Cooper Kupp · Zachariah Branch · 2026 week 1

Cooper Kupp or Zachariah Branch?

Wondering who you should start this week — Cooper Kupp or Zachariah Branch? The start/sit call and the numbers behind it are below, plus who wins a straight-up trade. Rebuilt nightly.

Start Cooper KuppCooper Kupp projects 5.3 PPR points clear of Zachariah Branch in week 1, drawing NE — the 18th-ranked matchup for WRs. The numbers behind the call are below; overrule them with your eyes open.

Player	Wk 1	Proj (PPR)	Matchup	Form L3	Trade value	Status
Cooper Kupp START	vs NE	7.9	18th	4.5	25	healthy
Zachariah Branch	@ PIT	2.6	8th · soft	–	12	healthy

WRs vs NE recently: Zay Flowers 14.2 pts (W16) · John Metchie 4.1 pts (W17) · Malik Washington 8.8 pts (W18).

WRs vs PIT recently: Kalif Raymond 12.2 pts (W16) · Jerry Jeudy 5.4 pts (W17) · Zay Flowers 25.8 pts (W18).

Who wins a straight-up trade?

Cooper Kupp carries the higher trade value — 25 against 12 (a 52% gap). In a one-for-one, the side receiving Cooper Kupp gets the most. Momentum: Cooper Kupp +0 and Zachariah Branch -4 over the last 30 days.

Open in Start/Sit (any scoring) Open in the Trade Analyzer

More WR decisions

Cooper Kupp or Dontayvion Wicks?Cooper Kupp or Jerry Jeudy?Cooper Kupp or Chris Bell?Zachariah Branch or Jerry Jeudy?Zachariah Branch or Chris Bell?

Game logs, matchup ranks and form are the 2025 season — 2026 hasn’t kicked off. Projections, schedule and trade values are current 2026 numbers, refreshed nightly.