The Worksheet, a comprehensive fantasy football preview by Rich Hribar, breaks down everything you need to know about the Week 3 matchup between the Rams and 49ers.
Find a breakdown of every Week 3 NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.
| San Francisco | Rank | @ | LA Rams | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -7.5 | Spread | 7.5 | ||
| 25.5 | Implied Total | 18 | ||
| 24.5 | 9 | Points/Gm | 15 | 27 |
| 21 | 15 | Points All./Gm | 33.5 | 31 |
| 68.5 | 4 | Plays/Gm | 63 | 9 |
| 51.5 | 2 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 61.5 | 19 |
| 5.8 | 8 | Off. Yards/Play | 5 | 21 |
| 6.5 | 30 | Def. Yards/Play | 6.9 | 32 |
| 45.99% | 14 | Rush% | 34.13% | 31 |
| 54.01% | 19 | Pass% | 65.87% | 2 |
| 41.75% | 14 | Opp. Rush % | 57.72% | 27 |
| 58.25% | 19 | Opp. Pass % | 42.28% | 6 |
- The Rams have 258 fewer rushing yards than their opponents through two games, the worst differential in the league.
- The Rams have allowed 12 plays of 20 or more yards, the most in the league through two weeks.
- The Rams are 31st in success rate against rushing plays (45.1%).
- The Rams are 30th in success rate against passing plays (50%).
- The 49ers have allowed opponents to convert 59.1% of their third downs (31st).
- 78.6% of the set of downs against the Rams have achieved another first down or a touchdown, 31st in the league.
Trust = spike production for that player
Quarterback
Quarterback
Brock Purdy: Purdy leads the NFL in passing yards (550) and is 2nd in yards per pass attempt (8.5 Y/A) through two weeks but has yet to deliver a QB1 scoring week because he only has one passing touchdown.
That should change here, but he will be without Deebo Samuel and potentially George Kittle in addition to Samuel’s absence.
Purdy only has 13 career dropbacks with Samuel and Kittle off the field.
And we are already without Christian McCaffrey.
Their loss is potentially a collective blow that lowers Purdy’s upside, but this could also be a spot where it does not matter because of the state of the opposing defense.
It could also be a spot where Kyle Shanahan and Purdy prove the naysayers wrong about Purdy’s reliance on his surrounding skill players.
The Rams’ defense has been as rough as it appeared on paper entering this season.
They are 30th in points allowed per pass attempt (0.680).
When the Rams have not pressured the opposing quarterback, they have allowed 8.5 yards per pass attempt (28th).
The only question will be how much pushback the Rams will provide, given all their injuries on both sides of the ball.
On defense, Darious Williams remains on IR while they just lost John Johnson for 4-6 weeks.
I would still start Purdy in 1QB leagues if I was already doing so, but the loss of Samuel and Kittle would be a blow for his ceiling outcome.
Matthew Stafford: This season is starting to feel like the 2022 season again for the Rams.
Stafford and this offense could not compensate for the number of missing parts entering last week’s game.
Things got worse after kickoff when Cooper Kupp and Jonah Jackson suffered injuries that will land them in injured reserve.
Stafford closed the week QB30 (3.6 points).
He did complete 70.4% of his passes for 8.0 yards per pass attempt, but he was under harassment all afternoon.
He was pressured on 34.4% of his dropbacks, taking 5 sacks against an Arizona defense that is hardly aggressive.
If the patchwork offensive line could not stop Arizona last week, how will they fare against San Francisco?
Stafford has already had issues against the 49ers since joining the Rams when he has a full team at his disposal.
Stafford and the Rams are 1-5 in his starts against the 49ers.
In those games, he has averaged 6.2 yards per pass attempt with 8 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
Under pressure in those games, Stafford has completed just 47.1% of his passes for 4.4 yards per pass attempt.
Even in 2QB leagues, Stafford is a low-ceiling option.
Running Back
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More Week 3 Fantasy Breakdowns From The Worksheet:
| Matchup | Time |
|---|---|
| Patriots @ Jets -- FREE | Thursday Night Football |
| Giants @ Browns | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Packers @ Titans | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Bears @ Colts | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Texans @ Vikings | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Eagles @ Saints | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Chargers @ Steelers | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Broncos @ Bucs | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Panthers @ Raiders | Sunday -- 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Dolphins @ Seahawks | Sunday -- 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Ravens @ Cowboys | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| 49ers @ Rams | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Lions @ Cardinals | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Chiefs @ Falcons | Sunday Night Football |
| Jaguars @ Bills -- FREE | Monday Night Football |
| Commanders @ Bengals -- FREE | Monday Night Football |
