Week 11 NFL Moneyline Underdogs
Mike Randle
It’s time to look ahead to the 2023 NFL season! Follow along with all our fantasy football team offseason roundups here.
It’s been a very busy NFL offseason, with free-agent signings, coaching changes and several new players entering the league via the NFL Draft. As we prepare for the 2023 fantasy football season, it’s critical to have a full understanding of each team’s offseason moves. Our NFL team roundup series today covers the Los Angeles Rams.
2023 NFL Team Roundup: Los Angeles Rams
2022 Results
Record: 5-12, 3rd in the NFC West
Season End: Lost at Seattle, 19-16
Los Angeles Rams Offseason Summary
Draft
2.36: Steve Avila, G, TCU
3.77: Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee
3.89: Kobie Turner, DT, Wake Forest
4.128: Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia
5.161: Nick Hampton, EDGE, Appalachian State
5.174: Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia
5.175: Davis Allen, TE, Clemson
5.177: Puka Nacua, WR, BYU
6.182: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU
6.189: Ochaun Mathis, EDGE, Nebraska
7.215: Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss
7.223: Ethan Evans, P, Wingate
7.234: Jason Taylor, S, Oklahoma State
7.259: Desjuan Johnson, EDGE, Toledo
Steve Avila, G (2.36)
Rams were decimated by injuries on their offensive line last year and have now spent their first pick in the draft on an offensive lineman for two consecutive years.
Stetson Bennett, QB (4.128)
Los Angeles only had one quarterback on their roster entering the draft, which led to the selection of Stetson Bennett of Georgia in Round 4. He is the first quarterback drafted by the Rams since Jared Goff (No. 1 overall) in 2016.
Davis Allen, TE (5.175)
Veteran tight end Tyler Higbee is a free agent after this season, with only Brycen Hopkins and Hunter Long serving as positional backups. Allen is an excellent blocker and scored 12 touchdowns at Clemson, ranking second in Tigers history.
Zach Evans, RB (7.215)
Head coach Sean McVay has drafted a running back in every draft with the Rams. Evans could absolutely have fantasy relevance in Year 1 after a very efficient final season at Ole Miss. A shallow Los Angeles depth chart makes Evans intriguing.
Additions
Free agent signings: TE Hunter Long
Hunter Long, TE
Only one big signing for Los Angeles, adding tight end depth behind Tyler Higbee. Long was productive at Boston College but has yet to make a receiving impact in the league.
Departures
QB Baker Mayfield, QB John Wolford, WR Allen Robinson, WR Brandon Powell, OT Ty Nsekhe, OG Oday Aboushi, C Matt Skura, Edge Leonard Floyd, DL Greg Gaines, DL A’Shawn Robinson , LB Bobby Wagner , CB Troy Hill, CB David Long, CB Jalen Ramsey, S Taylor Rapp, S Nick Scott, LS Matthew Orzech, P Riley Dixon, K Matt Gay
Baker Mayfield, QB
Mayfield plugged the hole after Matthew Stafford‘s spinal cord contusion/concussion but landed in Tampa Bay as a starter for 2023.
Allen Robinson, WR
One of the more disappointing fantasy players in 2022, Robinson was traded to the Steelers in April.
Leonard Floyd, EDGE
The 30-year-old Floyd had 29 sacks in his three seasons with the Rams and posted at least nine sacks each year.
Bobby Wagner, LB
The Rams released Wagner, with an increased belief in third-year linebacker Ernest Jones.
Jalen Ramsey, CB
Still only 28 years old, the three-time first-team All-Pro was traded to Miami for a third-round pick and TE Hunter Long.
Los Angeles Rams Fantasy Outlook
The four most interesting Rams fantasy options:
Matthew Stafford, QB
Last time we saw a healthy Matthew Stafford, he threw for 41 regular-season touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl victory for the Rams. His connection with wide receiver Cooper Kupp (2021 Offensive Player of the Year) was electric and provided some of the most consistent fantasy production we’ve ever seen. Last season, Stafford struggled to stay healthy and played in only nine games. He failed to post even one weekly fantasy stat line inside the top 10. Assuming full health for Stafford and Kupp, we should see some positive regression to his 2021 form.
Cooper Kupp, WR
Despite playing only nine games due to a pair of ankle injuries, Kupp still finished as the overall WR1 in PPR fantasy points per game for the second consecutive season. Averaging over 11 targets per game during the past two seasons, the only limiting factor for Kupp is health.
Cam Akers, RB
It was quite a season for the 24-year-old Cam Akers.
Akers was benched in Week 1 and was potentially a cut candidate during the season for the Rams. Starting in Week 13, however, Akers performed like a legitimate RB1 and posted a touchdown or 100 total yards in each of the last six games. Los Angeles only added seventh-rounder Zach Evans, leaving Akers to compete with Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers. Akers brings trepidation but massive seasonal upside in 2023.
Tyler Higbee, TE
Despite battling poor quarterback play all season, Tyler Higbee finished with the fourth-most targets (108) and fifth-most receptions (72) at the tight end position. He has only finished as TE15 and TE13 the past two seasons but is still being drafted at his fantasy ceiling with a current UnderdogFantasy ADP of 148.8 (TE16).
2023 Outlook
DraftKings Sportsbook Wins
Over/Under: 6.5 (-105, -115)
The betting market reflects an overall feeling of uncertainty regarding the Rams. They lost a ton of talent on both sides of the ball but certainly project for an improved offense with the return of Stafford and Kupp. They gutted out five wins despite incredibly poor injury luck and only need two additional wins to beat this total. They have a league-average (15th) strength of schedule, per Vegas opposing win totals. They need to stay competitive within the division against San Francisco and Seattle. The critical factor will be the continued health of the offensive line, Stafford and Kupp. If all three stay healthy, Los Angeles should beat this win total. If there’s a repeat of 2022, the Rams could possibly be the worst team in the league.
