The Los Angeles Rams will face the Buffalo Bills in Week 14. 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 14 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Matthew Stafford, QB
Matthew Stafford has eight touchdown passes against zero interceptions over the past three weeks, a level of production that has him trending in the direction of a viable asset in our world.
That said, the 36-year-old draws a tough matchup against the fourth-best YPA pass defense in the league and a Josh Allen-led offense that is more than capable of limiting the possession count for opponents.
Oh, yeah, and then there’s the health thing. Stafford suffered a lateral ankle sprain last week and, as is par for the course for Stafford, it won’t cost him any time. There are enough moving pieces to look elsewhere for your QB production. The Bills encourage their opponents to beat them on the ground and with passing paper cuts, neither of which is a way for Stafford to approach 20 fantasy points.
Blake Corum, RB
The Rams had three snaps in the first quarter last week and were a bit out of sorts before finding their rhythm. It was a weird start to a game that eventually gave this team the result they needed, and it all started with Blake Corum getting Los Angeles’ first five carries.
Was this a matchup thing? Discipline?
We haven’t gotten much in the way of clarity and, to be honest, I really don’t care. Kyren Williams out-carried the rookie 15-3 after the odd start to the festivities, and that is the type of role I’m projecting forward. You better believe I’m concerned more today than I was this time last week as a Williams manager. But this isn’t a backfield that can support two backs, and we have three months of evidence that Corum is to be viewed as a handcuff, not a Robin to Williams’ Batman.
The Bills want to dare you to beat them with your running game, and if Corum is a big part of that again, we can reevaluate next week. For now, I’m opting to ignore the early Week 13 usage and have Corum outside of the Flex conversation.
Kyren Williams, RB
Kyren Williams ran for a season-high 104 yards against the Saints on Sunday and ran for his 10th score, but the passing game involvement has evaporated (one target over the past three weeks) and the splash plays are non-existent (zero gains of over 30 yards on his 248 touches this season).
I’m willing to overlook the early usage of Blake Corum last week (by “overlook,” I mean “not adjust my Week 14 rankings” — I’m very much going to be tracking usage patterns this weekend) and am cautiously hopeful that Williams can showcase improved efficiency in this matchup against a defense that allows the fifth-most yards per carry before contact to running backs.
Buffalo is willing to give up production on the ground, as they will bet on their efficiency over yours so long as they can limit the number of splash plays. We know we are going to get 15-20 touches from Williams — the difference between him finishing as the RB7 and RB17 is in him finding the end zone against the fifth-best defense in terms of rushing TD rate allowed to opposing running backs.
It’s Cooper Kupp or nothing for me when it comes to the Rams for the Week 14 DFS main slate.
Cooper Kupp, WR
Cooper Kupp averaged 0.71 yards per route on Sunday, his first game this season under 1.54. It was certainly an underwhelming performance, and a matchup with the Bills doesn’t initially profile as a great rebound spot.
Only twice this season has a receiver reached 18.5 PPR fantasy points against the Bills this season, and both came in the same week (Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard in Week 6). That’s it — outside of that game, this defense hasn’t been victimized at all.
Those are accurate numbers, but it’s also worth noting that Buffalo’s success has come as a result of shutting down perimeter receivers and encouraging defenses to take their medicine in the middle of the field.
Percentage of PPR points scored out wide among Rams WRs, 2024:
- Kupp: 24.7%
- Puka Nacua: 75.7%
It’s no lock that any receiver in Los Angeles exploits this stingy Bills unit, Kupp’s projectable ceiling holds the edge over Nacua’s if the trends hold, something that isn’t reflected in the DFS pricing as Kupp can be had at a 10% discount.
Demarcus Robinson, WR
Demarcus Robinson has scored on 11 of his 54 catches since joining the Rams, a rate that isn’t likely to be sustained. That said, there is something to be said for where on the field he is used and the attention that his teammates draw off of him.
I’m never going to rank Robinson as a fantasy starter, but his playing time is safe and he’s functioning in an offense with the wide receiver elevator known as Matthew Stafford.
His touchdown last week was set up by a nice 46-yard catch — if he works his way into a few deep targets per game, we can discuss moving him up. However, a 4-5 target role in an offense that has three players capable of finishing drives is a thin profile to chase.
Puka Nacua, WR
Puka Nacua has scored or reached a baker’s dozen in targets in four straight games, establishing himself as the Los Angeles Rams’ WR1 and someone whom the NFL has yet to determine how to slow down.
You deserve to have the utmost confidence in Nacua. He’s done more than enough since the beginning of last season to consider him matchup-proof. That said, if I want exposure to this passing offense in a keep-up spot with the Bills in a daily format, it’s Cooper Kupp over Nacua.
The Rams’ second-year receiver is Los Angeles’ primary perimeter threat, which is the spot on the field where the Bills focus. Through 13 weeks, Buffalo, on targets thrown out wide, ranks first in passer rating, first in interception rate, and third in yards per pass attempt.
That’s nitpicking at the highest level; like the Bengals, the Rams have a pair of top-15 receivers that you’re plugging in weekly and not thinking twice.