The Rams wide receiver room has already been dismantled by injuries.
Super Bowl champion quarterback Matthew Stafford was expected to be equipped with a fully healthy wide receiver tandem featuring All-Pro Cooper Kupp and breakout second-year star Puka Nacua. Those plans changed just two weeks into the 2024 NFL season.
Nacua was placed on injured reserve after suffering a PCL strain in the Week 1 overtime loss to the Lions. News took a turn for the worse when it was reported he could be out much longer than the four-week minimum, potentially sidelined until Week 9.
That opened the door for Kupp's usage to go through the roof, as evidenced by his 110 yards and one touchdown on 14 receptions and 21 targets in Week 1. Except the injury bug came for Kupp in Week 2, suffering an ankle injury that could also land him on the injured reserve list.
With Kupp and Nacua out, who will take on the Rams' bulk share of targets? The Sporting News takes a closer look at the depth chart below.
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Rams WR depth chart
| Position | Starter | Backup |
| WR | Cooper Kupp (Inj.) | Jordan Whittington |
| WR | Demarcus Robinson | Tutu Atwell |
| WR | Puka Nacua (Inj.) | Tyler Johnson |
The Rams' wide receiver depth chart is broken up into three different positions.
With injuries to Kupp and Nacua, Jordan Whittington, and Tyler Johnson are expected to step in as interim starters, respectively.
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Demarcus Robinson
Robinson was already a popular fantasy waiver claim after Nacua went down in Week 1.
The veteran wide receiver made his mark for the Rams late last season and has developed a rapport with Stafford.
Robinson hauled in 26 receptions (on 39 targets) for 371 yards and four touchdowns in nine regular season games played last season. He had a promising four receptions for 42 yards on seven targets in the 2024 season-opener but regressed with the rest of Los Angeles' offense in Week 2.
Even still, Robinson led the Rams with 50 receiving yards on two receptions and four targets. He should be expected to be L.A.'s WR1 moving forward until Kupp or Nacua return from injury.
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Tyler Johnson
Johnson went from deeper fantasy league sleeper territory after the Nacua injury to a player worth rostering following the Kupp injury.
The fifth-year receiver is getting his first real chance to make an impact since his time with the Buccaneers in 2020 and 2021. His 63-yard reception in Week 1 showcased his big-play potential.
Through two weeks, Johnson's seven receptions and 99 yards are tied for the second-most on the team. He should step into the WR2 role moving forward.
Jordan Whittington
Whittington is the dark-horse candidate to take on a bigger role because of injuries. Los Angeles selected the rookie receiver with its sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Texas.
He wasn't a major playmaker in college, finishing with 1,757 yards and five touchdowns over five seasons with the Longhorns.
Whittington only played two offensive snaps in Week 1 but saw an uptick to 26 snaps in Week 2. He finished with two receptions for 22 yards.
Tutu Atwell
Atwell should be a familiar name in fantasy circles after his early-season breakout last year.
With Kupp out due to injury to start 2023, Atwell stepped up to take on his target share alongside Nacua. Atwell finished the season with a career-high 39 receptions for 483 yards and three touchdowns, but he fell out of head coach Sean McVay's rotation toward the end of the season.
Atwell hasn't played much through two weeks. He's only seen 16 offensive snaps and did not have any targets or receptions in Week 1.
But with the wide receiver corps dwindling, he had three receptions for 48 yards in Week 2. He could be forced back into playing time, thus worth monitoring.
