Fantasy Football: 14 Under-the-Radar Rookies to Target in 2017

Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Had Eastern Washington Eagles star Cooper Kupp been drafted by a team with a veteran quarterback, he might already be a household name. Instead, the FCS career record-holder in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns was selected by the Los Angeles Rams, which pairs him with a still-unproven Jared Goff. Fortunately for Kupp -- and fantasy owners -- offensive wunderkind Sean McVay replaced Jeff Fisher as head coach in L.A.

As an offensive coordinator a year ago, McVay led Washington to a top-five finish in Adjusted Net Expected Points (NEP) per play, our proprietary metric that measures offensive efficiency. (You can learn more about NEP in our glossary here.) And while the coaching change alone won’t turn the Rams into a high-powered passing attack overnight, Kupp is joining a team that has the potential to be a much more dynamic offense than in recent years.

Kupp has excellent hands, quick feet, and runs routes with precision. What's more important is that he’s already listed as a starter on the Rams’ initial depth chart. Opportunity means everything -- over the past 10 years, wide receivers taken in the third round who started at least eight games averaged 49 receptions, 689 yards and 4 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference.

Currently being drafted in the 14th round of standard fantasy drafts, Kupp is a steal. —Ian Goldsmith