Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday, October 7th at 7:20 PM ET
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
Betting Odds: Sea +2, 54.5 over/under total via Oddsshark
Network: FOX
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford (Start, QB1)
Matthew Stafford has been great so far this season. He comes into the game with something to prove after suffering his first loss as a Ram. He does not want to lose two divisional games in a row. The Seahawks are giving up a ton of fantasy points to the quarterback position and that looks to continue Thursday night with Stafford. Stafford has the weapons around him to put up 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in a game. He has done it twice this season so far (weeks 1 and 3). You have been happy with the steal that Stafford was in fantasy drafts and you continue to roll him out as a QB1.
Running Backs
Darrell Henderson (Start, Flex), Sony Michel (Sit, RB4)
The Seahawks have given up at least 100 rushing yards in every game this season. It was against the likes of Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Alexander Mattison, and Trey Sermon. Darrelle Henderson will be looking to add his name to that list. He is another week removed from his injury and he got the bulk of the carries in week 4. Sony Michel fumbled in week 4 and seemed to be in the dog house after that. Henderson was also involved in the passing game getting 6 targets. He is the lead and only back worth playing and rostering right now for the Rams. His work in the passing game is huge this week as it projects to be a high-scoring game.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
Cooper Kupp (Start, WR1), Robert Woods (Start, WR3), DeSean Jackson (Sit, WR5), Van Jefferson (Sit, Flex), Tyler Higbee (Start, TE1)
Let’s start with what we know. Cooper Kupp is the guy you want in this offense. He has the trust of Stafford and is getting most of the targets. Even in a bad fantasy game in week 4 he still saw 13 targets which are more than double the next guy. You start Kupp as a WR1. Tyler Higbee is worth starting in the fantasy tight-end landscape. He is tied for 3rd on the team in targets for the season. Robert Woods is the huge question mark. Before week 4 he was being discussed as one of the biggest busts so far in the season. He luckily caught a very late touchdown in week 4 which saved his fantasy day. It’s probably enough to keep him in your fantasy line up but you have to lower your expectations. The Rams would be smart to get him more involved and build that confidence for him and Stafford for the rest of the season. Van Jefferson is a very very risky flex option if you need a boom or bust play. His targets have gone up to 6 the past 2 weeks but he has been inconsistent. With all the other weapons on the team it is hard to see it supporting Kupp, Woods, Higbee, Henderson, and then Jefferson. I think Jefferson is a great addition to benches if he’s available. Any injury could see a huge uptick in his production.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Russell Wilson (Start, QB1)
Russell Wilson has been near to his Mr. Unlimited moniker this year. He has yet to throw an interception. He has 9 passing touchdowns which tie him for 5th in the league. he is completing 72.5% of his passes. He is a must-start every week for fantasy. Managers were surprised in week 4 with him running in a 12-yard score which just added to his fantasy totals. The Rams are 16th according to CBS in terms of points given to fantasy quarterbacks. They gave up 411 yards to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in week 3. Even Carson Wentz threw for 245 yards against them in week 2. Wilson should be a top 5 fantasy quarterback this week. It looks to be a tough divisional matchup that should see a lot of points put on the board. Wilson is trying to right the Seahawk’s ship and get them back in the divisional race while the Rams look to avenge their first loss of the season last week against the Cardinals.
Running Backs
Chris Carson (Sit, RB3), Alex Collins (Start, Flex)
Chris Carson has been a solid fantasy running back and a surprise to managers who got him in the late 2nd/early 3rd round. There was an injury scare in week 3, which lead to a missed practice for a neck injury. Carson is averaging 13 carries a game and is getting limited passing work. He gets a slight downgrade due to Alex Collins splitting carries with him in week 4. It’s unclear if that was due to lingering injury for Carson or the Seahawks just rotating them in. Collins was more efficient with his rushes in week 4. He had 10 carries and averaged 4.4 yards per carry. Carson was averaging 2.31. Collins got into the end zone which killed Carson’s fantasy week and left managers scratching their heads. I think you have to downgrade your expectations on Carson this week as we wait to see what the carry split will be between him and Collins and if the injury will cause him to miss time or the game completely. Collins is a must-add in all leagues. The increase in carries and the injury history of Carson could make him a huge boon for fantasy teams this season.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Tyler Lockett (Start, WR2), DK Metcalf (Start, WR1), Freddie Swain (Sit), Gerald Everett (Start), Will Dissly (Sit)
The passing game for Seattle has been hitting on all cylinders this season. DK Metcalf has been the wide receiver you drafted high in the draft. He has scored in all but 1 game so far this season. He is getting the majority of the team targets and in a game that projects to be a shoot-out, he will be what you want out of a WR1. Part of what makes Metcalf so good is that teams can’t just double team him when Tyler Lockett is on the other side of the field. Lockett had huge weeks in weeks 1 and 2 and then came back down to earth. This is what we saw from him last season. A series of really good fantasy games followed by some weeks of misses. You still roll him out there in a high-scoring game and are hoping he can catch a touchdown. He is catching almost all of his targets each week which helps him capitalize on his opportunities. Freddie Swain has had 2 good weeks this year but you cant count on it week to week. With Gerald Everett coming back off the Covid list, I expect the targets for Swain to drop significantly. Everett’s return also means Will Dissly is back to the bench if not the waiver pool. Dissly didn’t show enough when Everett was out to make him anything more than someone to monitor if Everett were to get injured.
– Dustin Ludke (Dunit13dl on Reddit)