Rams vs Cardinals Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: James Conner, Chase Edmonds, Sony Michel, Cam Akers, Christian Kirk, Van Jefferson

The final game of the NFL’s Wild Card weekend is a divisional matchup between the Cardinals and Rams. Both teams come into the playoffs struggling on offense, and Week 18 losses to divisional rivals sent both teams on a crash course to face each other in the first round of the playoffs. The Rams and Cardinals split the season series against each other, combining to score over 50 points in each game. However, both games took place with each team healthy, which could impact their ability to score in the first round of the playoffs.

Arizona comes into this game as losers of four of their last five games, which ultimately cost them the NFC West title and home-field advantage in this game. The Cardinals' passing game is led by Kyler Murray, who completed 69% of his passes for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 14 games. Murray also carried the ball 88 times for 423 yards and five touchdowns. James Conner led the Cardinals’ backfield with 202 carries for 752 yards and 15 touchdowns with Chase Edmonds playing a complementary role by totaling 116 carries for 592 yards and two scores. Arizona has a balanced passing attack, with six players getting at least 50 receptions. Christian Kirk (103 targets, 77 receptions, 982 yards, five touchdowns), A.J. Green (92 targets, 54 receptions, 848 yards, three touchdowns), and Zach Ertz (81 targets, 56 receptions, 574 yards, three touchdowns) paced the passing attack.

The Rams ended up winning the NFC West thanks to a 5-1 stretch at the end of the 2021 season. Matthew Stafford led Los Angeles’ passing game with a 67.2 completion percentage, throwing for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns with 17 interceptions. Sony Michel (208 carries, 845 yards, and four touchdowns) and Darrell Henderson Jr. (149 carries, 688 yards, and five touchdowns) paced the backfield, although Henderson will be unavailable for the playoffs due to an injury. Cooper Kupp was the unquestioned top receiver in Los Angeles, finishing the season with 191 targets, 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns. Van Jefferson (89 targets, 50 receptions, 802 yards, and six touchdowns) and Tyler Higbee (85 targets, 61 receptions, 560 yards, and five touchdowns) also had roles as the main consistent weapons in Los Angeles this season.  

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams

• Game time: Monday, January 17, 8:15 p.m.
• Game line: LAR -3.5
• Game total: 50

Must Starts

Matthew Stafford (QB, LAR)

Matthew Stafford enters the fourth playoff appearance of his career struggling in the passing attack for the Rams. In his last three games, Stafford is completing 65% of his passes for 744 yards, but he has just six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Stafford will need to have a strong performance against the Cardinals to keep the Rams’ Super Bowl aspirations alive. Thankfully for the Rams, Stafford had some of his best games of 2021 against Arizona. Stafford completed 69.5% of his passes for 567 yards and five touchdowns with one interception against the Cardinals this season.

Kyler Murray (QB, AZ)

The Cardinals are limping into the playoffs and a lot of it can be tied to the decreased production from the passing game. While some of that can be attributed to the loss of DeAndre Hopkins, Kyler Murray has failed to replicate his early-season success. Since Week 14, Murray is completing 64% of his passes for 1,005 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. He’s continued to produce on the ground, rushing 22 times for 156 yards. Kyler has struggled with consistency against the Rams throughout his career, and this season was no exception. The third-year quarterback completed 70% of his passes for 651 yards. However, in one game he had two touchdowns and no turnovers, and in the other game, he had no touchdowns with two interceptions. Murray is a must-start due to his passing ability and rushing upside, but he has shown the ability to fall flat against the Rams.

Sony Michel (RB, LAR)

Since Darrell Henderson went down with an injury, Sony Michel has taken over the lead back role in the Rams’ backfield. Since Week 12, Michel is averaging 21.5 carries, 3.3 targets, 1.7 receptions, and 101 total yards per game. Michel also has three rushing touchdowns during that six-game stretch. The return of Cam Akers complicates matters, but Akers is still returning from an Achilles’ tear in the summer and shouldn’t be trusted to shoulder a big role in the rushing game. The Cardinals were one of the best defenses against the run this season (16 fantasy points per game) but struggled down the stretch. Michel should get the volume in the run game to make him a strong fantasy asset in this week’s game.

Cooper Kupp (WR, LAR)

What more can you say about the top overall player in fantasy in 2021 in total points and points per game? Kupp had 14 games with double-digit targets, 16 games with at least seven receptions and 90+ receiving yards, and 11 games with a touchdown (including five games with two scores). In two games against the Cardinals, Kupp has 28 targets, 18 receptions, 187 yards, and a touchdown. Kupp is a locked-in player in all fantasy formats.

Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, LAR)

Odell Beckham Jr. has had up-and-down performances in his eight games with the Rams. Since joining Los Angeles, Beckham has had 48 targets, 27 receptions, 305 yards, and five touchdowns. Beckham has as many games with four or more receptions as he does games with two or fewer (four). Additionally, Beckham has just two games in LA with more than 40 receiving yards, but both of them saw him finish with more than 75 yards and a touchdown. Beckham played the Cardinals twice this season (once with the Browns) and finished with 15 targets, 11 receptions, 156 yards, and a touchdown. Look for Beckham to stay hot in the second playoff appearance of his career (he missed the Browns 2020 playoff run with an ACL injury).

A.J. Green (WR, AZ)

A.J. Green has struggled to fill in as the WR1 in Arizona since DeAndre Hopkins’ injury. Since Week 14, Green is averaging 6.5 targets, three receptions, and 48.5 receiving yards per game as the Cardinals’ primary outside receiver. Green’s two best games this season have come against the Cardinals (16 targets, 12 receptions, 169 yards, and a touchdown). While it is worth noting that Hopkins played in both those games, Jalen Ramsey doesn’t shadow receivers, so Green should have the same opportunities in the passing game with or without him.

Zach Ertz (TE, AZ)

Since Hopkins’ injury, Ertz has seen his role in Arizona’s passing game grow. In his first six games after being traded to Arizona from Philadelphia (where Hopkins was healthy), Ertz averaged just 5.5 targets, 4.2 receptions, and 42.5 receiving yards per game. In the last four games (without Hopkins), the veteran tight end is averaging 10.8 targets, seven receptions, and 63.3 yards per game. Additionally, the Rams have various injuries to their safeties, which should only benefit Ertz in the passing game.

Consider Sitting

James Conner (RB, AZ)

James Conner missed Weeks 16 and 17 due to a heel injury but was able to return against the Seahawks in Week 18. Conner carried the ball 15 times for 52 yards and a touchdown while adding six receptions on 41 yards and a receiving touchdown. Conner got a majority of the team’s snaps in the backfield with Chase Edmonds out due to a variety of injuries, which led to another three-down role. Conner was either limited or held out of practice this week once again thanks to his heel injury and Chase Edmonds is slated to return this week. Given the split backfield and Conners’ injury status, he will likely need a touchdown to hit any sort of value this week.

Cam Akers (RB, LAR)

Cam Akers made his return to the Rams’ backfield in Week 18 and had five carries for three yards but added three receptions for 10 yards. Akers is a great story and will have a role in this game, but the truth is the Rams will likely continue to heavily monitor his workload to ensure he doesn’t suffer any setbacks heading into the 2022 season. Until we see his role grow in the playoffs, he should be avoided in all formats.

Rondale Moore (WR, AZ)

Rondale Moore has had several big performances this season but just doesn’t have a firm role in the Cardinals’ passing attack to make him a viable fantasy option heading into the NFL playoffs. Moore hasn’t played in more than 44% of the team’s snaps since Week 9 and has missed the last three games with an injury. If he ends up playing this week he will need to make a big play to pay off his value in a very limited role.

Tyler Higbee (TE, LAR)

Tyler Higbee has seen his role grow in the Rams’ passing attack the last three weeks of the season. Since missing two games on the COVID list, Higbee is averaging 7.7 targets, 5.7 receptions, and 55 yards per game. He also found the end zone twice in Week 18 against the Seahawks. However, Higbee is a risky play this week against the best defense against tight ends in 2021. Arizona gave up just 4.3 points per game to tight ends and gave up just two touchdowns to the position this season.

Upside Plays

Chase Edmonds (RB, AZ)

Chase Edmonds missed Week 18 thanks to ankle and rib injuries, but he had a strong two-game stretch before that without James Conner. In Weeks 16 and 17, Edmonds had 34 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown while adding 15 targets, 13 receptions, and 100 receiving yards. The Cardinals will likely have all hands on deck against the Rams to move on in the playoffs, which means a split backfield between Conner and Edmonds. Edmonds is the primary receiving back, so he has PPR upside and could factor in the backfield as the more explosive backfield option.

Van Jefferson (WR, LAR)

Van Jefferson has had two of his better games this season against the Cardinals in 2021. Jefferson has nine targets, eight receptions, 148 yards, and two touchdowns in his two games against Arizona this season. Jefferson has had inconsistent production since the Odell Beckham Jr. trade but is still averaging 5.4 targets, 2.9 receptions, and 46.1 receiving yards during that eight-game stretch. Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. will likely draw Arizona’s attention in the passing game, which could lead Jefferson to have a solid game.

Christian Kirk (WR, AZ)

Christian Kirk has been the most productive wide receiver in Arizona since Week 13. In that five-game stretch, Kirk is averaging 7.8 targets, 5.4 receptions, and 70 yards per game while scoring once. Kirk had mixed results against the Rams this season, finishing one game with just one reception for five yards while totaling three receptions on six targets for 86 yards in the other. Both games featured DeAndre Hopkins in the passing game, and his absence should open up some more targets for Kirk.

Antoine Wesley (WR, AZ)

Arizona’s wide receiver positions are role-based, which has put Antoine Wesley into DeAndre Hopkins’ position. Since Week 14, Wesley has 21 targets, 11 receptions, 95 yards, and three touchdowns. While he doesn’t have the statistical upside of Hopkins, he is being used in the red zone during this stretch. It isn’t the strongest play, but Wesley does have touchdown upside given his big frame in the red zone.

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