Knowledge is power and the greatest asset you can acquire in order to compete for a fantasy football championship.
Here’s your 2023 preview of the Los Angeles Rams, the sixth of 32 team profiles during draft season:
2023 Fantasy MVP: Cooper Kupp, WR
Kupp (ADP: 7) is dealing with a hamstring issue currently, has suffered two season-ending injuries in the last five years and is now officially on the wrong side of 30, but I’m not sure there’s a higher ceiling at the position. He averaged almost 25 points per game in PPR the first nine weeks of 2022 before getting hurt in Week 10. If he’s on the field, he’s going to dominate. I get it if you’re super risk-averse, but there’s still fantasy MVP potential here and he could come at a discount.
2023 Fantasy Sleeper: Matthew Stafford, QB
The Rams defense looks legitimately bad on paper (outside of Aaron Donald of course). Stafford (ADP: 164) is only one year removed from being the overall QB5 in fantasy before getting beaten, battered and bruised behind a makeshift offensive line riddled with injuries in 2022. The O-line should be better (and hopefully healthier) this season and Stafford could flashback to his days in Detroit, where he was always fantasy relevant based on sheer volume.
2023 Fantasy Bust: Cam Akers, RB
Akers (ADP: 58) was the overall RB3 in standard formats the final six games of 2022, but this was mostly due to L.A. having nothing to play for with most of its stars on the IR — he received 63 carries the final three games. Akers has never really been a factor in the game (Kyren Williams will likely dominate targets out of the backfield), and I anticipate him becoming even more touchdown-dependent going forward, which could be a problem with rookie Zach Evans eventually challenging for short-yardage or goal-line carries.
2023 Fantasy Rookie to watch: Puka Nacua, WR
The Rams desperately need someone to emerge and take some pressure off of Kupp. Nacua (ADP: 253) made quite an impression in the offseason after GM Les Snead selected him in the fifth round and he shares a similar skillset to Robert Woods, who thrived in Sean McVay’s offense.
