Chris Gimino recommended stashing Blake Corum in Round 17 as an anti-fragile play tied to Kyren Williams’ heavy workload. After watching Sean McVay funnel every meaningful touch to Williams last year, Gimino conceded Corum’s 2023 redraft hype flopped, but he now sees the Michigan rookie as a pure contingent bet that costs almost nothing. If Williams misses time, the weekly DFS-style projection for Corum would be "very, very productive" thanks to his 214-pound frame, three-down versatility and the Rams’ indoor-heavy schedule. Gimino urged drafters building RB-light best-ball rosters to ignore Corum’s floor, focus on how a Williams injury could turn the pick into a league-winner, and accept that McVay’s backfield surprises make late-round darts mandatory in this offense.

Steph Miller argued Blake Corum remains fully draftable near pick 195 even though he projects for minimal work behind Kyren Williams out of the gate. She admitted Corum is "mostly an injury-dependent bet" but thinks the thesis is worth it: if Williams’ chronic foot issues flare up again, Sean McVay would lean on Corum’s proven three-down profile— he averaged 5.6 yards per carry and caught 35 passes last year at Michigan. Steph compared the pick to Will Shipley as a pure contingency play but prefers Corum because the Rams quietly upgraded run blocking by adding Jackson Powers-Johnson and Christian Haynes. With Los Angeles expected to rank top-12 in red-zone snaps, Corum could stumble into double-digit TD upside for the final month if the depth chart breaks his way.

Evan Abrams advised steering clear of the Rams’ double-digit win total and instead attacking alternate markets that better match the team’s realistic range of outcomes. He called Los Angeles “one of the best backup situations in the league” (a nod to Carson Wentz behind the oft-injured Matthew Stafford) and noted Sean McVay routinely squeezes more wins out of limited rosters, evidenced by a 62% record in one-score games. Abrams projects roughly an 8–9 finish and likes two ways to monetize it: (1) bet YES on the Rams to earn a wild-card berth at roughly +160, and (2) buy exact-win bands of 7, 8, or 9 victories that many books price between +450 and +600. Those approaches let bettors capture McVay’s ceiling while still respecting Abrams’s own macro study—first-time double-digit win totals cash the over only 38% of the time—without having to thread the needle to 11-6.

Evan Abrams recommended going under or passing on the Rams’ new 10-win number, pointing to his long-running study that first-time double-digit totals cash the over only 38% of the time (35-57-4 since 1990). Los Angeles overshot its 2023 Pythagorean expectation by two wins and now faces a schedule that closes with four road games in its final six contests. Abrams likes the Puna Ford signing but still grades the linebacker, corner and safety rooms as sub-par, meaning the defense’s top-five front could be wasted if the back half springs leaks. Add in a brutal NFC West gauntlet revitalized by healthier Niners and an improving Cardinals roster, and Abrams sees little margin for Sean McVay to get to 11-6. The betting plan: under 10 at plus money, nibble alt-unders, or play "miss playoffs" props rather than trusting another McVay magic act.

Chris Raybon said the smartest way to attack the Rams is with a Super Bowl future, not the win-total or division line. He pointed out that eight straight Super Bowls have featured some combination of Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Tom Brady, the Chiefs, the Eagles, or the one-off Bengals run—so history already likes the Rams’ coaching/QB combo. Raybon’s raw numbers spit out 9.8 wins against a 9.7 market but he argued the ceiling is much higher than that median because: • Matthew Stafford looked shockingly spry down the stretch (even outdoors in Philly) and still ranked top-10 in EPA per play when kept clean. • A potential Devante Adams addition would give McVay his best X-receiver since prime Cooper Kupp, and Stafford has always thrived with perimeter alphas. • Sneaky depth moves—Poona Ford on the interior, Nate Landman at linebacker, Tyrique “T-Farg” Ferguson as an edge rotational piece—plug the roster’s biggest holes without eating cap. • The front office keeps nailing middle-round picks, allowing L.A. to survive the occasional miss and paper-thin draft capital. Raybon conceded the red flags: an average-to-hard schedule (toughest in the NFC West), serious depth issues if injuries pile up, and a still-suspect secondary. Even so, he believes McVay/Stafford plus top-10 offensive efficiency provides a path to another NFC title in a conference bereft of juggernauts. At 25-1 to 30-1 in most shops he called a half-unit Super Bowl sprinkle his preferred way to get exposure while bypassing the razor-sharp win total.

Eric Polzin advised hammering Blake Corum around pick 190 as the clear handcuff to Kyren Williams. He noted Corum’s ADP is 70 spots cheaper than the rookie-hype cost from last year (122) even though the depth chart is cleaner. Polzin is confident Sean McVay will lean on the second-year back— not rookie Donavyn Hunter— if Williams misses time after two seasons of heavy usage. Corum’s late-season 2024 snap increase was encouraging, and Polzin already has him in 33 % of drafts versus 31 % Williams exposure, giving himself high-ceiling contingencies without sacrificing price-adjusted value.

Polzin called Jordan Whittington the perfect final-round pick to handcuff Puka Nacua and Davante Adams in best-ball drafts. Whittington flashed Puka-like traits in 2024 preseason and handled 97 % of snaps in Week 4, turning eight targets into 6-62-0. He followed with a 10-7-89 line on 71 snaps in Week 5 when the Rams were thin at receiver. That two-game sample produced 12.2 and 15.9 PPR points. With Adams aging and Nacua already nicked up last year, Polzin expects at least three viable spike weeks from Whittington if either starter misses time, making him a cheap injury-contingent lottery ticket.

Greg Brainos advised passing on rookie Blake Corum until the very last rounds, arguing Corum needs a Kyren Williams injury just to have startable weeks. Brainos reiterated that Sean McVay was deliberate in drafting Jarquez Hunter to be the change-of-pace back, leaving Williams entrenched for 70-plus percent of touches when healthy. Even if Hunter were to miss time, Brainos thinks the Rams would revert to last year’s Williams-centric approach rather than feature Corum. Because Kyren’s three-down skill set and pass-pro reliability overlap with Corum’s, Brainos doesn’t see a realistic path to weekly volume short of an extended Williams absence. He is therefore fading Corum’s 16th-round ADP, preferring higher-leverage handcuffs in the same range.

Greg Brainos said Tutu Atwell is an easy late-round buy after combing through the newest quotes in his Coach Speak Index feed. Rams OC Mike LaFleur called Atwell’s “elite speed” a trait they want to feature and noted the 5-foot-9 burner would see the “most opportunities he’s ever had.” Brainos emphasized that Los Angeles backed those words with money, handing Atwell an unexpected second-contract guarantee even after trading for Davante Adams and letting Cooper Kupp walk. Because LaFleur’s offense already finished 8th in three-WR rate last season and Brainos expects similar usage, he projects Atwell to be the full-time field-stretcher with weekly spike-week potential. At a final-round ADP, Brainos views the combination of positive coach rhetoric, a new contract and an open WR3 job as the exact cocktail that fuels massive CLV in best-ball tournaments.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound said Jarquez Hunter is the right kind of final-round dart for BBM6 rosters that already lean on Kyren Williams. Pat noted that Kyren logged the league’s second-highest touch share over the final eight weeks of 2023 and already dealt with three separate ankle and hip issues in that stretch. Sean McVay specifically mentioned Hunter as a "change-of-pace hammer" after the draft, and the rookie’s 37% missed-tackle rate at Auburn would add a power element the Rams currently lack. If Kyren’s workload finally catches up to him in December, Pat expects Hunter to step into 15-plus carries in Weeks 15–17—the money weeks for Best Ball Mania—making him a cheap path to Rams correlation with Puka Nacua and Matthew Stafford stacks.

Steve Palazzolo framed the Rams as a live playoff and Super Bowl sleeper for 2024 betting markets, citing a quietly excellent offseason. Los Angeles retained Matthew Stafford—avoiding a teardown—and re-signed sought-after LT Alaric Jackson, then added Davante Adams as a true WR1 alongside Puka Nakua. Palazzolo highlighted the recent youth movement that already uncovered stars such as Kyren Williams and Kobe Turner and was bolstered by high-upside rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fisk plus run-stuffer Puna Ford. With Stafford healthy, Aaron Donald anchoring the defense, and McVay’s offense re-stocked, Palazzolo believes the Rams "should be looking at the playoffs and thinking we can go on a run" for one last ring before Stafford retires. Bettors looking for NFC West or Super Bowl futures value should consider Los Angeles before odds shorten during camp.

Sam Monson said Davante Adams should be treated as a top-tier fantasy receiver because the Rams effectively upgraded from Cooper Kupp to Adams this offseason. Monson argued that Adams "can still 100 percent play" while he is "less sure" Kupp can maintain impact production after multiple injuries and an obvious athletic decline. By settling Matthew Stafford’s contract first, Los Angeles ensured Adams will be paired with a proven quarterback who just supported breakout years from Puka Nakua and Kyren Williams. In Sean McVay’s pass-heavy system—where Kupp averaged 10.1 targets per game during his peak—Monson expects Adams to command a similar double-digit target share and remain an every-week DFS and season-long WR1. Fantasy managers should prioritize Adams over Kupp in drafts and be comfortable paying up for him in early-season DFS contests.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound explained that drafting Matthew Stafford as an uncorrelated third quarterback is a sharp way to juice advance equity in single-entry tournaments. Stafford costs almost nothing, carries "a very low bench risk," and gives you weekly 300-yard, multi-TD upside independent of stacking partners, which Pat values when you have already built out correlated Goff and Herbert stacks. By grabbing Stafford late, drafters can cover a potential injury or dud from their primary duo without sacrificing roster spots needed for high-ceiling one-off skill players.

Josh Norris recommended scooping up Tutu Atwell in the 17th–18th rounds, noting that Sean McVay and new OC Mike LaFleur have both hyped Atwell’s camp performance and clarified his niche as the offense’s designated lid-lifter. Atwell carved out a defined deep-threat role last year, posting four separate games of 18-plus PPR points thanks to schemed verticals and play-action bombs. With the Rams maintaining one of the league’s highest play-action rates and Matthew Stafford still willing to launch, Norris believes Atwell supplies exactly the kind of boom-bust profile that pays off best-ball ADPs in the late rounds.

Peter Overzet said he purposely bypassed the chalky Puka Nacua + Davante Adams turn pairing because, in his words, “so many people are going to be doubling Puka with Davante.” Instead, he grabbed Kyren Williams to keep the Rams correlation while creating a far less duplicated roster construction in Best Ball Mania. Overzet noted that stacking Williams with Nacua lets drafters circle back later for a cheap Matthew Stafford or Rams tight end, producing a full-team stack that very few opponents will replicate at those ADPs. The underlying idea is simple: the Kyren pivot captures any game-breaking Rams offensive spike weeks without sharing a roster combo that thousands of other entries will have at the top of their draft boards.

Greg Brainos cautioned drafters against leaning on Tyler Higbee for late-season production. Brainos noted repeated comments from GM Les Snead and beat writers calling third-round rookie Terrance Ferguson the "heir apparent" and a future mismatch piece that Sean McVay has been chasing since the Rams tried to trade up for Brock Bowers. The staff has already hinted at more 12-personnel looks, which would keep Ferguson running routes while Higbee is asked to stay in and block—something that happened two years ago when Cooper Kupp was pulled for better run-blocking wideouts. Brainos is fine sprinkling Higbee in season-long projection contests, but in Best Ball Mania he wants playoff upside and fears Ferguson will overtake the high-mileage veteran by Weeks 15-17. He prefers taking Ferguson 40–50 picks later for the higher ceiling.

Justin Herzig said the most likely outcome is Kyren Williams keeps the Rams starting job all year because Sean McVay trusts him, but he warned drafters that Williams is overpriced in Best Ball Mania. Williams’ fantasy value is almost entirely tied to an 80-85% snap share and short-yardage work; Herzig does not believe the Notre Dame product has the athleticism or efficiency to deliver a top-5 season even if he holds that role. Meanwhile the Rams have invested consecutive fourth-round picks in running backs Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter. Herzig highlighted Hunter’s explosiveness and predicted the rookie could steal full drives or a change-of-pace role, instantly chopping Williams’ workload. Because any dip in volume would crater Williams’ payoff and his ceiling is already limited, Herzig advised passing on him at current ADP and targeting backs with more upside in the same range.

Pat Kerrane noted that Tyler Warren’s ADP has finally corrected to a point where he is comfortable adding him—so long as the Penn State rookie falls behind Isaiah Likely and Dallas Goddard. Warren often drifts five or more spots past his Underdog average, and Kerrane likes scooping those slips, especially on DraftKings where stacks with Anthony Richardson come at an even steeper discount. He cautioned that Warren is still a luxury pick rather than a tight-end anchor, but in builds that already locked up an elite option he views Warren’s athleticism and potential route share as ideal late-round juice.

Ferrall agreed with the Verse buzz but made him his primary Defensive Player of the Year wager. He argued that Jalen Carter constantly draws double and triple teams, whereas Verse is often left one-on-one and can ‘roam free and cause damage.’ Ferrall thinks that lack of attention coupled with Verse’s freakish athleticism creates a clear path to eye-popping sack numbers. At +2200 he views the edge rusher as the best value on the board.

Caplan identified Rams edge rusher Jared Verse as a ‘great sleeper, dark horse’ for Defensive Player of the Year at +2200. After a terrific rookie campaign, Caplan expects Verse to take a second-year leap and believes Raheem Morris’ attack-minded scheme can unlock double-digit sacks. The 22-to-1 price gives bettors ample upside on a young pass-rusher who will generate plenty of highlight-reel plays if the projection hits.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound recommended mixing in rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson as a final-round flier. He expects Sean McVay to lean on more 12-personnel packages alongside veteran Tyler Higbee, creating 30-plus routes per game down the stretch if Ferguson proves competent as an in-line blocker. Pat noted the payoff could be massive in Weeks 16-17: the Rams draw the Jets and then a potential shoot-out with the Chargers, both secondaries that struggled to cover athletic TEs in 2023. If Higbee’s knee flares up—he missed time in each of the last four seasons—Ferguson would vault to full-time usage in an offense that ranked top-10 in red-zone pass rate inside the 10. Because almost no one drafts him before Round 18, Pat views Ferguson as free leverage on the popular Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams stacks while still providing a viable Week-17 bring-back for Chargers builds.

Ryan Noonan flagged Matthew Stafford at 50-1 (40-1 elsewhere) as his favorite deep-board MVP ticket. Noonan expects the Rams to be a double-digit-win playoff team if Stafford stays healthy, noting that Sean McVay’s offense finished sixth in pass rate over expectation after Week 8 and returns every starting lineman. With Cooper Kupp gone, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams give Stafford two alpha-level targets capable of gaudy box scores that voters notice. Noonan conceded the lack of rushing upside compared to Mahomes or Lamar but argued that if the top tier posts merely solid seasons—or misses games—voters could reward the 36-year-old for a 5,000-yard, 35-TD narrative of renaissance on a surprise contender. He urged bettors to lock in the stray 50-1 before it disappears in summer news cycles.

Pat Mayo highlighted Puka Nacua at 20-1 for OPOY, noting that with Cooper Kupp gone and only Davante Adams drawing true defensive attention, Nacua could flirt with league-leading volume. Mayo pointed to Nacua’s rookie-year 148 targets—third-most ever for a first-year wideout—and argued a modest 10 % bump puts him in the 160-plus range voters gravitate toward. He added that Matthew Stafford’s 68 % catchable-ball rate to Nacua was already top-six among QB/WR pairings and that Sean McVay’s motion-heavy scheme manufactures YAC opportunities—critical for splash-play highlight reels. Mayo acknowledged Nacua’s physical, “Anthony Davis” playing style scares people but said durability discount is already baked into 20-1; if he logs 16 games on a Rams team that sneaks to 10 wins, the number will be single digits by Thanksgiving.

Ryan Noonan said Jared Verse is a screaming buy at 25-1 for Defensive Player of the Year because every underlying number screams double-digit sacks are coming. PFF’s expected–sack model had Verse at 10.0 last season, yet he finished with just 4.5; that 5.5-sack gap was the second-largest negative differential in the league. Verse still piled up 18 quarterback hits and drew constant double-teams on a Rams front that now adds veteran interior help to keep centers honest. Noonan argued that if Verse simply runs back the same pressure rate on a playoff-caliber defense and luck swings even a little his way, 15-plus sacks are in play—exactly the profile that has won six of the last seven DPOY trophies. He thinks the rookie should be priced in the 12-to-1 tier with the Hutchinson/Parsons crowd, so grabbing 25-1 is massive closing-line value before summer hype closes the gap.

Greg Brainos said Jordan Whittington is one of his favorite last-round swing picks because he functions as direct insurance for Puka Nacua. Brainos noted that Nacua’s ultra-physical style – “plays almost reckless, does not care about giving up his body” – has already led to multiple missed games stretching back to his BYU days and into his rookie season. Whittington’s skill set mirrors Nacua’s as a tough, over-the-middle chain mover, so Brainos believes Sean McVay would slide the rookie right into the same high-volume slot/Z role if Nacua’s durability issues resurface. For drafters who are overweight on Puka shares in Best Ball Mania, tacking on Whittington in the final rounds provides a cheap, correlated outsized payoff path without burning meaningful draft capital.

Greg Brainos cautioned that while Kyren Williams remains atop the Rams depth chart, drafters should expect closer to a 70 % snap share instead of last year’s 90 % workhorse usage. He is monitoring Sean McVay’s upcoming press conferences because GM Les Snead’s recent comments differed markedly from last summer’s full-steam endorsement, hinting at a more committee-friendly approach. Williams already ranked 41st out of 49 qualified backs in rush yards over expectation per attempt, so even a modest workload haircut would push him into touchdown-dependent territory. Brainos recommended tempering expectations at Williams’s current late-third ADP until Los Angeles clarifies its backfield plans.

Greg Brainos framed Jordan Whittington as a perfect final-round parachute for managers who already have heavy exposure to Puka Nacua. Brainos reminded listeners that Nacua’s bruising, after-contact style invites more injury volatility than the typical boundary wideout. If Nacua misses time, Brainos expects the rookie Whittington—who ran 59% of his college routes from the slot and posted a 73% catch rate at Texas—to inherit the high-percentage, middle-of-the-field snaps that power Sean McVay’s offense. Unlike Tutu Atwell, Whittington has the bulk (6-1, 205) to survive underneath traffic and can replicate the quick-hitting RPO glance concepts the Rams spammed for Nacua last year. Because he is almost never drafted before the final two rounds, Brainos views Whittington as a cheap insurance policy that lets best-ball drafters diversify without abandoning Nacua’s elite ceiling.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound called Matthew Stafford "one of the best values at quarterback this year," pointing out that he routinely lasts to pick 160 in Underdog rooms. Pat lumps Stafford with Geno Smith as the only late pocket passers who still offer 30-point upside thanks to elite pass-catchers (Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua) and a pass-centric Sean McVay scheme. Pat prefers locking in Stafford as a second QB behind an early elite option or—when the room cooperates—pairing him with a cheap Rams bring-back such as rookie tight end Terrence Ferguson to create inexpensive correlation. In his view, landing Stafford five rounds after the Anthony Richardson tier lets drafters hammer RB and WR depth without sacrificing ceiling at the onesie position.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound grabbed his first share of Tyler Higbee in the late rounds, calling it a no-brainer because it completed a double stack with Matthew Stafford and created a Week-16 bring-back versus Zach Charbonnet’s Seahawks. Higbee’s bye week fits cleanly with Pat’s Caleb Williams/J.J. McCarthy/Stafford three-QB build, and the veteran tight end still ran a route on 78 % of Stafford drop-backs last year. Pat likes the fact that Higbee plays indoors in the fantasy semifinals (SoFi Stadium) and expects the Rams-Lions Week-17 tilt to be one of the highest-total games on the slate. At a sub-200 ADP, he sees Higbee as inexpensive, correlated exposure to a passing game that finished top-10 in red-zone pass rate, making him a perfect third tight end in triple-onsie builds.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound advised steering clear of Tutu Atwell in Eliminator drafts, noting that the receiver "just couldn’t get on the field last year," which is a huge red flag in a format that treats Weeks 1-3 as life-or-death. Despite Atwell securing a new contract, Pat said he never flashed the ability to command snaps or targets in 2023 and still sits behind Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp for perimeter and slot duties. Because dead weeks are punished immediately—six of twelve teams advance out of the opening pod—Pat wants receivers with guaranteed routes instead of hoping Atwell suddenly earns a role. In his view, paying any price for Atwell is courting early zeros that can torpedo an otherwise good roster.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound said Matthew Stafford is the perfect panic QB2 to tack on after spending big capital on an elite starter like Jalen Hurts. Stafford is currently going in the same draft pocket as far riskier names such as Sam Darnold and Bryce Young, yet he carries almost no bench risk because Sean McVay still lets him air it out 35-plus times whenever he is healthy. Pat argued that Eliminator drafters cannot afford a zero at quarterback during any of the head-to-head coin-flip rounds, so anchoring Hurts teams with Stafford’s bankable 16-20 weekly points materially boosts advance probability. He reminded listeners that the last time Stafford logged at least 15 games he cleared 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns, giving Hurts rosters true spike-week upside if the Eagles draw a brutal matchup. Because the Rams passer costs only a double-digit pick, Pat views him as cheap roster insurance and called the Hurts–Staffy combo "very sharp" for back-to-front roster construction.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound labeled Matthew Stafford a "good advance-rate click" after watching him slide more than 15 picks past his 154 ADP in Eliminator drafts. Vegas has already posted a 24.5-touchdown prop for Stafford; Pat noted that in every season he’s played at least 15 games under Sean McVay he has thrown 30-plus scores and averaged 4,439 yards. With both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp healthy and the Rams ranking 10th in offensive DVOA over the final eight weeks of 2023, Pat sees a clear path to low-end QB1 production. He argued Stafford would be drafted near rookie J.J. McCarthy if age bias were stripped away, calling any line close to 24.5 TDs "a gift." Because Eliminator rewards weekly stability as much as Week-17 upside, Pat is happy to roster Stafford as a standalone QB2 or QB3, expecting him to outproduce cost and single-handedly win a coin-flip round when he spikes for 300 yards and three scores.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound warned drafters to stay away from Kyren Williams in Underdog’s Eliminator rooms. He said, “You don’t want Kyron… he’s going to get replaced by Jarrez,” predicting rookie Jarvez (Jarrez) will steal the early-down role before mid-season. Pat added that Williams’ Week-8 bye is part of the heaviest bye slate of the year; losing your top back that week could be fatal because Eliminator entries face head-to-head cuts every round. Given both the looming competition and the brutal bye, Pat believes spending any pick on Williams is courting a zero in a format where a single dud can sink the roster.

Mike Wright said he would take Kyren Williams straight up over a package of Tyreek Hill and a 2027 1st if Los Angeles finalizes the multi-year extension currently being negotiated. Wright argued that dynasty managers should buy Williams now—before an announcement makes the price skyrocket—because a three-to-four-year guarantee would insulate him from the usual running-back cliff. He reminded listeners that Williams actually saw MORE snaps after the Rams spent a Day-2 pick on Blake Corum and that Jarvez and other depth names never threatened his workhorse role. Williams already averages 19.6 touches and 4.9 high-value touches per game, numbers Wright expects to hold in Sean McVay’s inside-zone heavy scheme. By contrast, Tyreek Hill just turned 31, posted a "massive dip" in per-game scoring last season and, according to Wright, is unlikely to bounce back to age-27 levels in a Miami offense that asked Tua to spread targets underneath. The takeaway: ship the aging wideout and a distant pick for a back entering his prime before the contract makes that move impossible.

Pete Overzet said he is struggling to click Kyren Williams at his current third-round Best Ball Mania cost because the bet is "basically all volume and trust." Williams posted exactly 0.0 rush yards over expected per carry last season, so every fantasy point came from McVay feeding him touches and using him as a pass-pro specialist near the goal line. While that coaching trust does create a moat, Overzet noted the Rams intentionally drafted a different archetype in rookie Jarquess Hunter—an explosive runner instead of another Williams clone—signaling they want juice, not just reliability. If beat writers start describing Hunter as a weapon who forces a rotation, Williams’ ADP could slide toward the Joe Mixon/Chuba Hubbard tier a full round later, which is where Overzet would feel comfortable taking him. Until then he would rather grab higher-upside backs like Omarion Hampton in the fourth and settle for about 8 percent exposure to Williams instead of matching market weight.

Erik Beimfohr planted his flag on Jarquez Hunter as the no-brainer final-round swing, calling it “highway robbery” to land Kyren Williams’ presumed understudy at pick 212. The Rams spent a third-rounder on the 5’10", 210-pound Auburn dynamo, and both Sean McVay and GM Les Snead have gushed about Hunter’s body-builder frame and three-down skill set. Beimfohr now has Hunter penciled in ahead of Blake Corum—who goes 100 picks earlier—for the RB2 role. That contingency value is enormous: Williams missed chunks of college and has already battled foot and hip issues, yet carried a 77 % snap rate when healthy. If Williams tweaks something, the true backup in McVay’s offense projects for 15-plus touches in a unit that ranked top-10 in red-zone trips last year. Even without an injury, Beimfohr thinks Hunter could siphon high-leverage goal-line work and carve out weekly flex usability. Given day-two draft capital, glowing coach quotes, and a dirt-cheap ADP, he is stuffing Hunter into every late Best Ball roster.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound believes Matthew Stafford is "too cheap for what he is" after the Rams added Davante Adams and pass-catching tight end Terrance Ferguson. Stafford already finished top-7 in EPA per dropback when both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were healthy last year, and the expanded weapon set only raises his weekly ceiling. Pat is grabbing Stafford whenever he drifts past pick 160 and pairs him with last-round 2-2 Atwell, noting that two Atwell spike weeks are all a BBM roster needs from its WR8.

Tyler Sullivan said Davante Adams is set up for a spike season after being dealt to the Rams. Sullivan noted Adams still cleared 1,000 yards in his final 14 games with the Jets despite shaky quarterback play, then emphasized the upgrade to Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay’s timing-based passing game. The analyst expects Adams’ route-running to mesh perfectly with McVay’s heavy use of option routes and layered concepts, forecasting a return to 150-plus targets and a ceiling beyond last year’s 1,100 yards/8 TD line. Sullivan also pointed out that defensive attention will be split with Puka Nacua, whom he already ranks as a top-five NFL wideout, forcing opponents into more two-high shells that Adams has historically shredded. He framed Adams as a priority Season-Long target and a weekly DFS cash-game staple in 2025.

Davis Mattek endorsed Tyler Higbee as a sneaky Eliminator tight end, arguing his weekly 5-for-50 floor crushes the 3-point ‘hope and pray’ outputs you get from Round-18 punts like Cole Kmet or Dawson Knox. Mattek pointed to Higbee’s 16% target rate in games where Cooper Kupp was hobbled and said the Rams’ shallow receiver depth behind Puka Nacua virtually guarantees 5-7 looks every week. That steady diet of short receptions is far more valuable in a format where advancing requires beating live opponents rather than accumulating season-long points. With most drafts obsessed with upside swings, Mattek is happy to click Higbee as his TE2/TE3, locking in safe points while the field chases long-shot breakout profiles.

Hayden Winks said Jarquez “Dracos” Hunter is exactly the type of home-run swing you want at the back of Best Ball Mania drafts. The Rams specifically targeted Hunter’s 4.4 speed after admitting their 2023 backfield generated zero explosive runs, and McVay has a long history of carving out change-of-pace roles for play-makers (think rookie Cam Akers down the stretch in 2020). Winks expects Hunter to see immediate schemed touches and has an open-ended ceiling if Kyren Williams’ fumbling issues persist. Because Hunter and fellow rookie Blake Corum suppress each other’s ADP—both regularly available after pick 195—drafters can cheaply bet on one winning the job without burning meaningful capital. Winks projects a scenario where Hunter pushes for 8–10 touches early and potentially seizes a 15-plus carry role by fantasy playoff weeks, giving him far more league-winning juice than the veteran backs usually drafted in that pocket.

Sam Monson predicted that undrafted free agent Willie Lampkin could seize the Rams’ starting center gig within the next 12 months. Monson stressed that Los Angeles has “no real depth” at the position and praised Lampkin’s impressive tape, quick feet, and leverage despite an undersized frame and poor testing numbers. He argued that if the coaching staff gives Lampkin a legitimate shot instead of relegating him to a camp-body fullback role, the rookie’s skill set should win out. A Lampkin promotion would stabilize a shaky interior line, improving pass protection for Matthew Stafford and opening cleaner rushing lanes for Kyren Williams—factors Monson believes fantasy drafters and bettors should monitor closely.

Steve Palazzolo said dynasty managers should pump the brakes on rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson after the Rams took him at pick 46. Palazzolo highlighted Ferguson’s eighth-percentile contested-catch rate and pointed out that Oregon had to scheme easy screen looks to unlock his athleticism. He questioned Ferguson’s reliability in traffic and noted the rookie is not an inline blocker, labeling him more of a movable H-back type. While Sean McVay compared Ferguson to former Washington hybrid Chris Cooley and likely has a specific role in mind, Palazzolo doubts Ferguson will command fantasy-relevant volume in 2024 with Tyler Higbee still under contract. Long-term upside exists, but Palazzolo advised treating Ferguson as a speculative taxi-squad stash rather than an immediate contributor.

Hayden Winks recommended stashing rookie Blake Corum in the 18th-round range as the clean contingency bet behind Kyren Williams. Winks believes the Rams’ selection of Jarquez Hunter was more of an admission that the backfield lacked explosiveness than an indictment of Corum’s three-down profile. Williams’ efficiency cratered in 2023 (sub-4.0 YPC) and he led all running backs with six fumbles, so a genuine training-camp competition is coming. Corum could win early-down work outright while still retaining every-down upside if Williams misses time. Because both Rams rookies hover around pick 190, Winks views Corum as cheap “two-for-one” upside that lets Best Ball drafters fade the fragile RB4/5 tier and still capture a potential mid-season starter tied to Sean McVay’s top-10 red-zone offense.

Hayden Winks warned that Kyren Williams is far shakier than drafters think because rookie Jarquez “Dracos” Hunter brings the home-run speed Sean McVay’s offense currently lacks. Winks conceded Williams is already a team captain and profiles similarly to Rico Dowdle–type depth backs who rarely threaten starters, but he argued Hunter’s legit 4.4 wheels change the calculus. If the Rams’ staff decides they simply need more explosive plays and Hunter starts ripping chunk gains in camp, Williams’ every-down workload could evaporate in a hurry – something Winks is not worried about in backfields like Carolina where the backups are clearly worse than Chuba Hubbard. The possibility of an in-season role flip makes Williams a fragile fourth-round bet in Best Ball Mania drafts, so Winks is dialing back exposure until it’s clear Hunter will not siphon early-down touches.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound highlighted Matthew Stafford as one of the most mis-priced quarterbacks after the switch from 20-round to 18-round drafts pushed middle-tier passers down the board. Stafford has slid nearly a full round, often lasting into the QB24-QB26 range, yet still comes with weekly four-touchdown upside in a Sean McVay offense that ranked sixth in neutral-situation pass rate last season. Pat noted that Stafford stacked with either Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp posted above-average advance rates in 2023 BBM5 and said he is the perfect safety-net QB2 when early stacks dry up—especially on two-quarterback builds where drafters want floor and ceiling without spending an early pick.

Erik Beimfohr said drafters should not overreact to Blake Corum’s second-year jump or the Darkwest Hunter pick because Sean McVay flat-out trusts Kyren Williams in ways fantasy spreadsheets cannot capture. Beimfohr’s favorite data point: Williams logged 179 pass-blocking snaps in 2024—nearly 70 more than any other back (Javonte Williams was second at 110). That massive lead shows McVay is willing to leave the 195-pound back in to protect on every passing down, a level of non-situational trust coaches rarely extend. Although Williams finished right at 0 rush yards over expected (hardly elite), the willingness to play him on every down kept his snap rate north of 80 % whenever healthy. Beimfohr expects the Rams to scale back the 95 % “iron-man” usage a hair, but still sees a 70-plus % snap share and full goal-line work. At a third-round ADP he views Williams as appropriately priced, emphasizing that rookies with shinier athletic profiles must actually unseat a coaching-staff favorite who has already proven he can survive three-down punishment.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound threw down an open 'beer bet' that Matthew Stafford finishes the season with more fantasy points than Cam Ward, noting the market currently lets you draft the proven Rams quarterback almost a full round later (ADP ~160 vs. Ward’s 153). Pat’s logic: Los Angeles kept its high-end weapons intact—Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams—and Sean McVay ranked top-10 in neutral-situation pass rate last year. By contrast, Pat expects Tennessee to protect its rookie by leaning on the run, making Ward a low-volume passer who will struggle to match Stafford’s weekly yardage and touchdown totals. Because both QBs go in the same late-round neighborhood, Pat sees Stafford as pure closing-line value and is aggressively scooping him as a QB2 in Best Ball Mania builds.

Tyler Knaeble called Kyren Williams a "fine click" near pick 40, saying coach Sean McVay’s spring comments about getting other backs involved are overblown. Knaeble pointed out that Williams already cleared the Rams’ RB2s by a wide margin in success-rate, targets per route, and pass-pro snaps last season. Because of that talent gap, he thinks even a concerted effort to sprinkle in Blake Corum would still leave Williams with roughly 70 percent of the backfield touches— plenty to pay off a mid-fourth-round price tag. Knaeble likes pairing Williams with Puka Nacua as a correlated bet on Los Angeles’ offensive efficiency and red-zone trips.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound called Matthew Stafford the ideal "advance-rate" target in the pick-130 neighborhood. Stafford still goes a round after rookies like Bo Nix and Drake May despite averaging 257 yards and 1.7 passing touchdowns in games where both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were active last season. Pat likes pairing Stafford with an elite quarterback such as Hurts, then stopping at two passers; that roster construction avoids the crowded QB window between picks 80 and 140 and frees an 18th-round slot for an upside skill player. Given Stafford’s proven 300-yard, multi-TD ceiling and a Rams offense that projects top-10 in pace, Pat expects the market to nudge his ADP up a full round once drafters realize how neatly he completes elite-plus-mid two-QB builds.