Players To Target Include Puka Nacua, Anthony Richardson, Zack Moss, and Others

A month in the past, this may occasionally not have appeared like a pleasant fantasy soccer recreation, however it definitely has some intrigue now! The Los Angeles Rams‘ fantasy preview revolves round their star receiver’s capability to provide at a excessive degree, whereas the Indianapolis Colts‘ fantasy outlook is tied to their lead again, who’s overperforming all of our expectations.

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Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts

Unfold: Colts -1
Complete: 46.5
Rams implied factors: 23.8
Colts implied factors: 22.8

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford: It feels just like the Rams have overachieved massively, given how the media treats them. And sure, they’ve been extra aggressive as a crew than I assumed they’d be. That’s true. However that success hasn’t resulted in Stafford mattering (his subsequent end higher than QB17 this season will probably be his first), and I don’t suppose that modifications this week.

The Colts held Lamar Jackson and not using a passing landing final week, and it wouldn’t shock me in any respect if each groups approached this recreation with a run-heavy script. Stafford sits comfortably exterior of my prime 15 this week and is a below-average QB2 for these Superflexers on the market.

Anthony Richardson: The rookie was monitoring for a monster fantasy day in opposition to the Texans by two drives (56 passing yards, 35 dashing yards, and two dashing scores) of the Week 2 win, however his head slammed in opposition to the turf and price him the remainder of that recreation and resulted in a DNP final week in opposition to the Ravens.

MORE: Week 4 Fantasy QB Rankings

He opened this week in concussion protocol, but when he can clear the medical hurdles, he’ll waltz proper again into my prime 12 on the place in opposition to a Rams protection that ranks twenty fourth in yards per carry (4.5). I make notice of the weak spot within the run protection as a result of that forces them to crowd the road of scrimmage, thus opening the door for Richardson to interrupt a number of huge performs, both together with his legs or arm.

Assuming Richardson is sweet to go, I’ll have him ranked over Kirk Cousins and his close to 6,100-yard tempo.

Gardner Minshew: In fill-in obligation, the Mustache threw for 227 yards and a rating in opposition to the Ravens. He isn’t a fantasy possibility as a starter, however it was good to see him help the three Colts ability guys who’re rostered essentially the most.

Operating Backs

Kyren Williams: I had Williams as a top-15 RB final week after consecutive top-10 performances. Outcomes-wise, I used to be unsuitable, as he completed because the RB26. Course of-wise, I stand by it.

He was the one Rams RB with a chance in opposition to the Bengals, and the stat line appears to be like significantly better if Stafford doesn’t routinely misfire on dump-off red-zone passes. The function is nothing wanting elite, and Williams must be locked into fantasy lineups till confirmed in any other case. My rating of him this week is equivalent to what it was final week: RB11.

Zack Moss: “He has posted consecutive top-10 weeks and is coming off of per week wherein he turned 32 touches into 145 yards and two touchdowns.”

If I instructed you six weeks in the past that I’d use that sentence to explain a Colts working again within the Week 4 Cheat Sheet, you wouldn’t have been shocked in any respect. Moss has assumed the Jonathan Taylor function and appears the half. He had an exquisite 17-yard landing catch final week and dominated Trey Sermon 64-18 when it comes to snaps.

It’s doable that Sermon might work into extra of a job with a full week with the crew, however very like Akers in Minnesota, I don’t see important work coming off the starter’s plate.

Moss was accountable for each two-minute RB snap and each short-yardage RB snap. Sermon might spell him at occasions, however the function isn’t altering. He’s a top-20 possibility for me and continues to be a robust participant in all codecs.

Trey Sermon: He noticed seven alternatives on his 18 snaps, an indicator that the Colts wish to see what he can do. That mentioned, I don’t suppose he has any likelihood to overhaul Moss on this backfield or maintain standalone worth subsequent to him. Sermon shouldn’t be a participant who must be rostered in something however the deepest of leagues.

Large Receivers

Cooper Kupp: Simply your pleasant neighborhood fantasy analyst reminding you that Kupp is eligible to play subsequent week in opposition to the Eagles. After all, this will probably be a scenario we will probably be monitoring, however if you wish to roll the cube on him, this time of relative uncertainty ought to make him fairly accessible if the supervisor with him rostered is off to a tough begin.

Puka Nacua: 5 catches for 72 yards final week, and fantasy managers had been disenchanted by a receiver who they could not have recognized existed a month in the past! That tells you simply how good Nacua was by two weeks. And with him main the crew in catches and yards final week, he stays a fantasy starter.

The upside is capped (Stafford has two touchdowns on 126 cross makes an attempt this season), and we noticed the Colts restrict the per-catch manufacturing of the Ravens final week. With the restricted scoring fairness, Nacua depends on quantity, a job that can lead to him being ranked within the 18-24 vary on the place till Kupp returns.

Tutu Atwell: It’s clear that the Rams label the speedy Atwell as their home-run risk, a singular function for a 165-pound receiver. The downfield targets are going to be hit-and-miss (4 catches on 9 targets in opposition to the Bengals), however the truth that they weaponized his velocity in a Tyreek Hill-lite type of manner on a play from the 1-yard line is encouraging.

.@tutuatwell finds the endzone for six️⃣!

📺 @ESPNNFL pic.twitter.com/aPDRG62vk3

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 26, 2023

With a pair of top-15 performances already below his belt, Atwell is worthy of consideration this week. That mentioned, he does include a draw back because of the restricted nature of this passing recreation and the target-vacuum stylings of Nacua. In Week 4, he serves as my Mike Evans line in his at all times troublesome matchup with New Orleans. That’s, he’s the final receiver I’ve ranked over Evans.

Michael Pittman Jr.: Not all quantity is created equal, and Pittman is a major instance of that. By three weeks, he ranks within the prime six in each catches and targets, but, within the two weeks he failed to attain, he completed exterior the highest 25 on the place.

MORE: Week 4 Fantasy WR Rankings

Don’t get me unsuitable; the goal depend for a receiver holding this route depth has a pleasant worth as a result of he’s unlikely to fail in an enormous manner. I’ve him ranked as a mean WR2 this week, and that’ll be the case for many weeks shifting ahead till we see his aDOT pattern upward.

Josh Downs: He appears to be the participant on this roster most impacted by the quarterback. By two weeks, the third-round choose was the proprietor of a 16.7% goal share, however within the Minshew begin, he noticed 28.6% of the targets. He’s going to rank exterior of my prime 40 regardless of the beginning QB, however my curiosity in DFS codecs will hinge on who’s beginning below heart.

Tight Ends

Tyler Higbee: 5 targets per recreation isn’t what we thought we’d see from Higbee with Kupp sidelined, however that’s the function he has settled in on, and it appears unlikely to alter. Stafford was correct when throwing to Higbee (5 of 5) and inaccurate when going elsewhere (13 of 28), a degree of confidence that offers Higbee some hope.

Higbee is the third possibility in a mean offense that runs when in shut. That’s not a profile I belief, and that’s the reason I’ve him ranked exterior the highest 15 on the place.

Ought to You Begin Tutu Atwell or Garrett Wilson?

Atwell appears to be like quick and explosive in a surprisingly efficient offense, whereas Wilson … properly, the story in New York. This Jets offense is struggling to provide a lot of something, and whereas the amount of targets has been there for Wilson, they maintain so little potential that it virtually doesn’t matter.

The Rams have flashed some creativity in getting the ball into the arms of their undersized, overperforming receiver, and I see no cause to suppose that modifications this week.

Ought to You Begin Zack Moss or Rhamondre Stevenson?

Moss’ function on this Colts offense is nothing wanting elite, one thing I can’t say for the time being about Stevenson. With Richardson again, Moss’ contact depend might dip just a little bit, however I anticipate the standard of contact to enhance with defenses compelled to worry QB runs.

MORE: Fantasy Information Tracker

Stevenson has moved exterior of my “should begin” tier on the working again place, and this matchup is much from a really perfect one to get him again into my good graces.