San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. gets his next chance to break out of a brutal slump when the team hosts the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. The former first-team All-Pro has averaged 3.3 half-PPR points per game over his last four contests. Samuel created drama early in the week, expressing dissatisfaction with a perceived decrease in the team getting him the ball. There is some truth to the complaint. Samuel's career-high was 8.5 touches per game in 2021, and he averaged 6.5 touches per game last year, compared to 6.0 touches this year. Of course, he didn't mention his season total of four broken tackles on social media, nor his 13.8 yards per reception (down almost a full yard from 2023), or his 2.9 yards per carry. The squeaky wheel may get the grease in this situation, but head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy don't seem like the type to force-feed a complaining wideout based on their reactions. The Rams have been a top-10 matchup for opposing wideouts, but it will be hard to trust Samuel in fantasy playoff lineups. He's a back-end WR3, at best, in Week 15.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings will line up against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night in Santa Clara. The former Tennessee Volunteer is coming off his second-best fantasy performance of the year, having caught seven of eight targets for 90 yards and two touchdowns at home against Chicago. The Rams are a good matchup for Jennings on paper, as they are tied with Cleveland as the seventh-most generous defense for fantasy wideout production. As the fantasy playoffs begin, Jennings is the overall WR14 in half-PPR scoring, including the games before Brandon Aiyuk (knee) was injured. Jennings should be considered a WR2 with a solid target floor in Week 15.

San Francisco 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. could get his first career start on Thursday night in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium. Last week, Taylor Jr. took seven carries for 25 yards and sealed the blowout of the Chicago Bears with a touchdown in the fourth quarter after starter Isaac Guerendo left with a foot injury. It's common fantasy wisdom to point out that head coach Kyle Shanahan always eschews a committee approach, leaning almost exclusively on his starting running back. If Guerendo were to be ruled out -- and if you count Elijah Mitchell who was deemed out for the year during the preseason -- Taylor Jr. represents San Francisco's fifth-string running back. This may be the one situation where Shanahan decides to mix it up with his backfield snap distribution. The Rams are middle-of-the-pack in stopping the run and it's hard to argue for benching any RB starting for the 49ers. Still, Israel Abanikanda and Ke'Shawn Vaughn could eat into Taylor Jr.'s volume, as all three are basically replacement-level players. If Guerendo suits up, Taylor Jr. should be on fantasy benches, but if Guerendo can't go, the former Packer is a high-ceiling/low-floor play on the RB2/3 border.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15 at home on Thursday Night Football. Last week versus Chicago, Purdy moved the ball nearly at will -- especially in the first half. He finished 20-for-25 with 325 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers while adding 11 yards on the ground. The successful day was a welcome development after Purdy was held to 2.16 Yahoo default fantasy points in snowy Buffalo the week before. The Rams' air defense has been vulnerable, tied with Las Vegas for eighth in generosity to opposing fantasy quarterbacks. Most recently, Los Angeles was shredded by Bills QB Josh Allen to the tune of 50-plus fantasy points during a Week 14 win. The Rams defense will be without starting cornerback Cobie Durant (chest). San Francisco's offense is still hurting, with left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) set to miss his fourth-straight game and rookie running back Isaac Guerendo (foot) questionable, though left guard Aaron Banks (concussion) has been cleared to play after missing two games. Purdy is pretty well set up to have a solid night, making him a low-end QB1 with upside.

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo (foot) is listed as questionable for Thursday's night game against the Los Angeles Rams, according to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. Guerendo sustained this injury last weekend during their victory over the Chicago Bears. Before the injury the fourth-round rookie tallied 78 yards and two scores on 15 attempts. With both Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) on the injured reserve, Guerendo was slated to operate as the lead running back for the remainder of the season. However, dealing with his own injury, Patrick Taylor Jr. may be given the starting nod on Thursday. Taylor ran for 25 yards and a touchdown after Guerendo left and could be a viable RB2 in all formats if he is given the starting nod.