Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 13th, 4:25 PM ET
Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood California
Betting Odds: LAR -3, 43.5 total via PFF.com
Network: FOX
Writer: Dustin Ludke (@TheDunit13 on Twitter)
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray (Start, QB2)
Kyler Murray has not been electric this season but has been solid. He only has 12 touchdowns on the season and six interceptions. He has started to pick things up since DeAndre Hopkins returned. In Weeks 7 through 9 Kyler has six touchdowns and only two interceptions. It’s amazing what having a stud wide receiver can do for you. Kyler is also doing plenty of work on the ground. He has seven games with five or more rushing attempts and while only has two games of over 50 yards, it still provides a solid upside. He faces the Rams for the second time this season. In the first game, back in Week 3, Kyler threw the ball 58 times but only amassed 314 yards with NO touchdowns or interceptions.
He also saw a season-low two rushing attempts for eight yards. The Rams are giving up the eight fewest points to quarterbacks. It’s not a great matchup for Kyler, but with two fantasy starters in Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow on byes, you might be unable to find a better option. You can start Kyler as a QB2. He has four games in the QB1 range, three in QB2, and two games just outside of that.
Running Backs
James Conner (Start, RB2), Eno Benjamin (Sit)
The Arizona backfield got a big lift with James Conner returning to the lineup after missing three games. Conner came in and played 71% of the team’s snaps and relegated Eno Benjamin to full handcuff mode at 27% of the snaps. It wasn’t a huge volume day for Conner only getting seven carries. He was very efficient on those carries averaging 6.43 yards per carry for 45 yards. He also caught all five of his targets adding in only 19 yards. He now faces the Rams who are giving up the tenth-fewest points to running backs at 20.98. The Rams are rated as the best run defense according to PFF.com. While not a great matchup I think you can still start Conner as an RB2. This doesn’t project to be a blowout so the cardinals can stay balanced and use Conner in both the rushing attack and passing attack. Eno Benjamin is a full sit as he doesn’t get enough work with Conner back in the lineup.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
DeAndre Hopkins (Start, WR1), Rondale Moore (Start, WR3), Zach Ertz (Start, TE2)
The passing game for the Cardinals has started to take shape. It’s not the form that most of us thought it would be at the start of the season with Marquise Brown currently out. The return of DeAndre Hopkins has proven to still be the top-end wide receiver that he was before serving his suspension. In his three games back he has posted wide receiver finishes of WR 2, 8, and 22 overall. He has seen a ton of volume. Getting 32 targets over three weeks and is averaging just shy of 100 yards per game. It’s not the best matchup for Hopkins who will get covered by Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill, both of who rate over 75 in coverage according to PFF. You still start him as a WR1 due to the volume and his ability to take over a game.
You can also start Rondale Moore as a WR3. Again coming back from injury has taken over the role that Greg Dortch had and is producing at a high level. he has five games with five or more targets and has been a WR3 or higher in four of his five games. The Rams are giving up the twelfth most points to wide receivers at 34.49. In the Week 3 matchup against the Rams Dortch saw 10 targets for nine catches and 80 yards. Outside of Moore and Hopkins you cant start Dortch, A.J. Green, or Robbie Anderson.
Tight end Zach Ertz continues to be fantasy relevant. He has been a TE1 every week this season except for one. In the Week 3 matchup, he saw 10 targets catching six of them for 45 yards. The Rams are giving up the fourth fewest points to tight ends at 8.31. It’s a tough matchup for Ertz but has shown what he can do against the Rams in week 3. The passing offense is different now with Hopkins’s return but over the past three games, Ertz has seen 17 targets. I think you have to play Ertz and he should be just outside the TE1 range as a high-end TE2.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford (Sit, QB2)
How the Super Bowl champs have fallen. Matthew Stafford has not played up to the level that the Rams or fantasy owners were expecting. He only has eight touchdowns on the season and has eight touchdowns. He only has one week where he threw multiple touchdowns. Even in that game, he did not reach QB1 range. He gets to play the Cardinals who are giving up the fifth most points to quarterbacks. Even with the matchup, I’m not starting Stafford unless I’m desperate. He is a low-end QB2. It’s a range he has been in only two times. Even in Week 3 against the Cards he didn’t throw a touchdown or interception and finished outside QB2. The matchup says to start him. The history and production say to bench him. I’ll go with weeks of lackluster production and bench him
Running Backs
Cam Akers (Sit), Darrell Henderson (Start, Flex), Malcolm Brown (Sit)
Despite the constant rotation of running backs for the Rams, there has been one constant and that is Darrell Henderson. In the past two weeks, coming out of the bye, He has led the running back room in snaps and carries. He is averaging 4.08 yards per carry. It’s not a huge volume for Henderson, who hasn’t seen over 15 carries yet in a game, and 18 is his make number of total opportunities in a game and that came in Week 1. The Seahawks are giving up the tenth most points to running backs. Henderson is a startable flex play. It’s a range he has been in either being in or above every game except once. If he scores he will end up in the RB2 range.
Cam Akers wasn’t traded and played in Week 9. He only played on 19% of the team’s snaps and got five carries. He only managed three yards on those carries so there isn’t anything to be excited about with Akers. He was out-snapped by Malcolm Brown who played on 28% and saw two carries for nine yards. It’s the rare case of a bell cow back and the other two are nothing more than rest pieces. You cant start either this week or any week.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
Cooper Kupp (Start, WR1), Allen Robinson (Start, WR3), Van Jefferson (Sit), Tyler Higbee (Start, TE2)
It’s amazing that despite Stafford’s lackluster season, Cooper Kupp has still been a top-three wide receiver this season. he has 93 targets through eight games and has six of Stafford’s eight touchdowns. It’s everything we wanted from Kupp when drafting him as one of the top three wide receivers back in September. Arizona doesn’t have a corner who rates highly on PFF.com so Kupp should be able to continue his dominance. He is a WR1 no matter what.
You can also start Allen Robinson as a WR3 this week. The Cardinals are giving up 32.59 points to the wide receiver position which is 16th. It’s a middle-of-the-road defense but they now lose Safety Budda Baker. He is second on the team in routes run and has seen five or more targets in every game except Week 1. He has started to benefit from the play of Ben Skowronek and the returning Van Jefferson. The Rams run three wide sets more than any other team and having a third wideout to shift some of the linebackers and safety opens up more space for Robinson. He should be a WR3. I don’t think you can start Jefferson or Skowronek. They aren’t seeing enough targets to be fantasy relevant.
Tight-end Tyler Higbee has been a frustrating player for fantasy. He has four games as a TE1 and then only one game as a TE2 and then the past three weeks were a sit including a big fat ZERO this past week. He plays the Cardinals who are giving up the most points to the tight end position for the matchup says start. I’m hesitant to put him into my lineup, but despite his recent failures, you give him one more chance. If you have better options I would rather go there but you can trust Higbee as a TE2.