Fantasy Football Player Notes
2021 Draft Rankings
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37.
Robert Woods
WR - (vs . SF)
It should be an interesting debate regarding Woods this year, because on the surface, it appears that he gets an upgrade to Matthew Stafford. While that's true, it can be argued that Jared Goff's skill-set was tailormade for Woods' skill-set. The 7.1 air yards per target Woods saw in 2020 was the 10th-lowest mark among wide receivers. Meanwhile, Stafford likes to push the ball down the field a bit more. Because of the questions (good or bad), Woods should ultimately be viewed as a mid-to-low-end WR2.
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46.
Cooper Kupp
WR - (vs . SF)
It seemed like the Rams wanted to stretch the middle of the field with Kupp at times over the last couple years, though Jared Goff's inability to accurately throw the ball downfield hindered Kupp's upside. Of the eight deep targets he saw in 2020, just one was catchable. Kupp's not a burner by any means, but if he doesn't have splash plays, he's not going to be anything more than a boring PPR asset. There's more to his game than what we've seen, and it's possible that Matthew Stafford unlocks it. He should be treated as a safe, high-floor WR2.
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53.
Darrell Henderson Jr.
RB - (vs . SF)
The year-ending injury to Cam Akers opens a door of opportunity for Henderson, who, just like Akers, was a Day 2 draft pick by this regime. In fact, Henderson was more efficient than Akers in nearly every category last year, though Akers had the momentum at the end of the season. The Rams traded for Sony Michel, but that seems like much more of a depth move than anything else, and Henderson is a rock-solid RB2 with top-10 upside. Monitor his recent thumb injury, but for now, it looks like he will be ready for Week 1.
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94.
Tyler Higbee
TE - (vs . SF)
There've been six times over the course of Higbee's career where he's tallied more than 67 yards. Five of those games came at the end of the 2019 season when Gerald Everett was either out of the lineup or very limited. Well, Everett has been signed by the Seahawks, and the next man up on the Rams depth chart to fill his spot is Bryce Hopkins, who's seen as many targets as I have in an NFL uniform (none). Eliminating Everett's targets and upgrading Higbee's quarterback is the recipe for success, and it shouldn't shock anyone to see Higbee finish as a top-10 tight end in 2021.
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96.
Matthew Stafford
QB - (vs . SF)
When you put Stafford's fantasy career alongside his peers, he's essentially the same quarterback as Matt Ryan. The difference? Stafford hasn't had a play-caller to bring out the best in him for quite some time and it's crushed his fantasy upside. Welcome to L.A. where you'll be working with Sean McVay, whose offense has been handicapped with Jared Goff under center. Could this be the change Stafford needed to reach the next level? The only concern would be that the Rams defense is so good, we won't get the volume needed for a pocket passer like Stafford. He has upside to finish as a top-10 option, but knowing his limitations as a rusher (with back problems), he likely won't reach much higher than the QB8-QB10 range.
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111.
Sony Michel
RB - (vs . SF)
Michel was actually having a surprisingly impressive camp with the Patriots, but before we could figure out exactly how he'd factor into the running back mix in New England, he was shipped off to the Rams. He'll almost certainly be just a veteran depth piece for Darrell Henderson, but he could make an impact if Henderson needs to miss time (and he is currently battling a thumb injury). Michel may have only had 79 carries last year, but he did average a massive 5.7 yards per carry on them. Michel remains only an insurance policy back for now, unless we find out that Henderson needs to miss significant time.
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153.
Los Angeles Rams
DST - (vs . SF)
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247.
DeSean Jackson
WR - (vs . SF)
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250.
Van Jefferson
WR - (vs . SF)
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264.
Matt Gay
K - (vs . SF)
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339.
Jake Funk
RB - (vs . SF)
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367.
Tutu Atwell
WR - (vs . SF)
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402.
Jacob Harris
WR,TE - (vs . SF)
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457.
Brycen Hopkins
TE - (vs . SF)
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537.
Johnny Mundt
TE - (vs . SF)
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570.
Ben Skowronek
WR - (vs . SF)
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595.
Jared Pinkney
TE - (vs . SF)
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632.
Kendall Blanton
TE - (vs . SF)
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725.
J.J. Koski
WR - (vs . SF)
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858.
John Wolford
QB - (vs . SF)
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