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The Los Angeles Rams will be without one member of their loaded offense in Week 7, as Cooper Kupp has been ruled out with a knee injury. Kupp has made himself a strong fantasy football option on a weekly basis, so many owners will be left looking for a replacement.
One name to monitor may be his expected replacement in second-year wideout Josh Reynolds. The team used a fourth-round pick on the former Texas A&M pass-catcher, and he’ll likely be thrust into a larger role this week after catching just three passes all season. Although he hasn’t seen a huge workload as a pro, Reynolds topped 840 yards in all three of his collegiate seasons, scoring 30 touchdowns in 38 games.
Reynolds may seem like a longshot to consider starting in fantasy, but let’s break down whether the 23-year-old is worth considering against the San Francisco 49ers.
Key Stats and Josh Reynolds’ Fantasy Outlook
I’ll break down the matchup, situation and other key numbers that jump off the page for Reynolds in Week 7. All information on fantasy points and statistics for defense vs. position are from ESPN.
- San Francisco 49ers vs. wide receivers in 2018: 72 receptions, 1,076 yards, eight touchdowns (No. 14 most fantasy points per game)
- Reynolds played 62 percent of the offensive snaps in Week 6, and played 55 percent in Week 5, per Football Outsiders
- All six of Reynolds’ targets have come in the past three games
The matchup is somewhat appealing, especially considering the likelihood that either Robert Woods or Brandin Cooks will draw Richard Sherman. In turn, this should result in some additional targets being funneled towards Reynolds.
Should You Start or Sit Josh Reynolds?
I’m really intrigued by the spot for Reynolds, but using him comes with plenty of risk. Even considering that he’s unlikely to see much of Sherman, it’s unknown what type of rapport he has with Jared Goff. He should see 5-7 targets in this game at least, but there’s no guarantee of that.
In almost all leagues I’d have to recommend sitting Reynolds this week. The only place you can really justify starting him is in large leagues (14 or more teams) where you have deep rosters and need one more starting receiver or flex play. At the very least, he’ll get plenty of snaps and opportunity, making him an interesting and inexpensive daily fantasy option, but a very risky season-long one.
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