How the Puka Nacua Injury Affects Cooper Kupp | Los Angeles Rams Training Camp Report

Intro hey everybody welcome into the Fantasy 6 Pack Network I am your host Dylan Clemens here today my co-host is Joe Bond founder of Fantasy 6 pack and today we are doing our training camp check-in show where we are going around to all 32 NFL teams and interviewing a beat writer or reporter on what they've seen or heard from training camp in this episode we will be discussing the Los Angeles Rams and here helping us do so is bla Greek staff writer and columnist at Turf Show times covering Los Angeles Rams for SB Nation bla appreciate you giving us your time in such a busy part of the year how you doing today man of course happy happy happy to come on and thanks guys for having me and um yeah this is a Rams team I think at this time last year everybody was like uh expecting Caleb Williams to maybe maybe be in a r form But Here we are now and I think this team has um their expectations are night and day from where they were a year ago right OD perfect um before we jump into the interview I just want to remind everybody to please hit that like button please subscribe to the channel and hit that Bell for notifications so you know when a new video drops and then head on over to fantasy6 pack. net plans become an all access member where you get access to our award-winning rankings draft cheat sheets and f6p Discord where you can ask all your custom League questions to anybody on the fantasy six pack staff and that truly is the uh the best thing about it and right now you can save a little cash by using the promo code f6p NFL 24 for 15% off but without further Ado Joe how about you hit Blaine here with our first ramps question we got yeah so uh the receiving Puka Nacua/Cooper Kupp room is is one of interest for a lot of people um especially now that puka nkua has that uh that knee injury um so two questions here uh what is the impact for puk's you know outlook on his season now that he's got this knee injury you know what kind of uh effect do you think this is going to have long term for him and for Cooper C like there's a lot of talk that you know he's looking like he's back right so does this mean he's back to 2021 Cooper cup or what should we expect here with him yeah so in regards to uh to pukan AA I I don't think it's necessarily anything to be too concerned about sha mcf didn't seem too too concerned about it but sha mcve can be a little um kind of uh he he can hide hide the status of injuries a little bit but um but from from what he said it was like a sack burst in puku KNE kind of just called it week to week and that it wouldn't really affect his status for week one so I I I would expect pukan AA to be ready to go uh for Sunday Night Football week one against the Detroit Lions um and this is a a player that he's kind of developed that rapport with with Matthew Stafford last year obviously he's been um kind of uh doing doing the same types of things in training camp and otaa so far this year so as far as that goes I think it's really did a lot different than last year where Cooper cup really missed a lot of um a lot of training camp with that with that hamstring injury and that kind of that kind of way went into into the regular season I I wouldn't necessarily uh wouldn't necess um think the same is really applies with pukan here um so I I I I still think he's at least somebody that you can draft to kind of the late end of the first round early part of the second round in in fantasy drafts and then as far as Cooper cup goes um going can he replicate 2021 numbers I I don't NE I I don't think um that's necessarily in in in the cards for him um that was just a historic historic season um and putting those expectations on it would be I think a little bit unrealistic but um from weeks I think uh five to 17 last year I think n had 97 targets Cooper cup had 92 targets so they're really neck and neck there from a Target share standpoint and um I think just with with with Cooper Cup being healthy having a full offseason developing that report with Matthew Stafford I think this he can get a little bit more efficient um with those with with those targets um so I I wouldn't necessarily expect him to to to have I think like a a top five wide receiver Fant fantasy season but I I I think he's being really heavily under un underd drafted I think in in the sfb draft I think I got him like wide receiver 21 or wide receiver 22 which is insane insane value so wow yeah so I I think I think there is value there I think kind of it's in the realm of possibilities that he could be like a top 15th maybe even getting that that top 10 conversation conversation but I I do think the Rams are going to do I think they're gonna be a little bit they are they are going to be somewhat cognizant of um of of not necessarily um protecting him but the being I think more more smart more smart with how with how they use him yeah yeah that makes sense for sure um staying in the wide receiver room and just the past catchers Wide receiver three in the offense in general I'm curious your thoughts on who you see third in the packing order in targets you got puka you got Cooper Cup who's the next guy up and if this puka injury lingers who who's the wide receiver you see stepping up the most yeah I I think it would have to be Demarcus Robinson he was a guy that they they signed last year and really had an impressive Camp last year but um he didn't really come on until until until later in the year and really once once they started using him more kind of week week 11 week 12 on him and Matthew stford had had a really strong connection and that's kind of um that's lingered in into into this summer in in training camp this year and obviously I don't think it's necessarily exciting to to draft eighth year wide receiver Demarcus Robinson fantasy fantasy means but um he's someone that Matthew Stafford will Target in the Red Zone um he he's he's kind especially when you're looking at the ram that Ram depth chart that thaty the guy behind Demarcus Robinson is obviously two two Atwell who obviously has has a lot of speed has that big playability but not necessarily as effective from a downto down basis and um Demarcus Robinson I think brings brings that size that the Rams are looking for in all areas of the field and kind of unlock um both vertically and horizontally which which which which CH mfay thinks is important so um yeah I think that third guy is definitely definitely Demarcus Robinson for sure perfect Joe yeah I know that that's uh that's that's good to know I the it'll be it'll be interesting to see if he really is like the number three Target or the guy to step up like I think an injury he would be but like if you know the actual number three Target might be might be somebody else but uh over here to running backs um or sorry uh quarterbacks um there's there's a lot of there's a lot of great weapons on this offense you know we already talked about puka and we talked about cup and they've obviously got cyard Williams sitting there the tight end room has been you know kind of Hit or Miss but but pretty good you know do Matthew Stafford you see Stafford putting together another season you know even relatively close to a Super Bowl year um or do you think with the interceptions climbing the last couple of years for him that those days are are just in the review mirror yeah I I think it's certainly I think within the real within the realm possibility said he he could hit that 4500 yard Mark and 40 touchdowns I mean this is a sham mcve offense and um and it's very quarterback friendly obviously so I think it's certainly possible that he could hit those numbers whether or not that's realistic um I'm not sure I I think it's more possible that he's kind of at that 4,000 yard range and kind of in that 25 to 30 touchdowns um area I I think this is this is a team too that they last year they they really um overhauled the O overhauled kind of the offensive identity and and and what it looked what it looks like early in shach phas tenure you had you had him going with this um you know that wide Zone running playoff play action off of that and and and and building the offense around that and then um kind of that that that first that first year with Stafford they were more they were more spread ran a lot of empty sets had Stafford and shotgun and kind of just let him whe wheel and deal and um going into going into last year they they they they really they found success with K Williams in the Run game and then they kind of they kind of um Incorporated more of this Gap scheme power scheme Run game and had a lot of had a lot of success with that and I I would I would guess that they continue to do that you you just look at their off offseason signings they bring in they bring in um they bring in Jonah Jackson from from Detroit who um gives them more size on the interior they move Steve aula who's got got he's I believe the heaviest Center in the NFL now at around 330 pounds um Kevin Dodson obviously they traded for him at the beginning of last year brings him a lot size on the interior as well and then they they obviously they signed coob kobby Parkinson who comes from comes comes from Seattle and is kind of more know more well known as kind of this blocking tight end so I I I think um they are going they are going to lean into that um into that into that run game this year so I I I I don't think we we'll see Stafford in that 2021 version of Stafford where he's just throwing the ball all over all over the field and um and just his arms on fire essentially and so I I I I I I think they're just gonna be more of a um I I I don't necessarily think they'll be more like like a run heavy like like maybe like a I don't know like a like a Baltimore Ravens type offense where it's just very one heavy but I do think they are going they are going to involve the Run game a little bit more than they have in the past yeah I think that's pretty fair expectations now looking into that Kyren Williams/Blake Corum running game kyen Williams was kind of everybody uh fantasy players um favorite W waiver wire ad last year he is absolutely fantastic seeing all the volume that he saw uh but this year they draft kind of a high pedigree running back Blake corm out of the University of Michigan do you still see k Williams kind of being the Bellow of this offense similar to what Todd Gurley did for years or do you see Blake Corum kind of eating into his workload and could this be moving more towards a running back by committee approach yeah I I I I think you know when sha mfay finds a running back that he likes he finds a running back he he he loves that running back he he leans into that running back and um K Williams obviously had the foot injury in OTAs and and when he came back in training camp sh M said something lines of man did I miss you in the offseason like he abely he absolutely loves K K Williams so um and then I think sh also understands just just kind of what Ken Williams did for this offense what he unlocked this offense last year um they averaged 27.2 points per game with him on the field they had one of the most efficient running games when when he when he was healthy um and it was just kind it was night and day um with with Ma I think they were the only averag I think 14.3 14.3 points per game with him with him out and they had one of one of the least efficient offenses I think they LED 27th in EPA with him with him um with him on IR so yeah I I I I I think you know Shan MC sees that he understands that um and I also I think you look at 2019 2019 you know you have Gurley coming off of that coming off that coming off that knee injury they draft Drell Henderson who who they drafted in the third round and I mean d Henderson and Blake corm obviously two two different running backs I I would definitely say Blake korm was more successful in in college but um that year D Henderson only had 30 only had 39 carries in 2019 they still really leaned into um leaned into Todd Gurley and so I I I do think that Blake km is going to um he's going he's I think he'll have more than 39 carries and D Henderson day back in 2019 but I still think this is um I I do think this is still KY williams' backfield um I I think the Blake corn pick was more about you know being able to still have that same efficiency in the Run game when when K Williams is out than it was about um having more of a this 50-50 split I see it kind of more being maybe 65 35 s maybe 7030 at at at at worst um but yeah I I I I I don't think this is a fullon committee by any means I could see maybe Blake qum maybe stealing a stealing some touchdowns in the red zone and getting getting some more work there but uh I I still think um I I just kind kind of looking at the numbers and I mean even if you take away some touchdown regression take away five touchdowns take away 200 yards from K Williams he's still right there with Bree Hall as the rb6 and fantasy points per game last season so and that and that and again that that's that's him missing F missing missing four games with the injury and and and sitting the final game um due to rest so um yeah I I I think sh loves Ken Williams and I um I don't see this as a 50-50 committee by by any means awesome that's definitely music to Karen Williams oner ears that's for sure yeah so real quick that you mentioned the foot injury like is that that's not a concern anymore no not not a concern anymore no he seems to be I think it was more um friends being precautious with him during OT making sure he was ready for camp and um there's been really no no talk of it um since since Camp started good to know good to know all right so we are a fantasy Focus show um so we've got to ask one question that's a little more fantasy relevant here um and we ask this to everybody who comes on who's the one player who's going to surprise people good or bad that fantasy football managers need to know about um I would throw Colby Parkinson Surprise Player in that mix as somebody surprise people from a from a from from a good perspective I guess um I I I do think he was underutilized in in Seattle from a pass catching perspective Tyler Higg is goingon to be out the first at least the first probably four games of the season with coming back from the ACL and the MCL and who knows how much the Rams use him when when he does come back and how effective he is um they paid Parkinson a a lot of money in in in in free agency um and again I think this is a team that that does want to get bigger in the Red Zone I I think Kobe Parkinson is use a lot in the red area and the tight end position in Fantasy is just it's so um so hit or miss I mean you yeah it can be very touchd on dependent having a guy that kind of kind of is on the field in in in the red zone and maybe get can get you a touchdown any given week um I think Kobe Parkinson could be could be that guy good to know I just snagged him up in uh in Raz in Ras bow in a best ball league so let's go um all right so that's it for the Rams training camp review here uh blae I want to thank you for coming on this was great information but before we let you go let everybody know where uh they could find you and what you got going on yeah you can follow me on Twitter at bcst I'm always put putting out some content there and then you can you can you can read all my stuff over at turfshow times.com perfect perfect all right well thanks again bla and uh hopefully we get to do this again sounds good thanks guys appreciate it I miss you all right so that's it for this episode of our training camp reviews uh Dylan if you don't have anything else I think we can just call it a show all right that wraps it up thanks Joe man see you