Week 15 of the NFL season has arrived, which means the fantasy playoffs are here! Thursday Night Football is always hit-or-miss from a fantasy perspective, you can either make or break your week in the first game of the slate.
Let’s highlight my start/sit fantasy football picks for 49ers vs. Rams on TNF.
TNF Must-Starts
- Kyren Williams
- Puka Nacua
- Cooper Kupp
- George Kittle
Start ‘Em: Matthew Stafford
Stafford doesn’t necessarily have the best regular season track record against the Niners, and San Francisco’s secondary has been strong as of late.
However, the veteran has been fantastic over the last four weeks, racking up at least 19 fantasy points in three of those contests. Stafford boasts a 10:0 TD-INT ratio over that stretch, benefiting greatly from the health of his top three weapons in Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp and Kyren Williams.
While the Niners still boast top end talent, their defense has dealt with consistency issues throughout the year. In a crucial divisional battle, I would ride the hot hand and fire Stafford up as a low-end QB1 with upside.
Sit ‘Em: Deebo Samuel
It’s quite stunning that during a season in which Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey have both missed significant time, Samuel is having his worst campaign since 2020.
Deebo has failed to score seven fantasy points in four straight outings. This isn’t a case of missed opportunities either, he’s simply not a part of Kyle Shanahan’s offense at the moment. The versatile receiver has recorded just 11 receptions for 85 yards over that stretch, also seeing his snap share diminish slightly.
There’s still time for Samuel to turn things around and finish the regular season strong, but you can’t justify starting him given his recent results.
Check out my full Week 15 start/sit article with picks at each position here!
Start ‘Em: Patrick Taylor (If Isaac Guerendo is OUT)
Guerendo excelled in his first career start last week, but a foot injury put a damper on things, as he’s trending downwards on a short week for the Niners’ next outing.
This is just par for the course for the Niners, who are now on their fourth starting running back of the season. That guy just so happens to be Patrick Taylor, who saw seven carries after Guerendo’s injury and found the end zone. History suggests that it’s smart to start any 49ers back behind that offensive line.
It’s also worth noting that the Rams allow the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing backs, putting Taylor firmly in RB2 territory with clear upside.
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em TNF fantasy football picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice later this week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
