The Los Angeles Rams will face the New Orleans Saints in Week 13. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB Matthew Stafford.
Is Matthew Stafford Playing in Week 13?
Stafford is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.
We’ll continue to monitor the Rams’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Matthew Stafford in Week 13?
Hand up if you thought this leaderboard would ever be symbolic of the top scorers at the QB position over a two-week stretch:
- Tua Tagovailoa: 52 points
- Bo Nix: 48.2 points
- Matthew Stafford: 47 points
- Jared Goff: 45.3 points
- Sam Darnold: 44.7 points
Yeah, me neither.
Forget getting the entire list right, I’m not sure I would have gotten a single one of those names correct. Stafford has been a top-10 signal caller in three of his past five games and has looked the part of a stable fantasy option since getting his two receivers back to full strength.
I tend to target Stafford against high-blitz teams when looking for true ceiling performances, as those are the matchups where his elite connection with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua can beat single coverage on a regular basis. That’s not the position we find ourselves in this week (NO: 25th in blitz rate), and if the Saints can control the clock like they aim to do, I worry that Stafford doesn’t throw enough passes to produce top-15 numbers in this spot.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 13 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Matthew Stafford’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 13
As of 8 AM ET on Sunday morning, Stafford is projected to score 13.6 fantasy points in Week 13. This includes 219 passing yards, 1.3 passing touchdowns, and 0.7 interceptions. It also includes 1.2 rushing attempts for 1.5 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the 49ers' Defense
The decline of the San Francisco 49ers' defense this season compared to the last two is a concern. Having been a top-seven unit each year between 2019 and 2022, they ranked 10th last year and have slipped further this season.
The first four years were with Saleh and Ryans as San Francisco's DCs, with Steve Wilks on board for one season in 2023 and Nick Sorensen taking over the role in 2024.
The run defense was better against the Bears this week, but it's been an issue all season. San Francisco ranks 25th in rush success rate (58.9%) and EPA per rush (0.01). The pass defense ranks closer to league average, but it's a below-average one overall.
The biggest concern this season has been the continued third-down struggles (43.9%; 27th) and inside the red zone (72.1%; 31st). As a result, the 49ers have struggled to stop drives and points, leaving them reliant on their pass rush to get after opposing quarterbacks and force turnovers (11.9%; 10th). That element has worked well, but Nick Bosa's injury situation has been a concern.
San Francisco's defense did a nice job in Week 14 against Chicago. They ranked sixth on the week with a C+ grade -- their best since Week 8.
As we mentioned, they were good against the run but just slightly below average against the pass. The 49ers' red-zone defense has been woeful for four straight weeks, and they're not forcing many turnovers over that span, either.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
Matthew Stafford’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, December 12. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 15 QB PPR Rankings
1) Lamar Jackson | BAL (at NYG)
2) Josh Allen | BUF (at DET)
3) Jalen Hurts | PHI (vs. PIT)
4) Jayden Daniels | WAS (at NO)
5) Joe Burrow | CIN (at TEN)
6) Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (at HOU)
7) Brock Purdy | SF (vs. LAR)
8) Sam Darnold | MIN (vs. CHI)
9) Bo Nix | DEN (vs. IND)
10) Justin Herbert | LAC (vs. TB)
11) C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs. MIA)
12) Jordan Love | GB (at SEA)
13) Baker Mayfield | TB (at LAC)
14) Jared Goff | DET (vs. BUF)
15) Kyler Murray | ARI (vs. NE)
16) Patrick Mahomes | KC (at CLE)
17) Drake Maye | NE (at ARI)
18) Aaron Rodgers | NYJ (at JAX)
19) Caleb Williams | CHI (at MIN)
20) Geno Smith | SEA (vs. GB)
21) Anthony Richardson | IND (at DEN)
22) Russell Wilson | PIT (at PHI)
23) Matthew Stafford | LAR (at SF)
24) Will Levis | TEN (vs. CIN)
25) Kirk Cousins | ATL (at LV)
26) Jameis Winston | CLE (vs. KC)
27) Bryce Young | CAR (vs. DAL)
28) Cooper Rush | DAL (at CAR)
Rams at 49ers Trends and Insights
Los Angeles Rams
Team: The Rams lost three road games in September. They are 3-0 on the road since (all one-score victories).
QB: Matthew Stafford is going to dominate if given time. Over his past three games, he’s completed 78.6% of his passes when not pressured (9.7 yards per attempt with six touchdowns and zero interceptions).
Offense: The Rams picked up a season-high 28 first downs against the Bills in Week 14, an offensive masterpiece that included a 73.3% conversion rate on third down (11-of-15).
Defense: Over its past four games, Los Angeles has allowed 47.2 yards per drive (the first nine games: 30.6).
Fantasy: Puka Nacua has 450.8 PPR points through 25 career games, good for the third most at this point in a career among players who started their career during the 2000s.
- Odell Beckham Jr.: 584.3
- Ja’Marr Chase: 463.0
- Nacua: 450.8
- A.J. Green: 434.8
- Justin Jefferson: 429.8
Betting: The Rams have covered nine of their last 10 games played on short rest, over tickets cashing in each of the past five instances.
San Francisco 49ers
Team: The 49ers are looking to win two home games in four days (they had two home wins in the previous 90 days).
QB: Brock Purdy completed all five of his red zone passes on Sunday against the Bears and is 10-of-12 with three scores inside the opponent’s 20-yard line over his past three games.
Offense: San Francisco cashed in 83.3% of their red zone drives on Sunday into touchdowns, a drastic improvement from their rate through 13 weeks (48.9%).
Defense: The 49ers allowed just 16.2 yards per drive in Week 14’s win over Chicago, their best rate of the season (six punts forced on 10 possessions).
Fantasy: Isaac Guerendo became the first player in the NFL this season with 50 receiving yards and a rushing score in the first quarter of a game this season on Sunday.
Betting: Since 2019, the 49ers are 2-4-1 ATS on short rest at home (8-3 ATS when traveling on a short week).