This could be Cooper Kupp's final game in a Rams uniform. Rumors are swirling about Los Angeles shopping their star receiver, and they've even voiced a willingness to pay some of his salary. The main challenge with a potential trade would be the landing spot. Several wide receiver-needy teams have already acquired upgrades at the position. The list of possible suitors is shorter than it was a couple weeks ago.
Los Angeles could also go out and win this game and suddenly be tied for second place in the NFC West. They're at home as slight underdogs, so a victory isn't out of the question. I'll be leaning into the Kupp narrative to lead off my NFL PrizePicks plays for Thursday Night Football.
NFL PrizePicks: Vikings vs. Rams on Thursday Night Football
Cooper Kupp
More Than 7 Receptions
If you're trading for a 31-year-old receiver coming off a significant ankle injury, you probably want to be sure he's healthy. What better way for the Rams to showcase his health than to feed him a zillion targets in prime time? If Los Angeles is more interested in actually winning this game, feeding Kupp also makes sense.
Kupp has only played six quarters of football this season, but the volume has been incredible in that small sample. He has 18 receptions on 27 targets in basically 1.5 games. Kupp torched Detroit for 14 catches in Week 1, then was well on his way to a big game in Week 2 before going down with an ankle injury in the second quarter.
Minnesota has given up tons of production to wide receivers. They've allowed the second-most targets, receptions, and receiving yards to the position this season. Most of that is volume-driven, as the Vikings are allowing the most pass attempts per game by a decent margin. They've consistently jumped out to leads, forcing opponents to throw to catch up. We could see a similar scenario tonight.
Matthew Stafford
More Than 34 Pass Attempts
This pick pairs well with Kupp. As mentioned above, Minnesota has allowed a massive amount of pass attempts this season. Opponents have chucked it 42.5 times per game against this team, which is more than four attempts higher than the next-closest team (Detroit at 38.2).
Unsurprisingly, Stafford's volume has been driven by game script. He's averaged 37.5 pass attempts in LA's four losses, compared to 24 attempts per game in their two wins. Minnesota has been better than any other team at jumping out to a lead. They're outscoring opponents 58-3 in the first quarter. The Vikings lead the league in first-quarter scoring while the Rams rank 31st.
I'm expecting Los Angeles to be playing from behind, which should lead to plenty of dropbacks for Stafford.
Aaron Jones
More Than 16 Fantasy Score
We hit on Javonte Williams' fantasy points last week, and we're going right back to it with a lead running back on the favored team. Jones has had a tremendous role in this offense and gets an elite matchup tonight.
Ty Chandler was expected to share this backfield with Jones, but the latter has been a workhorse this season. Jones has 16+ touches in all but one of his healthy games. He was knocked out of Minnesota's Week 5 matchup, but returned in Week 7 and went right back to handling the lion's share of the opportunities. Jones ranks 13th among running backs in Expected Fantasy Points, according to Fantasy Points Data. That speaks to the valuable role he has on the ground and in the passing game.
The Rams have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards per game to running backs. Only the Colts and Panthers have seen more carries per game. Los Angeles ranks sixth in fantasy points per game allowed to the position.
