Coming into last season, it appeared as though Stafford might
be on his last legs. A neck injury had derailed the team’s
title defense in 2022, and there were rumblings during the offseason
that the veteran was considering calling it a career. He ultimately
returned and helped guide a young Rams squad to a playoff berth.
Now, the 36-year-old claims he’s feeling the best he has
in years, and there are no plans to hang up the cleats.
Statistically, Stafford was solid in 2023: 3,965 yards passing,
24 TDs, and 11 INTs. That ranked him in the top 12 in both yards
and TDs despite missing one game with a thumb injury and sitting
out the finale to rest up for the playoffs. Even more encouraging
is how much better his numbers got as the season wore on. To that
end, 15 of his 24 TD passes came in his last six games. The team
struck gold with Puka Nacua, and Cooper Kupp remains a reliable
option as well, giving Stafford a pair of go-to targets.
He's purely a pocket passer at this stage of his career, running
for 65 yards in 2023, and as such he’s a tough sell as a
No. 1 fantasy quarterback when so many dual-threat options are
out there. Stafford would be a nice Plan B for anyone targeting
a younger, high-upside QB for their roster (such as someone like
Anthony Richardson or rookies Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels).
In Week 1 last year, Cam Akers ran the ball 22 times to Williams’
15. It seemed to be a split befitting their respective statuses
as RB1 (Akers) and RB2 (Williams). On to Week 2, right? Wrong.
Akers never suited up for the Rams again, eventually being traded
to the Vikings, and Williams took over as the lead back. While
an ankle injury would put him on the shelf for a month, the Notre
Dame product proved he could be a workhorse when healthy.
In six games after returning from injury, Williams averaged 25
touches per game, resulting in 131.5 yards per contest -- he topped
100 total yards in each game -- and eight total touchdowns. Like
most of the skill players, Williams was held out in Week 18, and
he wasn’t nearly as effective in the Wild Card loss to Detroit
(70 yards, 0 TDs), but that had more to do with fewer opportunities
(14 touches).
For as good as Williams has looked on the field, there are viable
questions about his durability after spending time on Injured
Reserve with ankle injuries in each of his first two seasons.
He also missed part of the offseason program his rookie year with
a broken foot. In terms of production, you’re looking at
a potential top-five fantasy RB, even with the arrival of Blake
Corum. There’s risk here, though, so make sure your depth
is solid if you’re investing in Williams to be your No.1
back.
When Williams went down last year, the Rams tried to cobble things
together with a combination of Royce Freeman, Darrell Henderson,
and Ronnie Rivers. It’s not surprising then that the team
chose to upgrade that spot in the draft, selecting Corum in the
third round. The rookie doesn’t jump off the page from a
physical perspective, boasting a smallish frame (5-foot-8, 205
pounds) and average speed, but he was highly productive at Michigan.
Corum is relentless as a runner with good strength, making him
tough to bring down -- to that end, he set the FBS single-season
record with 27 rushing touchdowns last year. He’s also ready to
step in on passing downs, showing toughness in blitz pickup and
the hands to contribute as an outlet for Stafford. He’ll spell
Williams when both are healthy, and he gives the Rams some insurance
if Williams again deals with injuries. Consider Corum a borderline
RB4/RB5.
An unheralded fifth-round draft pick, Nacua went from roughly
zero percent ownership in fantasy leagues to 100 following the
first two games of 2023 during which he caught 25 passes for 266
yards. While he clearly couldn’t maintain such a monstrous
pace, he still finished with 105 receptions, 1,486 yards, and
six touchdowns -- good enough to finish in the top-10 in both
catches and yards. Most years that’d be sufficient to capture
the NFL Rookie of the Year award, but Nacua had to settle for
second behind Texans QB C.J. Stroud.
There’ll be no surprises with Nacua in Year 2, but there’s
no reason to doubt his performance as he functioned as the No.1
target for much of the season while Kupp battled injuries. The
BYU alum has shown he can get open, work underneath or downfield,
and make contested catches with regularity. If he can up his game
in the red zone, Nacua could push toward the top of the receiver
rankings. Even now, he belongs in the top 10 of fantasy wideouts.
In 2021, Kupp was the best receiver in the league, posting a
145-1947-16 line en route to winning NFL Offensive Player of the
Year honors. In two seasons since, he has had trouble staying
on the field, missing eight games in 2022 and opening last year
on Injured Reserve with a hamstring injury. He looked good upon
his return, posting back-to-back 100-plus-yard efforts in his
first two games, but his production slipped dramatically after
that, failing to top 50 yards in six straight. When the credits
rolled on 2023, Kupp settled for 59 catches, 737 yards, and 5
TDs, his worst production since 2018.
Now, just three years removed from his monster campaign, Kupp
is a bit of an unknown. He’s played in just 21 of 34 games
the past two years, and his numbers combined over those two seasons
falls short of what he did in 2021. Head coach Sean McVay recently
noted that Kupp was never healthy last season, and that he looks
to be in much better condition now. Whether he can stay in peak
form at age 31 remains to be seen. A surefire WR1 in recent fantasy
drafts, Kupp now resides on the borderline of top-20 status with
a definite risk/reward status.
Entering his ninth NFL season, Higbee has carved out his niche.
He’s durable but a late-season ACL injury will likely cost
him games in 2024. He’s a capable checkdown option with
good hands, but despite checking in at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, he’s
never been much of a threat in the red zone (22 career touchdowns
among his 353 receptions). If you average out his last five seasons,
you get 59 receptions and 586 yards, which is close to what you
can feel safe penciling him in for. Even in leagues where you’d
carry two tight ends on your roster, Higbee’s lack of upside
and a good bet to start the season on the PUP list makes him someone
you can leave on waivers.
