X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2024 Free Agency Preview: Biggest Positional Needs For The Los Angeles Rams

matthew stafford fantasy football rankings news NFL DFS lineup picks

Rob looks at the Los Angeles Rams and looks at what kind of 2024 offseason assets they have, both financially and draft capital wise. Their top three positional needs are identified.

There may not be a top-heavier roster in the entire NFL than the Los Angeles Rams. The player with the 10th-highest cap hit is Tutu Atwell, who is scheduled to make $1.8 million. This team consists of eight veteran players and 45 (!!!) guys on rookie contracts. It's wild. The Rams go into the 2024 season with more offseason assets that they're accustomed to. They have some cash to spend, and more importantly, they have draft picks. A first-rounder, no less!

Previous divisional editions breaking down each team's 2023 season, their offseason assets, and their top-three positional needs going into the 2024 NFL season can be found here:

Considering the ages and contracts of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, and Cooper Kupp, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the Rams are aggressive this season about filling their positional holes and making one more strong push for a Super Bowl with this trio. They have the assets to do it and they've shown us they're not afraid to be aggressive. If you want to take advantage of all of our great premium tools, please use promo code "BOOM" to receive a 10% discount. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Season Review and Offseason Assets

After a 5-12 2022 season defined by injuries, the expectations were pretty low for the Rams this past season. However, they far exceeded what most felt they’d be able to accomplish. They finished 10-7 and returned to the playoffs. They lost in the first round in a hotly contested matchup against the Lions, falling 24-23 on the road.

The offense bounced back with a healthy season from Matthew Stafford, as well as breakout performances from Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua. They finished eighth in points scored and seventh in yards gained. Looking forward to 2024, this offense looks very potent with all their returning pieces.

The defense struggled a bit, finishing 19th in points allowed and 20th in yards given up. Their pass defense was the biggest issue. To make matters worse, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris left to become the head coach for the Falcons. Chris Shula has since been promoted to defensive coordinator. He has been with the Rams since 2017 and was the linebacker coach last season.

Los Angeles has just under $46 million in cap space. Stafford has a $49.5 million cap hit, which could be restructured to save additional money. That option also exists with Aaron Donald ($34.1 million cap hit) and Cooper Kupp ($29.7 million cap hit).

It’s crazy, but only six players on the Rams have a cap hit north of $9 million this upcoming season. Their biggest free agents are free safety Jordan Fuller and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon. Both of these players logged more than 1,000 snaps on defense; however, their secondary was also the biggest weakness on their team. They might not be brought back.

The Rams own the No. 19 (first-rounder), No. 52 (second-rounder), No. 83 (third-rounder), No. 100 (third-rounder), No. 153 (fifth-rounder), No. 154 (fifth-rounder), No. 177 (fifth-rounder), No. 191 (sixth-rounder), No. 212 (sixth-rounder), No. 217 (sixth-rounder), and No. 218 (sixth-rounder) overall picks in this year’s NFL Draft. This will mark the first time the Rams have a first-round pick since 2016 when they selected Jared Goff.

 

Biggest Needs

1. Cornerback

Their top cornerbacks last year were Witherspoon (2017 third-rounder, 29 years of age), Derion Kendrick (2022 sixth-rounder), Cobie Durant (2022 fourth-rounder), and Quentin Lake (2022 sixth-rounder). Witherspoon is a free agent and played 1,060 snaps. He finished with three interceptions, 14 pass deflections, and 52 tackles. Given his age, it remains to be seen if the Rams will re-sign him. Kendrick played 858 snaps, Durant played 643, and Lake played 453. Of these three returning players, only Lake had a PFF coverage grade over 61.

Kendrick finished with 11 penalties committed. Kendrick, Durant, and Lake all allowed a quarterback rating of higher than 96 when targeted. There is a ton of youth in this secondary and zero blue-chip talent. There aren’t even any players who were drafted on Day 2 of the NFL Draft (Rounds 2-3). It needs reinforcements, but specifically, it needs upper-tier talent. The Rams allowed the 13th-most passing yards and the 10th-most passing touchdowns. They finished 23rd in interceptions and interception rate.

2. Safety

Jordan Fuller and John Johnson III are both free agents. Together, these two safeties logged 1,577 snaps. They also had five interceptions, 14 pass deflections, and 136 tackles. The backup safeties are Russ Yeast (2022 seventh-rounder) and Jason Taylor II (2023 seventh-rounder). Yeast played 802 snaps this past season, while Taylor logged just 39. Yeast had a 55.1 PFF coverage grade and allowed a quarterback rating of 116.1 when targeted.

Like cornerback, this position needs an influx of talent. They’re currently looking at starting a second- and third-year player out of the seventh round. While it’s understandable that Yeast struggled in just his second season, the Rams need to fortify this position with some more talent to improve their pass defense.

3. Interior Offensive Line

There is a strong argument for a pass-rusher here. The Rams finished 22nd in hurries, 21st in quarterback hits, 24th in sacks, 22nd in pressures, and 25th in pressure rate. However, they had Kobie Turner and Byron Young, both rookies in 2023, finish with 50 pressures and 17 sacks. Combining these two bright, young talents with Donald should give them a solid pass rush in 2024, assuming Turner and Young continue to improve. That should be the expectation after the season they just had.

Pass-rusher is still a position they should target, but it’s not a top-three need despite how bad some of their team pass-rushing metrics look.

Tight end is another need position. Tyler Higbee is 31 years old and suffered a torn ACL late in the season. He likely won’t be available for most of the 2024 season. That leaves their tight end depth chart to Hunter Long (2021 third-rounder with a total of one catch for eight yards) and Davis Allen (2023 fifth-rounder). Despite those clear needs, we’re going to focus on the interior of their offensive line.

Coleman Shelton and Kevin Dotson started 31 games combined at center and guard, respectively. In total, the two of these offensive linemen played 1,996 snaps. Both of them are free agents and there are no real replacement options on the roster. The Rams will need to re-sign them or find two starting offensive linemen. The problem is Shelton will be 29 and Dotson will be 28 and neither are great talents. Maybe they opt to bring one back for consistency. However, with Stafford being 36 years old, they must continue to give him good protection.

4. Other Positions of Need: Pass-Rusher, Tight End

 

As a reminder, please use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for 10% off any premium purchase.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Uchenna Nwosu

Seahawks Place Uchenna Nwosu on PUP List
Taylor Decker

Alim McNeill, Taylor Decker Placed on PUP List
Tyrion Davis-Price

Titans Waive Tyrion Davis-Price
Tre Harris

Chargers Relying on Tre Harris to Be Starting X Receiver
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Micah Parsons

Will Become Highest-Paid Non-QB
MarShawn Lloyd

Vying for RB2 Role
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith Finds End Zone in First Training Camp Practice
Tyler Shough

Pushing for Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal
Ar'Darius Washington

Goes on PUP List
Lamar Jackson

to be Even Better in 2025?
Tre Harris

Agrees to Terms on Rookie Deal
Justin Herbert

Off to Good Start at Training Camp
Jameson Williams

Earning Rave Reviews from Lions Coaches
Christian Mahogany

Expected to Start for Lions
Zach Allen

an Extension Candidate in Denver?
Zaire Franklin

May Miss Start of Training Camp
Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard Returning to Portland
Mason Taylor

to Play "Crucial" Role in Jets' Offense
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
T.J. Watt

Once Again Becomes Highest-Paid Non-QB
RJ Harvey

Reaches Agreement on Four-Year Rookie Contract
Rashee Rice

Chiefs Believe Rashee Rice Will Receive Two- to Four-Game Suspension
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF