Jake Tonges ($4,200 for Showdown) and Davis Allen ($1,200) are both in line for expanded roles Thursday. Tonges will continue to start at tight end for the 49ers with George Kittle (hamstring) still out, and Tonges should see more usage than usual, with Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ribs/ankle) also sidelined. Meanwhile, Allen will start at tight end for the Rams with Tyler Higbee (hip) listed as doubtful.
Both Tonges and Allen are going to run a route on most of their team’s dropbacks on Thursday, but Tonges has a clearer path for more targets than Allen. With Kittle, Pearsall, and Jennings inactive, the 49ers are missing roughly 36% of their total team targets. Higbee, meanwhile, has only accounted for 8% of the Rams’ targets this season. Los Angeles has two real target hogs in Puka Nacua ($11,600) and Davante Adams ($9,600), and Allen could struggle to see many looks playing alongside these wideouts. Tonges, on the other hand, has the potential to see the second-most targets for the 49ers behind Christian McCaffrey ($11,700), with Pearsall and Jennings joining Kittle on the sidelines.
The flow of this game is also a big factor, as the Rams are an 8.5-point favorite for the Thursday Night Football matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook. If this game lives up to its large spread and Los Angeles is ahead for the majority of this contest, the Rams will likely throw the ball far less than usual, whereas the 49ers will be forced to air it while playing from behind.
Tonges enters on the heels of his best showing of the season, posting a 3/58/1 receiving line last week vs. the Jaguars (14.8 FPTS), and he brings even better upside Thursday, while Allen could be in store for a quiet showing, despite the starting job. Tonges is the clear choice over Allen this Thursday, and starting him in a fantasy football league this week is a totally viable move if you are struggling to find production at tight end.
