3 fantasy football WR solutions to Cooper Kupp injury

Fantasy football managers and Los Angeles Rams fans are in shambles after seeing star wide receiver Cooper Kupp leave Week 2 with an ankle injury.

Kupp was spotted leaving the locker room in a walking boot following Los Angeles' 41-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He was limping off the field at halftime and didn't return.

Whether the score weighed into the decision to rule Kupp out for the second half or he's seriously hurt remains unclear. Nonetheless, those who roster the veteran wideout in fantasy and the Rams may need to get contingency plans in order.

Of course, replicating Kupp's weekly overall WR1 upside will be nearly impossible. Nonetheless, viable waiver wire options are available in over 50 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues, headlined by these three wideouts.

3. Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (28 percent rostered)

Alec Pierce, not Michael Pittman or rookie second-round pick Adonai Mitchell, has been quarterback Anthony Richardson's top target through two games. 

Pierce led the Indianapolis Colts in snaps (53) and pass routes run (34) in Week 2, yielding a team-high 56 receiving yards and a touchdown. His seven targets tied Pittman for most among Indy pass-catchers.

After posting a 3-125-1 stat line in the Colts' regular-season opener, Pierce followed up his efforts with another strong performance. While the 24-year-old's low-volume, low-percentage role can be frustrating, he's Richardson's preferred deep threat. 

Indianapolis has catered to Richardson's strengths, including his incredible arm talent, which meshes well with Pierce's contested catch radius and size.

2. Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns (41 percent rostered)

Jerry Jeudy has wasted no time getting comfortable and establishing himself as an essential piece of the Cleveland Browns passing attack. His 15 targets rank second on the team, trailing only Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper, and he's been effective.

Jeudy caught five of his six targets for 73 yards in Cleveland's Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He ran one less route than Cooper (35) and four more than the next-closest option, Elijah Moore (31).

Considering the Browns traded two late-round picks for Jeudy before signing him to a three-year, $58 million contract extension this offseason, they clearly value him. While his ceiling as the Robin to Cooper's Batman in a Deshaun Watson-led offense is limited, there's low-end FLEX appeal here -- with room for more.

1. DeMarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams (42 percent rostered)

Seeing DeMarcus Robinson still up for grabs in 58 percent of Yahoo leagues after Puka Nacua got placed on injured reserve remains a mystery.

Robinson is entrenched firmly in two-receiver sets for Nacua's reported 5-7-week absence, even if Kupp misses no time. Now, he may be Matthew Stafford's top pass-catching option in a Rams offense engineered by head coach Sean McVay.

After proving himself as a capable fantasy option down the stretch of the 2023 campaign, Robinson has shown he can be productive.

With Kupp not suiting up for the final two quarters against the Cardinals, Robinson paced the Rams in snaps (48) and routes run (28). The ex-Florida Gator caught two of his four targets for 50 yards. Depending on the former's availability for Week 3 (and potentially beyond), he'll see a considerable uptick in usage.