Week 15 Thursday Fantasy Football Starting Options: Rams' Matthew Stafford or Niners' Brock Purdy? | Should You Be Starting Deebo Samuel and Others?

Week 15 of the NFL regular season opens with a fun contest between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.

Let’s take a look at the top fantasy football players from the contest.

Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

Quarterbacks

Brock Purdy leads the Niners into battle, while Matthew Stafford guides the Rams.

Purdy has 3,032 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 66.8% passing this season. He has 282 rushing yards and four scores. Purdy scored 22 fantasy points last week, bouncing back from an abysmal two-point showing in week 13. He scored 26 fantasy points when the teams met back in week 3.

Stafford has completed 66.7% of his passes for 3,303 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has just 11 rushing yards on the season. Stafford scored 21 fantasy points last week, and has at least 16 in four straight games. He scored 13 fantasy points against the Niners back in week 3, and that was without his top two wideouts.

It’s a pretty favorable matchup for Purdy, as Los Angeles allows opposing fantasy quarterbacks to score 19 points a week. San Francisco allows 15 points per week, which is below average.

Purdy is projected for 20 fantasy points, while Stafford is at 15. I also like Purdy more this week, but not by as much as the projections over Stafford. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Stafford ended up outscoring Purdy in the end.

Running Backs

Isaac Guerendo was the top San Francisco back last week, but he’s now dealing with a foot injury. Patrick Taylor was the team’s top backup last week, while Ke'Shawn Vaughn played a couple snaps after Guerendo left. Israel Abanikanda is also on the team’s active roster and could play a role if Guerendo is out.

Kyren Williams is the clear leader for the Rams. Blake Corum is his backup.

Williams has 1,013 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 251 attempts this season. He also has 155 receiving yards and two scores on 28 catches and 34 targets. Williams scored 24 fantasy points last week, and only has one single-digit fantasy performance this season. He scored 32 points against the Niners in week 3.

Corum has 182 rushing yards and no scores on 45 attempts, while adding 31 receiving yards on four grabs and targets. He’s gotten eight rushing attempts in two straight games, scoring seven fantasy points over that span. He did not get a touch in the team’s first meeting.

Guerendo has 324 yards and four scores on 57 attempts this season, while adding 50 receiving yards on two catches and targets. He scored 27 fantasy points last week and had two points in the team’s first meeting.

Taylor has 50 yards and a score on 14 rushing attempts this season. He’s caught a 12-yard pass across two targets. Taylor tallied nine fantasy points last week and didn’t start playing until week 6.

Vaughn had two rushes for four yards last week. Abanikanda doesn’t have a touch this season.

The matchup for the Rams’ backs is more favorable, as the Niners allow 24 fantasy points per game. The Rams give up 23 points a week.

Williams is the top projected fantasy back from this game at 15 PPR points. Guerendo is at 14, Taylor five and Corum four.

Williams is the clear top fantasy RB option in this game, especially considering the Guerendo injury. Corum could be worth a start in a really, really deep league.

If Guerendo plays, I’m not sure I’d want to start any of the Niners’ backs, as I think it would be a pretty split backfield. If Guerendo is out, I’d consider Taylor, but prefer to only start him in a deeper league. I think Vaughn will get more looks than Abanikanda, but I wouldn’t start either in any leagues.

Wide Receivers

Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp power the Rams’ wide receiver room. Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, Tyler Johnson and Jordan Whittington also played last week.

Jauan Jennings is the top San Fran wide receiver of late. Deebo Samuel Sr., Ricky Pearsall, Chris Conley and Jacob Cowing also played last week.

Nacua has 708 yards and three touchdowns on 54 receptions and 75 targets across eight games. He scored 42 fantasy points last week, and has at least 17 in five straight games.

Kupp is up to 657 yards and six scores across 63 catches and 91 targets in nine games. He scored 20 fantasy points last week, which was a nice bounceback from a five-point showing in week 13.

Robinson has totaled 433 yards and seven scores on 28 grabs and 54 targets this season. He is dealing with a shoulder injury and didn’t score a fantasy point last week. 

Atwell has 507 yards, but no touchdowns, on 35 catches and 50 targets this season. He scored eight fantasy points, and has at least six in three straight. He scored 13 fantasy points in the team’s first meeting, but again, that was without Kupp and Nacua playing.

Johnson has 256 yards and no scores on 22 receptions and 34 targets. He hasn’t scored a fantasy point in the past two games, but scored five points against San Fran in the first meeting.

Whittington has 201 yards and no scores on 18 catches and 23 targets. He hasn’t scored a fantasy point since week 5 and is also dealing with a shoulder injury. 

Jennings is up to 774 yards and six touchdowns on 57 grabs and 78 targets this season. He scored 28 fantasy points last week, making up for back-to-back nine-point outings. Jennings erupted for 47 fantasy points in the team’s first meeting.

Samuel has 553 yards and a score on 40 receptions and 64 targets. He scored six fantasy points last week, doing a little work as a ball carrier (which should happen again this week). 

Pearsall has 137 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches and 20 targets. He only has two fantasy points over his past four games.

Conley has a four-yard catch across seven targets this season. His last target came in week 12, and his catch was back in week 2. Cowing has 50 yards on two grabs and four targets. He had a target last week, but both catches came back in week 7.

The Rams allow opposing fantasy wideouts to score the 10th-most points, while San Fran is a top-six defense in slowing wideouts. In the weekly projections, Nacua is set for 18 PPR points, while Kupp is at 16 and Jennings 15. Samuel checks in at 11 points, Robinson sits at seven and Pearsall is the last one ranked at five points.

I also like Nacua the best in this contest, but I’d follow him with Jennings, then Kupp. Those three should be starting in just about every fantasy league.

Samuel is a flex option to me, and although he’s struggled of late, his fantasy ceiling makes me lean toward wanting to play him. 

If Robinson plays, he’s just a flex option in deeper leagues, but I’d think there’s a better option out there for you. The same could be said for Pearsall.

If Robinson is out, Atwell would take the place of him as a possible deep league option. Johnson and Whittington are two wideouts I’d avoid in all formats, even if Robinson is out. Conley and Cowing are two more wideouts I’d avoid in all leagues.

Tight Ends

George Kittle is the top San Fran tight end. Colby Parkinson has led the Rams this season, but Tyler Higbee could also suit up for the first time this season.

Kittle has 800 yards and eight touchdowns on 56 receptions and 67 targets this season. He scored 21 fantasy points last week, which was a great bounceback from a two-point showing in week 13.

Parkinson has 267 yards and a score on 27 catches and 41 targets. He hasn’t scored over two fantasy points since week 11, and the only reason he did that week was because he scored a touchdown.

Higbee has been practicing for a couple weeks and was a full participant in Monday and Tuesday’s practices. He’s had over 500 yards and at least three touchdowns in four straight seasons with the Rams. 

The Rams are an average fantasy matchup for tight ends, while the 49ers present a tough challenge. In the weekly projections, Kittle is projected for 14 PPR points, while no LA TEs make the top 27.

Kittle is the obvious top fantasy TE in this game, and should be starting in all leagues. I wouldn’t want to play any LA tight ends in the tougher matchup.

Kickers

Jake Moody kicks for the Niners. He’s 20-of-26 on his field goals and has made all 23 of his extra points across 10 games.

Joshua Karty does the kicking for the Rams. He’s 17-of-22 on his field goals and is 29-of-32 on his extra points.

Moody is projected for seven fantasy points, while Karty is at five. I like Moody more as a fantasy asset, but think Karty outscores him, as I predict the Rams to win this game.

Defenses/Special Teams

The Niners’ defense allows 298.5 yards and 23.7 points a game. San Fran has 17 takeaways and 20 giveaways. 

The Rams’ defense gives up 366.1 yards and 25.5 points per week. Los Angeles has 15 takeaways and 12 giveaways.

Both D/STs are projected for six fantasy points. I wouldn’t feel great about starting either D/ST, but would again give the Rams the edge because I think they make more plays and win.