Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay announced on Friday that star receiver Cooper Kupp will be making his season debut this week against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kupp had been on injured reserve for the first four games while he was nursing a hamstring injury. He made his return to practice this week and McVay is ready to unleash his star receiver.
"He looks like he's moving around really well," McVay said. "I'm seeing a lot of good things between he and Matthew (Stafford) between their non-verbal communication. And just having his presence out there is definitely a boost.
The Rams were already 4.5-point underdogs to the Eagles before it was officially announced that Kupp was playing. The line opened at Rams +6.5 at the beginning of the week.
Kupp only played in nine games last season after leading the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 2021.
"I'm really happy for him because of how important it is to be out there with his teammates and to be able to physically feel like himself," McVay said. "If that's the case then the rest just takes care of itself."
Rookie wide receiver Puka Nucua has filled the void of Kupp admirably through the first four games. He has tallied 501 yards so far this season. With Kupp attracting most of the attention, it could become even easier for Nucua.
"I'm happy to have him back," McVay said. "And we will see if that continues to trend in the right direction unless something unforeseen happens in the next 48 hours."
Read on below for our expert's analysis on the fantasy and odds impact of the news.
Expert Rams vs Eagles Fantasy & Odds Analysis
Chris Raybon: Kupp practiced in full and sounds completely healthy, so he immediately slots back in as a fantasy WR1. Puka Nacua becomes more of a high-end WR2.
This is a good matchup as the Eagles are bottom-six in fantasy points allowed to WRs and the game’s total is above 50. Tutu Atwell is no longer startable until we see how the remaining snaps between him and Van Jefferson are divvied up at WR3.
Additionally, Kupp is worth about 0.5 points to the spread, so I expect the 4.5-point lines out there to disappear soon and the Rams will likely close at +3.5
