Game Info
Kickoff: Saturday, December 28, 2024, 4:00 ET
Location: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
Network: NFL NETWORK
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray: Start, QB1
Murray hasn’t played all that great down the stretch, but his fantasy production remains above average to elite. He rushed for 67 yards and a TD last week and plays a Rams team he destroyed back in Week 2. I don’t expect the same results for Murray this time around, but he will be back in a dome this week where he tends to thrive. Unless you have a clear-cut, better option, you start him and feel pretty good about it.
Running Back
James Conner: Sit (likely out)
Trey Benson: Start, RB1 (If Conner is out)
Michael Carter: Start, RB1 (If Conner and Benson are out)
The Cardinals RB situation could be a little messy this week. James Conner (knee) will likely miss. If he is out, this would be a huge opportunity for rookie Trey Benson, who has looked great in very limited work and was widely regarded as the best early down runner of the draft. The issue is Benson missed last week with an ankle injury and may not be ready.
If Benson misses, it will likely be former Jets back Michael Carter getting the start, who took the majority of the work last week once Conner left. The entire situation is muddy and needs to be monitored, BUT there is huge value in grabbing Benson (or Carter) early off waivers, especially before more injury news drops this week.
Wide Receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr.: Start, Flex/WR3
Michael Wilson: Sit
Marvin Harrison has just one TD in his last five games and hasn’t gone over 60 yards since Week 8. If you are still in your fantasy league and have Harrison, you likely don’t have a better option, but it’s hard to rate him better than a WR3 right now.
You just have to hope Harrison can take advantage of the Rams’ smaller corners and break free for a big play or two — like he did in Week 2.
No one else in this WR group is worth discussing.
Tight End
Trey McBride: Start, TE1
McBride is the primary target for the Cardinals in the passing game. His down week against the Panthers was surprising, but I would be pretty shocked if he didn’t bounce back vs the Rams. The matchup may be worse on paper, but being in a dome in a game where the Cardinals are likely to be throwing late gives him plenty of upside.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford: Start, QB1 (low-end)
Stafford is a very boom-or-bust option at QB. He only threw the ball 19 times for 110 yards last week but will be in a dome vs a very weak Cardinals secondary. His last two home starts have both yielded multiple passing TDs and nice fantasy results.
Overall, if you’re stuck at QB (I’m potentially looking at you Jalen Hurts owners), then you could do worse than using Stafford for a spot start and hoping you get a ceiling day from the Rams passing attack.
Running Back
Kyren Williams: Start, RB1
The Rams have run the ball very effectively in the second part of the season. That’s led to some big days for Kyren Williams, who has averaged 27 carries over his last three games. The Cardinals are 28th in success rate vs the run, so if you have Williams, you should be uber-excited about deploying him. He’s a top-three RB for me this week.
Wide Receiver
Puka Nacua: Start WR1
Cooper Kupp: Start, WR2/WR3
Nacua has been producing despite the Rams running the ball more of late, and he still managed to grab eight catches vs the Jets with his QB throwing the ball just 19 times. That’s an impressive target share and efficiency that makes him an easy WR1. You just have to hope if you have that the Cardinals find a way to make this game competitive.
Cooper Kupp isn’t as automatic. He only caught three passes last week and was again behind Nucua in target share and usage. Still, Kupp can break free for 6+ receptions and 90+ yards in a spot like this, so unless you have a super deep bench, I would not hesitate to deploy him. The Cardinals are dead last in success rate vs the pass, so Kupp breaking free for a 50+ yard TD this week is definitely a possibility.
Tight End
Tyler Higbee: Sit
Higbee caught just one pass last week, but the catch happened to come with him in the end zone. He’s still making his way back from injury, and while this is a solid matchup, there are better streaming options out there.
No mention of how yall feel with Hollywood Brown? He looked decent last week with limited reps even