This a snippet of Adam Pfeifer’s NFL matchups column, previewing the 49ers vs. the Rams for Fantasy Football Lineups. Fantasy rosters needed protective spray because key players continue to miss extended time due to injury. Multiple backup quarterbacks are projected to start, and running backs and wide receivers are getting whittled down every week. As a result, we missed on plenty in this article, but we hit on plenty, as well. Back on the horse. With that in mind, let’s dig into some NFL DFS matchups and NFL game breakdowns for your Week 6 Fantasy Football Lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo and FantasyDraft.
To read the FULL column, click HERE.
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San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
Total: 50.5
Line: LAR -3
49ers passing game
While this game could definitely shoot out, I just don’t see myself getting to much Jimmy Garoppolo here. While Kirk Cousins gets all the attention in terms of low volume passers, Garoppolo is right there, attempting fewer than 30 passes in all but one game this season, averaging 28.2 per game. I can’t pay $5,700 for that type of volume, especially since San Francisco’s wide receivers have been underwhelming so far this season. The Rams have allowed 653 passing yards and eight touchdown passes over the last two weeks, so the matchup isn’t too bad. I just hate Garoppolo’s price and worry about his ceiling in this run-first offense.
The 49ers are essentially using a wide receiver by committee approach, making these guys unappealing for fantasy purposes. No wideout on this team is playing more than 63 percent of the snaps, but five are playing 30 percent or more. If I had to pick one, it would be Marquise Goodwin, as he’s playing nearly 63 percent of the snaps and is the big play receiver in this offense. However, I am not expecting much from this passing game.
George Kittle is obviously the only pass-catcher you feel good about using, especially after last Monday night. Kittle caught six balls for 70 yards and a touchdown last week and constantly fought for extra yardage. In two games against the Rams last year, Kittle hauled in 14 balls for 247 yards and two scores. He is once again deadly with the ball in his hands, ranking fourth among tight ends in yards after the catch per reception. The only negative surrounding Kittle is that he’s second at his position in run-blocking snaps (134), as the 49ers remain run-heavy. Still, his upside is second to none and is too cheap over on DK.
49ers running game
Matt Breida ripped off an 83-yard touchdown run on the opening play last Monday night, while adding a touchdown reception later on in the game. Per usual, Breida looked good, clocking in at 23 mph on his touchdown run, the fastest we’ve seen a ball carrier so far this season. Of course, head coach Kyle Shanahan continues to use multiple backs, as Tevin Coleman returned from his ankle injury and carried the ball 16 times for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Breida got the start but Coleman got more carries, while both backs played 26 snaps. This is a two-man backfield, as Jeff Wilson was a healthy scratch, while five of Raheem Mostert’s seven carries came late in the fourth quarter with the game put away. Going to Coleman rather than Breida saves you a healthy $700 on DK this week, making him my preferred option, especially given his familiarity with Shanahan and this offense. Breida probably has the higher ceiling, as he’s a more explosive back, averaging 6.7 yards per touch, fourth-best among running backs. But because the 49ers are running the ball a league-high 56.6 percent of the time, both warrant lower-end RB2/FLEX consideration for the time being.
Rams passing game
Over the last two weeks, Jared Goff has attempted a whopping 117 passes while passing for 912 yards during that span. He’s back at home this week where he has been better over the course of his career and so far this season, Goff has a six percent higher completion rate at home, while his passer rating is at 77.8 on the road compared to 89.8 at home. Because the Rams have abandoned the run at times this year, Goff is tied for first with 222 pass attempts, making him a solid play each week, regardless of matchup. The 49ers defense has been strong so far this season, while that pass rush led by Nick Bosa is starting to heat up. San Francisco is coughing up just 1.09 points per drive on the year, the third-lowest mark in the league. Goff is a volume play this weekend.
Cooper Kupp is on an absolute tear right now. He has scored a touchdown in three straight games, finding the end zone four times during that stretch, while seeing target totals of 17, 15 and 12. Kupp is now third in the league with a 28.5 percent target share, while his 63 targets are second-most in football. He’s doing it all, whether it is scoring touchdowns, racking up receptions or making plays with the ball in his hands, as Kupp leads the league in yards after the catch (234), averaging nearly four per target. He is one of the safest players in all of fantasy right now, especially with Brandin Cooks questionable to play this week with a concussion. Kupp has emerged as a legitimate top-seven fantasy wideout the rest of the way.
Because Kupp has been elite but the Rams passing game as a whole has underwhelmed, Robert Woods hasn’t gotten off to the greatest start. He’s still fifth in the league in targets (47) and should have scored a touchdown last week. I love his $5,600 price tag on DK, especially if Cooks can’t play with the concussion. He’ll have the toughest matchup, facing Richard Sherman, who is allowing 1.37 fantasy points per target, just outside the top 20 among all cornerbacks this season. Still, in this pass-happy Rams offense, Woods should continue to provide a strong floor.
If Cooks plays, view him as a lower-end WR2. The upside is certainly there but it is very clear who the top option in this passing game is.
Tight end Gerald Everett was head coach Sean McVay’s very first draft pick in this Los Angeles regime. He told him that he viewed him as his new Jordan Reed (the two were together in Washington) and we are finally starting to see it. Over the last two games, Everett has hauled in 12 of 19 targets for 180 yards, while playing 56 and 81 percent of the snaps during that span. Everett now ranks sixth among all tight ends in routes run (138) and offers insane big play ability, ranking seventh among qualified tight ends in yards per target (9.7).
It looks like the Rams are using him more each week and because Los Angeles is calling pass 10 percent more this season, Everett is playing more, as teammate Tyler Higbee is used more as a run-blocker. With four teams on a bye and tight end looking brutal, Everett is a top-10 play at the position this weekend.
Rams running game
Despite not looking fantastic, Todd Gurley has been good for fantasy purposes due to his four rushing touchdowns over the last two weeks. Of course, now he is dealing with a thigh contusion, which kept him sidelined at practice on Wednesday. This matchup is pretty poor, as the 49ers have yet to allow a rushing touchdown this season and are allowing just 11.1 fantasy points per game to opposing backfields, the lowest number in the league. If Gurley plays, he is looking like a touchdown-dependent RB2. If he’s inactive, Malcolm Brown will enter the RB2 discussion as Gurley’s direct backup, while rookie Darrell Henderson, who has just two carries on the year, will finally get more looks.
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