Fantasy Football Preview 2024: Los Angeles Rams

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QB Matthew Stafford: Since throwing for 41 touchdowns in his first season with the Rams, Stafford has disappointed over the past two years, going 12-12 and 34:19 touchdown-interception ratio, which appears to be a barrier for Los Angeles to lock him down with guaranteed money beyond 2024. That could change in the next few months, but if it doesn’t, Stafford should simply play like he did late last season, when he was throwing for 296.0 yards per game with 17 touchdowns and three interceptions over the last seven games (including the playoffs). Consider him a mid-range QB2 who could be a steal in Sean McVay’s offense if all goes well.

QB Jimmy Garoppolo: Garoppolo has a career record of 43-20 and would be in a great position with the Rams if he is forced into action, as the system and playmakers both suit his skill set. With the 49ers, Jimmy G averaged 4,056 passing yards per 17 games and would thrive in the short- and mid-range offense with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.

RB Kyren Williams: We highlighted Williams last season as a player who could emerge for a feisty Los Angeles team, but he exceeded even the highest expectations when the Rams leaned on him heavily in 2023. Williams essentially became “McCaffrey Lite” for Sean McVay’s offense, and a broken hand that resulted in four missed games is the only thing that slowed him down somewhat — and even that didn’t last long, as he scored 35.4 fantasy points in his return and followed that up with point totals of 18.7, 12.8, 22.0, 16.4, and 29.1 to close out the year. Durability is the only real question mark, but he’s too good not to be considered a late first-round selection in all formats.

RB Blake Corum: You’d be hard-pressed to find a more productive college prospect than Corum, as he’s been a complete touchdown machine for Michigan, throwing for 59 over the past three years, including a whopping 28 total touchdowns last season as the Wolverines won their first national title since 1997. Whether it’s near the end zone or deep in his own territory, Corum routinely fires through the gap with full force and packs a punch at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, which could make him a threat for goal-line carries as a rookie. There should be standalone value on a weekly basis if he gets some short-yardage work, and Corum is a top handcuff.

RBs Boston Scott and Ronnie Rivers: Los Angeles had said Scott’s skills as a kick returner appealed to them with the new kickoff rules, but he’s another smaller runner who plays bigger than his size. We’ll see if the former Eagle can beat out Ronnie Rivers for the No. 3 job after Rivers was the preferred backup to Kyren Williams when he was healthy in 2023.

WR Puka Nacua: A stellar rookie season for Nacua puts him comfortably in the WR1 ranks for his second year, and in Sean McVay’s offense, he’s a very safe pick early in fantasy drafts. The only minor concern with drafting him higher than this is the drop in numbers with Cooper Kupp in the lineup (13.2 fantasy points per game, which would have made him more of a borderline WR1/WR2), but Nacua was only a rookie — and LA played through him in the playoff loss, throwing for nine receptions for 181 yards and a score. The combination of strength, intelligence, toughness and craftiness makes Nacua an excellent second-round target.

WR Cooper Kupp: Since posting one of the best receiving seasons of all time with a 145/1,947/16 line in 2021, Kupp has appeared in 21 of 34 games over the past two years and now enters his 31st campaign after production – which remained high in 2022 – dipped dramatically when he was on the field last season. The optimistic view would be that Kupp can return to glory with Puka Nacua catching the eye of opposing defenses, and he started his 2023 campaign with lines of 8/118 and 7/148/1 before the inconsistency started to set in while he was perhaps not quite himself. On the other hand, the days of Matthew Stafford focusing solely on Kupp are over with Nacua on the team, and last season’s peak of 114.5 receiving yards per game was nearly halved (61.4).

WR Demarcus Robinson: Robinson stepped into a big role for Los Angeles last year, and the level of consistency he showed was notable, with fantasy point totals of 13.5, 12.1, 13.7, 17.2, and 10.2 from Week 13 through Week 17. That production came with both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua in the lineup for LA, so remaining a key part of the offense is realistic for a guy who once had a game with 172 yards and two touchdowns (with the Chiefs). We may see the Rams rely more on tight ends after signing Colby Parkinson, and complementary players can often fall off the following year after a brief stint in which they catch fire.

WR Tutu Atwell: It may seem like Atwell was less of a factor last season due to Demarcus Robinson’s late arrival, but he actually had career highs across the board with 39 receptions, 483 yards and three touchdowns. While the downfield upside wasn’t quite there at a modest 12.4 yards per target, Atwell could be a factor if an injury occurs and Matthew Stafford’s deep ball is on point.

WRs Tyler Johnson and Jordan Whittington: The No. 5 job will likely come down to Johnson and sixth-round rookie Whittington, and both have similar games as possession targets who can play the midfield. Based on how important that is to Sean McVay’s offense, the winner of the battle will be worth keeping an eye on in the event of an injury to Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp.

TE Tyler Higbee: Higbee will face added competition for snaps this year after the Rams signed Colby Parkinson and appeared to prioritize landing the former NFC West rival, but his experience in Sean McVay’s offense and connection to Matthew Stafford should give him the edge from a fantasy perspective. Though last year was more inconsistent with a lowered floor and ceiling, Higbee has had big games and stretches in recent years to at least make him worth considering if you can pick your spots — but it’ll take more touchdowns (both of his scores came in a single game last year) to regain the fantasy outlook he had heading into 2023.

TE Colby Parkinson: Parkinson was an ideal fit for Los Angeles, having grown up in the area and been close with new teammate Tyler Higbee, and his play on the field is clearly the most important factor — the tight end himself said his skillset would fit some of the routes and blocking schemes for Sean McVay’s offense. As is the case with all tight ends, touchdown success is key to hitting as a fantasy option, and Parkinson’s 6-foot-1, 290-pound frame could allow him to thrive in scoring territory.

Best IDP Value: S Kamren Kinchens

Tre’Davious White is another option we’re really excited about, with the hopes he can stay healthy at cornerback, but Kinchens could immediately step up to the starting free safety position as a rookie – and he could be another young defensive star for LA after Kobie Turner and Byron Young emerged in 2023. The playmaking instincts and willingness to tackle make Kinchens a great investment.

Statistics to know (via concept guide)

In nine games in which he touched the ball 15+ times last season, Kyren Williams had fantasy point totals of 25.0, 26.2, 21.8, 35.4, 18.7, 12.8, 22.0, 16.4 and 29.1.