Do the Los Angeles Rams have any fantasy players worth considering? With fantasy playoffs here (or nearly here), I’m imagining the teams in contention won’t be rolling out Bryce Perkins and Tutu Atwell — then again, maybe you’re desperate?
On the other side, the Las Vegas Raiders offense continues to provide value from their studs. Derek Carr has thrown multiple touchdowns in five straight games, Davante Adams is averaging an 8/120/1 line over his last five games and Josh Jacobs is hands-down the best running back in the league.
So this week, we’ve got an all-Raiders edition of “start or sit” — and earlier than normal, given the Thursday kick.
Start: Raiders D
I can’t believe I’m saying this because of how little I believe in this unit, but I actually think there is some value here. For starters, Thursday Night games feel like they go under almost every single week, and so the calendar alone is helping our cause here.
Also: Bryce Perkins.
The Rams offense is one of the worst in the league, and that’s including weeks when Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp were active. Without those guys? It’s probably the worst offensive skill position group in the league right now, and it’s not getting any better this week.
The last piece here is the offensive line — which is just as depleted as the skill group. Last week they gave up four sacks to the Seahawks, so with Chandler Jones coming off his best week of the season (3 sacks), expect the Raiders pass rush to feast.
Prediction: 17 points allowed, 5 sacks, 2 turnovers
Sit: Davante Adams
If you’re new here, let me make sure you understand what we’re doing: we’re comparing our own projected performance with a player’s consensus fantasy rankings. This doesn’t mean Adams is going to be a no-show on Thursday, it just means I think you’ll be a bit disappointed if you start him.
Why? Jalen Ramsey.
Yes, Adams has fared okay against Ramsey historically, but it’s all relative. Last year he had 5 catches for 41 yards when matched up against Ramsey — which was Ramsey’s worst performance in a year-and-a-half — and yet, it was just five catches. Adams will be “fine” on Sunday, but the Raiders won’t need any more than that.
Prediction: 6 catches, 70 yards, 0 TD
Start: Derek Carr
I’ve been banging the drum, and I’ll keep doing it until he lets me down. Last Sunday wasn’t his cleanest performance — he missed a wide-open touchdown in the fourth quarter because he was locked in on Adams — but it was his fifth straight multi-touchdown game, and that’ll play.
The Rams are terrible, Aaron Donald isn’t expected to play, and an older roster on a short week — all things that play in Carr’s favor. Even though Adams is quiet this week, Carr will work the ball to Mack Hollins and others in an easy win.
