The Los Angeles Rams will face the New Orleans Saints in Week 13. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Rams skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 13 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Matthew Stafford, QB
Hand up if you thought this leaderboard would ever be symbolic of the top scorers at the QB position over a two-week stretch:
- Tua Tagovailoa: 52 points
- Bo Nix: 48.2 points
- Matthew Stafford: 47 points
- Jared Goff: 45.3 points
- Sam Darnold: 44.7 points
Yeah, me neither.
Forget getting the entire list right, I’m not sure I would have gotten a single one of those names correct. Stafford has been a top-10 signal caller in three of his past five games and has looked the part of a stable fantasy option since getting his two receivers back to full strength.
I tend to target Stafford against high-blitz teams when looking for true ceiling performances, as those are the matchups where his elite connection with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua can beat single coverage on a regular basis. That’s not the position we find ourselves in this week (NO: 25th in blitz rate), and if the Saints can control the clock like they aim to do, I worry that Stafford doesn’t throw enough passes to produce top-15 numbers in this spot.
Kyren Williams, RB
Kyren Williams finally got back into the end zone on Sunday night against the Eagles, allowing him to return enough in the way of fantasy production to be deserving of lineup-lock status.
OK, “finally” was a bit dramatic. Three straight games without a touchdown happen to most players in the NFL, but we just notice it more when it happens on the heels of a 10-game regular season scoring streak.
His role on the doorstep is as safe as any RB in the league, and with at least 15 carries in nine straight games, there’s no reason to waste any brain power on lineup decisions surrounding Williams.
Having said that, I have zero interest in going this direction in the DFS streets. Not only do the Saints own the sixth-best red zone defense in the league but Williams has been phased out of the passing game recently with zero targets in consecutive contests. He’s also put the ball on the ground four times in November (two lost fumbles), another red flag.
Williams sits just outside of the top 10 for me this week. That’s about where I expect him to settle weekly moving forward.
Cooper Kupp, WR
Cooper Kupp is back to earning targets at an elite level with 42 over his past four games, which has unsurprisingly fielded immense success (top-20 finish in each of those contests).
Given the form of Puka Nacua and the presence of a ground game that soaks up plenty of usage inside of the five-yard line, asking Kupp to produce top-10 numbers regularly is a bit too optimistic, but there’s no reason you should hesitate clicking his name into annual leagues; if Nacua’s success drags down his ownership in DFS circles, I can assure you that I will have my shares for Sunday’s main slate.
Demarcus Robinson, WR
Demarcus Robinson found paydirt again on Sunday, giving him more scores than Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and A.J. Brown through 12 weeks this season. The end-of-the-day fantasy point totals have been viable at times this season, but given that he has failed to clear seven expected PPR points in six of his past nine games, there’s really not enough in this profile to have me interested.
Instead of focusing on the touchdown, I’d encourage you to look at the fact that his opportunity count has declined in three straight games and that he has just one game with over 50 yards on the season.
In addition to a weak role, Robinson was arrested on a drunk driving charge Monday morning for driving “in excess” of 100 miles per hour. If history has taught us anything, a delayed suspension is the most likely outcome, so he will likely be active this weekend, but he’s not close to my radar against the third-best pass defense when it comes to touchdown rate.
Puka Nacua, WR
Puka Nacua was ejected against the Seahawks for throwing a “punch.” If you extend his last four full games for a full season – 136 catches for 1,887 yards. We are looking at a special receiver that is playing alongside maybe the greatest WR elevator of this generation. There’s no reason to think that Nacua’s production dips in the slightest this week or moving forward.
We learn more year-over-year about the value of condensed offenses, something that has played out in spades recently. Here are the five receivers who have scored at least 18 points in each of their past two games:
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA)
- Nacua (LAR)
- Cooper Kupp (LAR)
- Ja’Marr Chase (CIN)
- Tee Higgins (CIN)
You’re playing Nacua, and everyone else on that list, with the utmost confidence for this week, the rest of this season, and for the foreseeable future.