Rams QB Matt Stafford said Wednesday that it's a "compete for carries" week, per The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. RBs Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee) will miss Sunday's game vs. the Steelers, leaving RBs Zach Evans, Darrell Henderson, Myles Gaskin, and Royce Freeman to battle for snaps and touches. HC Sean McVay echoed Stafford's sentiment. "We've got the week to be able to evaluate," McVay said. "I would say all four of those guys are possibilities, and we're truly navigating through that." McVay added that he was "pleased" with how RB Zach Evans played in his first six offensive snaps of the season last week. We'll continue to look for clues on what Los Angeles' backfield will look like on Sunday, but we probably won't have a great idea until the game is underway.
Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo (back) did not practice on Wednesday. While he reportedly dodged a major injury in last week's game vs. the Patriots, Garoppolo doesn't seem particularly likely to play against the Bears this weekend. We'll see if he's able to get back on the practice field tomorrow.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Rams expect RB Kyren Williams to miss "multiple games" with his ankle sprain. Williams "should be back, at the latest, after the Week 10 bye." That would mean three missed games, which should affect your waiver and potential trade moves this week. The Rams will turn to some combo of Zach Evans, Royce Freeman, Myles Gaskin, and Darrell Henderson in the meantime. We'll keep watch for more insight into the plan ahead of Sunday's game against the Steelers.
ESPN's Sarah Barshop writes that Rams RB Zach Evans is "likely" to start Sunday's game vs. the Steelers. RBs Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee) will miss that one. The Rams' only other RBs are Evans and Royce Freeman, who's on the practice squad. "Obviously you saw Zach Evans get the first carries," HC McVay said Monday. "We've got Royce Freeman on our practice squad, and there'll be some different things that we're in the midst of working through right now." We'll look for further hints on what the backfield will look like this week. But we're expecting Evans and Freeman to be involved -- and for the Rams to go pass-heavy. Evans is the better fantasy option but shouldn't be considered more than a RB3 or flex play for now.
A Monday MRI revealed an ankle sprain for Rams RB Kyren Williams that's expected to keep him out for Sunday's game against the Steelers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Backup Ronnie Rivers is also dealing with a PCL sprain that's expected to cost him a few weeks. That leaves Zach Evans and Royce Freeman as the only healthy RBs on the roster. Evans played his first 6 snaps of the season Sunday against the Cardinals, running for 10 yards on 4 carries. Freeman has been on the practice squad and averaged a dynamic 2.9 yards per carry since the start of 2021. We'll watch for specifics on L.A.'s backfield plan for Week 7. But expect a pass-heavy approach for a team that has already leaned that way. Evans and Freeman only appear worth a waiver look if you're in dire need. The Pittsburgh matchup has been slightly positive for RB scoring, according to our adjusted fantasy points allowed.
Raiders HC Josh McDaniels said Monday that QB Jimmy Garoppolo “dodged a big bullet” with regard to internal injuries, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. “The prognosis is a lot better than it might otherwise have been,” McDaniels added. Garoppolo is still undergoing further testing, and his status for Sunday's game vs. the Bears is uncertain.
The Rams believe RB Ronnie Rivers has a PCL sprain that "could keep him out a few weeks," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's particularly noteworthy with RB Kyren Williams dealing with an ankle injury. Rookie Zach Evans is the only healthy RB on the Rams' active roster. RB Royce Freeman is on the practice squad.
Update: Rivers has a Grade 3 PCL sprain and is expected to miss 4-5 weeks, according to Rapoport. Rivers figures to land on short-term IR.
Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo completed 14 of 22 attempts for 162 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT apiece in the first half of Week 6 vs. the Patriots. Unfortunately, the veteran was ruled out at halftime after sustaining a back injury. QB Brian Hoyer came in relief to finish the contest. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Garoppolo was taken to a local hospital for precautionary tests on his back. It’ll be crucial to follow the injury reports this week to determine if Garoppolo will be healthy enough to suit up in Week 7 vs. the Bears.
Rams RB Kyren Williams tweaked an ankle late in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. HC Sean McVay said afterward that he thinks Williams "is gonna be good,” per The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. We'll keep an eye on Williams this coming week. RBs Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans saw carries behind Williams vs. Arizona.
Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo left Sunday’s game in the first half with a back injury. He’s doubtful to return. With Aidan O'Connell inactive, Brian Hoyer will play the second half for Vegas.
Rams LB Ernest Jones (knee) is active for today's game against the Cardinals. Use him as planned in your IDP lineups.
Rams LB Ernest Jones is questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals. Knee swelling cost him the first two practices of the week. Jones returned for a limited Friday workout, and HC Sean McVay expects the LB to play, according to Rams Wire. We'll check Jones' status Sunday.
Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo completed 22 of 31 attempts for 208 passing yards with 1 TD and INT apiece in Week 5 vs. the Packers. He did just enough in the contest to crack double-digit fantasy points but was otherwise his typical boring, game-manager self. Next up on the agenda is a Week 6 matchup vs. the Patriots.
Rams WR Tutu Atwell saw a season-low 5 targets in Sunday's loss to the Eagles, the first game with Cooper Kupp back from his hamstring injury. Atwell's 13.5% target share also marked a season low and a significant dip vs. the past two weeks. Atwell's target shares by week before Sunday went: 21%, 16.4%, 27.3%, and 22.5%. We'll see whether he can rebound going forward. But it'll be tough to feel good about starting him a week after Atwell trailed well behind both Kupp (12) and Puka Nacua (11) in targets.
Cooper Kupp returned against the Eagles on Sunday, and yet Puka Nacua didn't vanish. The Rams rookie WR trailed Kupp by just one target (12-11), snagging 7 receptions for 71 yards and a TD. His score came from 22 yards out late in the second quarter. Nacua drew a target on 29.7% of QB Matthew Stafford's attempts. No other Ram exceeded 5 targets. Consider Nacua a weekly fantasy starter until something changes. A Week 6 meeting with the Cardinals looks good for the whole L.A. offense.
Rams WR Cooper Kupp grabbed 8 receptions for 118 yards on a team-high 12 targets Sunday against the Eagles, his first game back from the hamstring injury. Kupp could have had an even bigger day. He and Matthew Stafford narrowly missed a pair of deep connections. Anyone who held Kupp through the injury -- or acquired him during that time -- should be thrilled with the production. Start Kupp weekly going forward.
Rams RB Kyren Williams managed just 53 yards rushing and 4 receiving in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. It wasn't a particularly bad performance, though. Williams got just 13 carries, so his 4.1 yards per rush were solid vs. a defense that arrived ranked No. 1 in DVOA against the run. And he garnered just 2 targets (catching both). Williams still claimed 15 of the team's 16 RB opportunities. So there's nothing to worry about if you have Williams rostered. He'll get a much better matchup in Week 6 against the Cardinals. The only other RB opportunity Sunday went to Ronnie Rivers: a 1-yard carry.
Rams WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) is officially active for today’s game vs. the Eagles. HC Sean McVay said Friday that he’s not planning to limit Kupp’s snaps in his 2023 debut. See where he sits in the Week 5 WR Rankings.
ESPN's Adam Schefter tweets that there will be "no expected limitations" for Rams WR Cooper Kupp vs. the Eagles today. It's confirmation that Kupp will be a full-go after HC Sean McVay said Friday that he's not planning to limit Kupp's snaps in his 2023 debut. See where Kupp sits in the Week 5 WR Rankings.
Rams WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) has been activated from IR. He's set to make his 2023 debut vs. the Eagles tomorrow. Kupp sits a bit lower than usual in our Week 5 WR Rankings but is pretty much a must-start.
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