Rams wide receiver Robert Woods tore his ACL this past Friday, sidelining him for the rest of the season only a day after Los Angeles signed Odell Beckham Jr.
With the simultaneous loss of Woods and addition of Beckham, what should fantasy football managers expect from each member of the Rams' receiving corps in Week 10? Our two expert rankers weigh in,
Start Odell Beckham In Fantasy? Outlook For Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee, More
written by Sean Koerner
Beckham's signing was a crushing blow to Van Jefferson's projected fantasy value as a rest-of-season low-end WR3. After head coach Sean McVay hinted that the Rams could run more 4-WR personnel, it also looked like Tyler Higbee's mid-range TE1 value was in jeopardy.
However, Woods' injury has re-shuffled every Rams' fantasy football value yet again: Cooper Kupp is still a top-two WR, Beckham is looking like a low-end WR2 (with upside), Jefferson is back in the WR3 mix and Higbee remains a mid-range TE1.
OBJ's Week 10 value will hinge on how much playing time he gets despite having only a couple days to learn the playbook. As of writing on Saturday, I have him penciled in as a low-end WR3 and Jefferson as a mid-range WR3.
I will of course update my projections as we get more information, so check my real-time rankings here.
written by Chris Raybon
Update: Ben Skowronek is reportedly expected to step in for Robert Woods on Monday Night Football, so I've lowered OBJ to my WR45 for Week 10.
Earlier analysis: We can expect Beckham and Jefferson to both run routes on 90% or more of Matthew Stafford's dropbacks from here on out. OBJ is a WR3 going forward, and Jefferson is a WR3. I have OBJ ranked as my WR24 and Jefferson as my WR32 for Week 10.
Kupp remains the top WR play in fantasy.
This should also raise the floor of Higbee, who I'm projecting to finish as the TE10 this week.
More Fantasy Fallout of Robert Woods' Injury
Although it's been the Cooper Kupp show for the Rams' third-ranked pass offense in Football Outsiders' DVOA, Woods was second on the team in catches (45), yards (556) and receiving touchdowns (four).
That in turn sets Kupp up for a potential banner night. The current league leader in receiving yards is WR1 in both Koerner's and Chris Raybon's Week 10 fantasy rankings, projected for 1.3 more points than the next-best receiver. You can check out all the rankings here.
Running back Darrell Henderson's also a top-15 FLEX option, according to both fantasy experts. Henderson is second at his position in snap share (75.5%) and valuable in the passing game, ranking fourth in route participation (57.1%).
Second-year receiver Van Jefferson was potentially in line for a demotion with OBJ's arrival. However, Jefferson is third on the roster in both yards (443) and receiving scores (three), and could see another healthy share — he's coming off a season-high seven targets against the Titans.
L.A. is deep in the supporting cast, but Woods' absence hurts quarterback Matthew Stafford, especially in the red zone. Woods has been targeted 16 times inside the 20, the second-highest clip among wide receivers this year.
Overall, Woods has created more than 2.1 yards of separation per target, which ranks eighth.
The Rams are 4-point road favorites against the 49ers on Monday Night Football, with an over/under of 49 (check real-time NFL odds here).
