything, he should put up even better numbers as quarterback Jared Goff spreads more of the targets around that typically go to Cooks.

Woods is coming off an impressive season with the Rams in 2018 when he posted 86 catches for 1,219 yards and six touchdowns. He has demonstrated a clear rapport with Goff and was never able to consistently produce like this while on the Buffalo Bills.

He has 36 receptions for 435 yards this year.

Goff looks toward Woods early and often in Los Angeles' high-octane attack even when Cooks is healthy and serving as the No. 1 receiver. That won't change when Woods is elevated on the depth chart while Cooks is sidelined, making him a must-start receiver at this point.

The story is largely the same for Kupp, who thrived with 566 receiving yards and six touchdowns in eight games last year before he suffered his injury. There isn't even the worry about him facing more consistent double teams with Cooks sidelined because Todd Gurley and Woods are there to attract some of the dispersed attention. 

Kupp will continue to take advantage of openings underneath when defenders focus on Woods' ability to make plays downfield, but he is also capable of going long himself when secondaries creep into the box to account for Gurley.

Like Woods, there was no hesitation from Goff to look his way with Cooks on the field. That will remain the same after this injury, meaning Kupp is still a must-start as well.

Tyler Higbee

There are plenty of top-notch options when Goff drops back to throw, and Gurley is also a weapon in the aerial game even at running back.

That leaves only so many targets to go around, especially since Gurley still needs his carries.

Tight end Tyler Higbee could benefit from the additional targets to be distributed while Cooks is sidelined, especially if defenses commit additional attention toward Woods and Kupp. That would be a welcome change for fantasy players who saw him struggle on his way to just 292 receiving yards last year.

Higbee's 295 receiving yards in 2017 represented a career-high, as he has never been someone to dominate the box score. That was evident when he saw more than two targets in just five of the Rams' games last season.

There is something to be said about the lack of depth at the tight end position compared to wide receiver, but Higbee isn't worth a start or even serious waiver-wire consideration after Cooks' injury. The production isn't there, and he's more of an afterthought in Los Angeles' passing game than a serious weapon, all while splitting receiving opportunities at his position with Gerald Everett.