The Raiders are favorites on the road against the Rams. Las Vegas is top-heavy but has a few intriguing mid and low-salaried choices. The Rams are a tire fire. Nevertheless, gamers must use at least one player from the Rams on the showdown slate. The Raiders are well represented below, and the Rams have only a few suggested options.
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The Raiders are favorites on the road against the Rams. Las Vegas is top-heavy but has a few intriguing mid and low-salaried choices. The Rams are a tire fire. Nevertheless, gamers must use at least one player from the Rams on the showdown slate. The Raiders are well represented below, and the Rams have only a few suggested options.
Check out all of our weekly fantasy football content
Beyond our daily fantasy football content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Football Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – which help you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Game: Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams
Spread: LV -6.0 Points
Over/Under: 44.5 Points
Raiders Analysis: The Raiders have used a fairly balanced offense lately. According to numberFire, they've attempted 117 passes and 90 rushes by non-quarterbacks in neutral game scripts since Week 10. They haven't held large leads for long during that four-game stretch, but they passed just four times and rushed nine times with non-quarterbacks when leading by at least eight points.
Teams facing the Rams lately have deployed pass-happy offenses. LA's opponents have attempted 125 passes and only 55 rushes by non-quarterbacks in neutral game scripts since Week 10. Further, even with Aaron Donald out for the Rams last week, the Seahawks attempted 39 passes and 20 rushes by non-quarterbacks when in a neutral game script.
Derek Carr and the passing attack have an easier matchup than the rushing attack. According to Football Outsiders, the Rams are 16th in rush defense Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) and 24th in pass defense DVOA since Week 10. Quarterbacks have also thrashed the Rams deep, completing 14 of 23 attempts (60.9%) that traveled at least 15 Air Yards for 396 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions since Week 10.
This year, Carr hasn't morphed into an elite signal-caller in Josh McDaniels' offense. Yet, his 248.3 passing yards per game and 20 passing touchdowns are rock-solid. Carr has also been sharp lately, tossing multiple touchdowns in five consecutive games, reaching at least 250 passing yards in four of those games and eclipsing 300 in Week 11. Thus, Carr is one of the most attractive options on this slate.
However, Davante Adams is the most exciting pick. No. 1 wide receivers have flamed the Rams. According to Football Outsiders, No. 1 wide receivers have averaged the most receiving yards per game (90.6) against Los Angeles this year. Adams has been a monster, averaging 6.6 receptions and 98.0 receiving yards per game and scoring 12 touchdowns this year.
Adams has also been otherworldly lately. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he's been targeted on 30.8% of his routes and had 31 receptions, 518 receiving yards, 3.55 Yards per Route Run (Y/RR) and five touchdowns since Week 10.
Josh Jacobs has also been playing as if he's from another planet. Since Week 10, he's rushed for 560 yards and four touchdowns while adding 17 receptions for 159 yards through the air. Jacobs has rushed for more than 100 yards in three straight games and has an elite run-blocking offensive line paving the way for him. According to Football Outsiders, the Raiders are first in Adjusted Line Yards (5.23).
The sky is the limit for Jacobs. However, he's battled a calf injury and must now turn around and play a game on a short week. The injury hasn't hampered Jacobs on the field. Yet, it may pose more problems without a standard week to receive treatment. And, perhaps, the Raiders will reduce his workload. So, there's a case for fading Jacobs on this slate. Nevertheless, he's still an elite option with the ceiling to lead this contest in fantasy points.
If the Raiders add to LA's struggles defending deep passes, Mack Hollins and Keelan Cole can be useful DFS options. Hollins is tied for the team lead in routes (146) since Week 10 and has had 17 receptions for 168 yards and one touchdown. Conversely, Cole has been a cardio king, garnering only six targets on 114 routes. Yikes. Still, Cole had a team-high 14.7-yard Average Depth of Target (aDOT) since Week 10. Cole has also been targeted 20-plus yards downfield six times this season and four times between 10 and 19 yards downfield.
Foster Moreau is also a useful choice. He's run the third-most routes (116) and had 15 targets, eight receptions, 141 receiving yards and two touchdowns since Week 10. Moreau has a mid-pack matchup this week. Tight ends have averaged 46.8 receiving yards per game against the Rams, slightly lower than the NFL average of 48.8. The Rams have coughed up five receiving touchdowns to tight ends, though.
Zamir White handled two of Las Vegas's nine rush attempts when they led by at least eight points in their previous four games. So, if the Raiders boat race the Rams, White might be tasked with mop-up duty. The rookie running back might also mix in earlier if Jacobs' calf bothers or limits him.
Rams Analysis: The Rams are lousy. Fortunately, they have a few intriguing bargain picks. Second-year diminutive speedster Tutu Atwell has had seven targets (14% Target Share) on 32 routes (21.9% targets per route run), four receptions, 71 receiving yards and 132 Air Yards in the last two weeks. Atwell also carried the ball four times for 23 yards in Week 13 and had a 62-yard touchdown reception in Week 11.
Brandon Powell has also emerged as a weapon in the offense. He had only six targets in the past two weeks. However, those were on 22 routes, good for an eye-popping 27.3% targets per route run rate and resulting in six receptions for 45 receiving yards. In addition, Powell chipped in 45 rushing yards on three attempts in Week 13.
Preseason standout Lance McCutcheon is also viable if he returns from a one-game absence because of an injury. In Week 12, McCutcheon was fourth on the Rams in routes (15) but failed to reel in any of his four targets. The matchup is stellar for Atwell, Powell and McCutcheon. The Raiders are 26th in pass defense DVOA since Week 10, and other wide receivers (wideouts not deemed the No. 1 or No. 2 wideout by Football Outsiders) have averaged the second-most receiving yards per game (60.7) against the Raiders this year.
Final Thoughts: Adams is the best option for the captain/MVP. Carr is my second-favorite choice. Gamers should load up on Raiders and use no more than two players from the Rams on their rosters on DraftKings. Further, five-to-one rosters that have only one Ram are also encouraged.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
