As fantasy football managers are finalizing their lineups for Week 15, there are a huge amount of fluid situations with players being put on the COVID-19 list. Be sure to stay on top of the latest news and make the optimal lineup decisions.
Let's check in on the injuries/COVID-19 protocol lists for the Los Angeles Rams wide receivers and their Week 15 Sunday afternoon game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Is Odell Beckham Jr. playing this week? Should I start Odell Beckham Jr. and is Van Jefferson now a starter? Below we take a quick look at the updated injury status for Beckham Jr., and attempt to answer these questions.
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Is Odell Beckham Jr. Playing In Week 15 Against the Seahawks?
UPDATE: It was announced on Friday afternoon that the Seahawks-Rams game has been postponed until Tuesday due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Stay tuned for any changes with players being active and passing COVID-19 protocols in time for Tuesday.
On Friday afternoon, Beckham tweeted that he is "negative". The implication here is that Beckham has now tested negative for COVID-19, and will be reinstated from the COVID-19 list and play this week -- especially with the game being moved until Tuesday. Be sure to check back for an official update and confirmation on this news:
On Saturday afternoon, the Rams officially activated Odell Beckham Jr. off the COVID-19 list. He is now expected to play on Tuesday night in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks, and should be started across all fantasy football lineups.
COVID and Injury Updates
Odell Beckham Jr. had been dealing with hip and back issues as it was, and on Tuesday was placed on the COVID-19 list. With Beckham testing positive, and no reports of false positives, the wide receiver will likely not play on Sunday afternoon against the Seattle Seahawks.
Is Van Jefferson Starting In Week 15 Against the Seahawks?
With Odell Beckham Jr. appearing to be out on Sunday, there is little doubt that Van Jefferson should benefit on Sunday against Seattle. He has already been emerging, and his role should only increase with less competition for targets:
With Jefferson active and raring to go, it makes too much sense for the wide receiver to get more targets on Sunday. Last week against Arizona, he was only targeted three times and played just 79% of the snaps as mostly a decoy.
Should I Start Odell Beckham Jr. or Should I Play Van Jefferson Sunday?
While Odell Beckham Jr. waits for negative COVID-19 tests to come his way, the chances of him playing on Sunday decrease by the day and hour. It may be too much of a risk to keep waiting, honestly.
Van Jefferson on the other hand should be easily a FLEX or even more prominent option for fantasy football managers, with upside for more potentially. Given his projected increase in touches and targets, he could see anywhere from 7-10 targets or more this week against a Seattle secondary that can give up the deep and intermediate routes. Jefferson gets the ball fed to him at an increased rate this week and may mean more yards and a touchdown or two.
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