Cooper Kupp (back) will face Cardinals in Week 2

Kupp will be available for QB Sam Darnold (glute), who makes his return from his Week 1 injury. Kupp is a mild FLEX option, facing a soft Commanders’ coverage unit.

Kupp will not be fantasy-relevant in 12-team managed leagues this week, but he could be an option in single-game DFS tournaments. If QB Sam Darnold (glute) can play, he will appreciate having Kupp on the field with him.

Kupp also opened last week with a limited practice due to the back injury before getting in two full practices and playing in Week 2. His limited designation Wednesday is likely a continuation of veteran workload management for his back; fantasy managers should not be surprised to see the 33-year-old limited on Wednesdays this season.

Kupp got involved on the Seahawks’ fifth and sixth drives, but was quiet outside of that. The 33-year-old wide receiver entered the game with a back injury, though he logged two full practice sessions, so it is unlikely to have meaningfully impacted him. He nabbed his second reception during the Seahawks’ two-minute drill at the end of the first half, but he was unable to get out of bounds, allowing precious seconds to tick away. Kupp is a WR5/FLEX against the Commanders.

The 33-year-old wide receiver should play in Week 2 against the Cardinals, although he is just a boom-bust FLEX starter at this point. Kupp does not need to be in 12-team lineups.

Kupp popped up on the injury report with a back issue, though he was listed as a limited participant. The veteran 33-year-old may just be having his practice reps managed as he deals with a back ailment. Barring a change, Kupp is still trending to play Week 2 against the Cardinals.

Kupp had one of the highlights of the night with a leaping, one-handed snag late in the third quarter. The 24-yard catch eventually resulted in a field goal and Seattle’s first points of the night. Kupp can still come up with the occasional clutch play, but his ability to earn targets is all but gone. With Drew Lock likely filling in for an injured Sam Darnold next week, Kupp is not on the fantasy radar ahead of Week 2.

Kupp operated as the Seahawks’ WR2 last season, though The Athletic’s Mike Dugar reported in March that WR Rashid Shaheed’s new deal “suggests a demotion” could be on the way for Kupp. Regardless, Kupp loves “playing this game too much” to slow down now. If Kupp can retain his WR2 role on the Seahawks, he will likely only be a matchup-based FLEX option.

Kupp’s 2026 cap hit is $17.4 million, fourth-highest on the team behind Sam Darnold, Leonard Williams and Uchenna Nwosu. The Seahawks can’t clear much of it via a release, but they could trade him and save roughly $9.4 million if they found a taker. That sounds like a lot to ask. With a full season to implement Shaheed into the offense, we may just see Kupp become WR5 background noise for fantasy purposes.

WIth Jaxon Smith-Njigba gutting through injury and tough coverage, Kupp was actually the Seahawks’ leading wideout as he hoisted the second Lombardi Trophy of his sterling career. Outside the Sean McVay cocoon for the first time during his nine-year career — and not by choice — Kupp chose the ascending Seahawks in free agency even though he would clearly be the No. 2 wideout. “Clearly” became a chasm, with Smith-Njigba out-gaining his veteran teammate 1,793-593. Kupp did manage to stay largely healthy for the first time in four years, and saw a modest usage spike during the postseason. Four months shy of his 33th birthday, Kupp has no guaranteed salary for 2026, but cutting him would create as much dead money as cap savings. He could be in for a restructure, but Kupp will likely be back with the Seahawks. Where he is unlikely to be is in the top 40 in fantasy after this season’s WR52 finish by total PPR points.