Damiere Byrd, Fantasy WRs to Target on Waiver Wire, Trades After Cooper Kupp Injury
The Los Angeles Rams and fantasy football players alike were surely holding their breath Sunday when wide receiver Cooper Kupp went down with an injury.
Fortunately for both, it seems like the game-changing playmaker avoided something serious.
Kupp told reporters he thinks he ended up "dodging a bullet" on the ankle injury, while head coach Sean McVay said he was "kicking himself" for leaving him in during the final minute of a 31-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
So Kupp might not miss much time, but even one game would be a problem for fantasy players reliant on his production.
That means it might be time to head to the waiver wire or even find a wide receiver to trade for ahead of the Week 9 slate.
The first name to target is Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Damiere Byrd. The veteran wide receiver has never been a massive producer, topping out at 604 receiving yards as his career high, but he looks like a fantasy sleeper after his last two performances.
Byrd hauled in a 75-yard touchdown catch in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday and followed it up with three catches for 67 yards and one touchdown in an overtime victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Only Kyle Pitts had more targets in the win over Carolina, suggesting Byrd is starting to establish some chemistry with Marcus Mariota.
Elsewhere, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer is another ideal target for either a trade or a waiver-wire addition. Mike Williams is sidelined with an injury, and Keenan Allen has dealt with a hamstring setback for much of the season.
Palmer is coming off a showing against the Denver Broncos that saw him post nine catches on 12 targets and even earned a recommendation from his teammate:
A potential under-the-radar addition for fantasy players is Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., who impressed against the Falcons in Sunday's loss with four catches for 87 yards on nine targets.
The LSU product was a second-round pick in 2021 and had just 138 receiving yards as a rookie, but he looked like a difference-maker with quarterback P.J. Walker under center in Sunday's contest.
There was a reason the Panthers selected Marshall with a second-round pick, and it wouldn't be a surprise if they look to target him more after his latest showing.
