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Welcome back RotoBallers to Week 4 and our Monday Night Football matchups analysis! It's been an exciting Week 4 of NFL and fantasy football action, filled with plenty of booms, busts, and injuries, and now we get one more game on Monday night to finish it off.
Below you will find our matchups analysis for the Monday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
Read our fantasy football breakdowns for these games -- the recommended starts, sits, and matchups we love heading into the Week 4 matchups. Good luck RotoBallers!
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Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers - 8:15 pm ET
Spread: 49ers -1.5
Implied Total: Rams (20.75) vs. 49ers (22.25)
Pace: Rams (20th) vs. 49ers (29th)
Rams Off. DVOA: 5.2% Pass (16th), -3.2% Rush (14th)
49ers Off. DVOA: 3.9% Pass (19th), -16.2% Rush (20th)
Rams Def. DVOA: 16.4% Pass (22nd), -30.6% Rush (4th)
49ers Def. DVOA: -24.7% Pass (5th), -32.6% Rush (3rd)
Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Monday Night Football
Matchups We Love:
George Kittle (TE, SF)
Kittle played 91% of snaps in his season debut, commanding five targets. With a full week of practice, he should be able to produce with a higher target share. Additionally, Los Angeles has given up some big performances to the opposing team's best receiving options, evidenced by their 22nd rank pass DOVA. He's a top-10 tight end in this matchup.
Matchups We Hate:
Cam Akers (RB, LAR)
Akers took another step towards a workhorse role, accounting for 12 of the 16 (75%) running back carries, and also found the end zone. It's very possible he's still regaining his explosiveness and comfort on the NFL field, which would mean he'll continue to get stronger and more productive each week. He'll need a full complement of work in this one to have a big day because the 49ers are a difficult matchup. He's a top-30 back with upside if he finds the end zone.
Darrell Henderson (RB, LAR)
Henderson is still taking away carries from Akers but seems to be losing his grip on the timeshare. Henderson is best viewed as a player relegated to being a backup whose value lies with an injury to the starter.
Jeff Wilson Jr. (RB, SF)
Wilson Jr. is clearly the lead back but still has to contend with Deebo Samuel in the backfield. He was over 100 scrimmage yards again last week with 12 carries and three receptions. Los Angeles has an elite rush defense with the third-highest DVOA and third-fewest fantasy points allowed to running backs. He receives enough volume to keep him inside the top-30 despite the matchup.
Matthew Stafford (QB, LAR)
Stafford was unable to exploit the Arizona pass defense, throwing for only 249 yards with no touchdowns. Given their vulnerable secondary, this is a disappointing result. He stays in the division but goes to one of the league's most difficult matchups in San Francisco. The 49ers have the fifth-highest pass DVOA and have allowed the second-fewest fantasy point to quarterbacks. Stafford to fall outside the top-12 in this challenging matchup.
Other Matchups:
Cooper Kupp (WR, LAR)
Kupp had a strange performance, doing his damage on a 20-yard touchdown run while being limited to only four catches for 44 yards. The final result was okay but the usage was problematic. We have way too much of a sample size to react to this as anything more than an outlier performance for one of the best wideouts in the NFL. As referenced above, the matchup is a tough one but Kupp is too good to bench or even fade.
Deebo Samuel (WR, SF)
Samuel has yet to produce the type of blowup game he would frequently have in 2021. We could point to Trey Lance for the first week and a half but Jimmy Garoppolo returned as the starter part way through Week 2. We could also reference the difficult matchup against Denver last week, which may hold true. Nonetheless, this will be an opportunity for Samuel to bounce back with a big game against a beatable Rams defense. His hybrid role keeps him inside the top-15.
Brandon Aiyuk (WR, SF)
Aiyuk received eight targets against the Broncos, tying Samuel for the most in that game. It was Kittle's first game back so it's hard to assess how much work he'll receive moving forward, given that Kittle is expected to be the No. 2 option in the offense. The Rams have given up the most fantasy points to the receiver position, keeping Aiyuk in play as a top-36 receiver.
Tyler Higbee (TE, LAR)
Higbee produced another satisfactory game with four grabs for 61 yards. He's averaging five receptions per game, which is very impressive for a tight end. Despite a difficult matchup, the scarcity of quality options at the position pushes him inside the top-12.
Key Injuries:
Van Jefferson (knee)
Elijah Mitchell (knee)
Tyrion Davis-Price (ankle)
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