Rams vs. Seahawks Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Thursday Night - Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Kyren Williams, Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker III

December 17, 2025

Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em lineups advice for Rams vs. Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 16 (2025). NFL matchups analysis and TNF starts/sits.

The second round of the 2025 fantasy football playoffs begins on Thursday Night Football, and we've got a great matchup to start the week. Besides the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, both being teams with a plethora of fantasy-relevant players, this game could determine who wins the NFC West and takes the top seed in the NFC playoff race. We've suffered through some stinkers on Thursday night this year, but this shouldn't be one of them.

Both teams have identical 11-3 records this season, and a head-to-head win for the Rams is the only thing separating them at the moment. If Los Angeles can win this game, they essentially lock up the division with two games to go and a one-game lead plus the tiebreaker against Seattle. There is one big piece of injury news coming from this game in Davante Adams, but the consensus is that he will not play.

I will bring you Thursday Night Football analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should be benched. Let's dive into this Week 16 Thursday night matchup for the 2025 season. You can also check out our main Week 16 start 'em, sit 'em matchups article for all other games. Good luck in your second round of the fantasy football playoffs, RotoBallers!

Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks

Thursday, December 18th, 8:15 PM ET

Notable Injuries:

• Davante Adams (WR, LAR) - Questionable - Hamstring
• Jordan Whittington (WR, LAR) - Questionable - Back
• Cody White (WR, SEA) - Questionable - Abdomen

Rams vs. Seahawks Matchup Breakdown

The biggest variable in this game is the availability of Adams due to a hamstring injury. I am approaching this analysis as if he is not playing, although coach Sean McVay has not officially ruled him out by the time of writing this piece. His likely absence contributes to such a low spread for the Rams and hinders their offense enough that bookmakers think this matchup is as close to a pick-'em as you can get.

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Presented by @OralB pic.twitter.com/WBbonX1YpE

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 16, 2025

The Rams are going to try to control the clock and win with the run game on the road in a hostile environment like Seattle. The pairing of Kyren Williams (15-78-2 TDs against the Lions) and second-Blake Corum (11-71-1 against Detroit) gives Los Angeles’s second-ranked offence a dynamic that Seattle's running backs have not been able to deliver lately. Only Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a reliable weapon for Seattle lately.

Seattle scored no touchdowns against Indianapolis on Sunday, while the Rams scored five against Detroit. Seattle's defense should be miles better than Detroit's right now, but Seattle is going to have to put many, many more points on the board than last week to compete in this one.

Must-Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Puka Nacua (WR, LAR)

Puka Nacua reached 181 receiving yards on just nine receptions this week and poured in over 23 fantasy points without even catching a touchdown. He actually left the game against Detroit for a period of time, but came back to finish because he is one of the toughest SOBs in the league. In a league-winning season, he gave a week-winning performance and is a lock for lineups, especially with Adams likely out.

Puka Nacua 9 REC, 187 YDS vs DET Today.pic.twitter.com/5J4k29v2on https://t.co/esTTm7cIWD

— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) December 15, 2025

Kyren Williams (RB, LAR)

Kyren Williams is in much more of a timeshare now with Blake Corum, but Williams is still over 50% and is still very productive every single week. He has at least 13 carries, 70 rushing yards, and a touchdown in each of the last three games. On Sunday, Williams had his second two-touchdown game of the season and looks to be a primary red zone weapon with Adams out.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, SEA)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba already has nine 100-yard receiving games on the season and more than 400 yards higher than he had last year, with still three games to play. The Rams were just torched by both Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and Smith-Njigba draws a higher target share than either of them this season.

Possible Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Matthew Stafford (QB, LAR)

Matthew Stafford threw for 368 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in Sunday's 41-34 win over the Lions.  It was the third time this season that Stafford threw more than 350 passing yards, as he continues to show why he might be the MVP this season. Even with Adams out, Stafford has plenty of weapons in a game that might be ultra-competitive.

Blake Corum (RB, LAR)

Like Kyren Williams, Blake Corum also has four touchdowns in his last three games, including 71 yards and a score against Detroit in Week 15. He is approaching a 50% snap share with Williams and is now regularly getting double-digit touches every game. Williams is still the lead back, but his lead is definitely shrinking.

Colby Parkinson (TE, LAR)

Colby Parkinson delivered his best game of the 2025 season against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He caught five of seven targets for 75 yards and two touchdowns. That puts him at six touchdowns in his last six games. A touchdown is all you need from the tight end position to make it a positive week, and Parkinson has room for a lot more with Adams likely out.

Konata Mumpfield (WR, LAR)

You may never have heard of Konata Mumpfield, but he was the next receiver up last Sunday when both Adams and Nacua left for parts of the game with various injuries. He did not catch a pass, but Mumpfield played on 44% of snaps, the most behind Adams and Nacua. Other wide receivers don't seem to be involved at all in this offense.

Sam Darnold (QB, SEA)

Sam Darnold finished with an empty 271 yards passing on Sunday, as the Seahawks beat the Colts by kicking six field goals for an 18-16 win. Darnold had three passing touchdowns in Week 14, so he hopes to get back on track in Week 16 against the Rams on Thursday night, which could help decide the division. He has been up and down, and this is a tough pass defense, so he is a borderline start in most fantasy leagues.

Sam Darnold Difficult to Trust for Rest of the Season? https://t.co/RL2ml8E2uY

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) December 17, 2025

Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet (RBs, SEA)

I'm lumping these guys together and saying that they are Flex-worthy at best right now. They are getting a lot of work for Seattle, but there is not much production to show for it. Walker was ineffective once again against a bad Colts rush defense. Zach Charbonnet had eight rushes for 31 yards and ran 16 pass routes compared to 14 routes for Walker.

Rashid Shaheed (WR, SEA)

When the Seahawks traded for him, Rashid Shaheed struggled initially with Seattle, but he has settled in nicely over his last two games with averages of 4.5 receptions and 70.5 receiving yards. This bump up in usage puts him on the map as a WR3 or a Flex option against the Rams. He is a major deep threat and will be needed if Seattle falls way behind.

A.J. Barner (TE, SEA)

The other Seattle tight end, Elijah Arroyo, is done for the rest of the regular season with a knee injury. That puts A.J. Barner on the map as a touchdown-dependent tight end with some receptions upside in Week 16.

Consider Sitting for Fantasy Football Lineups

Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell (WRs, LAR)

Even after Adams left the game on Sunday, both of these Rams' wide receivers played just 6% of snaps for the offense. The passing tree for this team revolves around two or three players, and Whittington and Atwell are currently on the outside looking in.

Terrance Ferguson (TE, LAR)

Terrance Ferguson is certainly getting the snaps lately. He had 76% played in Week 15 against the Lions. But in all that playing time, he caught one pass for six yards. Parkinson is the only real offensive force at tight end right now.

Cooper Kupp and Jake Bobo (WRs, SEA)

Jake Bobo hasn't caught a pass since Week 7. Cooper Kupp is still involved, but hasn't had more than 46 yards in his last five games. With the arrival of Shaheed, the passing game has been largely taken away from Kupp. For the first time since his arrival, Shaheed almost out-snapped Kupp in Week 15.

Kirksey’s Thursday Night Football Picks

Current Spread: LAR -1.5
Over/Under: 44.5

The Los Angeles Rams are given the slightest of edges to win this game on Thursday night despite being undermanned and on the road. While the Seahawks are tough at home and their defense is a legitimate concern, the Rams have been excellent on the road, with an 11-2 against-the-spread record in their previous 13 road contests dating back to last season

The first meeting this season between these two teams was a tight 21-19 Rams victory. So, a low-scoring affair could happen again, which leads me to believe that the team with the most playmakers will come out ahead. The team with the most playmakers is Los Angeles, and the quarterback edge clinches it. That has me leaning Los Angeles against this number and winning by a score of around 23-20.

The Pick: LAR -1.5, UNDER 44.5

2025 Overall Record (including Thanksgiving):
Spread (7-10), Over/Under (10-7)

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