Fantasy Football: 5 Things We Learned in Week 14

Josh Reynolds Is Not Cooper Kupp

I really and truly wish that Josh Reynolds could be a one-for-one replacement for Cooper Kupp, but he simply isn't.

The Los Angeles Rams 'offense has distinct roles for every starter, and all of their non-tight end starters play just about every down. When Kupp tore his ACL back in early November, there were many reasons to get excited for Reynolds as a viable fantasy option. He'd performed adequately as a bit player while Kupp was healthy and shined in a couple spots when Kupp missed time -- including his two touchdown night against the Green Bay Packers and his solid performance against the Chiefs in their high-scoring Week 11 matchup.

But as much promise as his role holds, the simple truth of the matter is that Josh Reynolds can't just replace Cooper Kupp. We aren't going to get that same, consistent fantasy output that Kupp provided early in the season. Kupp averaged over 70 receiving yards per game -- not to mention his dominance in the red zone. Reynolds has only topped Kupp's average per-game yardage once this season.

The disparity between the two receivers was evident on Sunday night, but reasons for optimism still shone through during the Rams' worst game of the season. We know Reynolds isn't Cooper Kupp, but he still drew seven targets in the loss. He only converted 3 of them into 36 yards, but his usage shows that he's still an important cog in one of the best offenses in the league.

Anyone seeing that many targets in one of the league's elite offenses is a valuable asset for fantasy football. No one can replace what Kupp was doing for the Rams this year, and that's okay -- no one has to. Reynolds had a disappointing Week 14, but the opportunity is still there for him to be a productive wide receiver on your playoff teams.