DFS Thursday Night Football Breakdown: Rams vs. 49ers

The Rams and 49ers have each opened the season 3-1 and now face each other on Thursday Night Football to begin Week 5. Let's dig into each position for the single-game contests on DraftKings and FanDuel for this NFC West showdown.

Quarterback

A key injury at quarterback will have a big impact on DFS lineups: Brock Purdy (toe) made his return in Week 4 versus the Jaguars but will be out again this week, so Mac Jones ($9,200 DK, $1,000 FD) will get his third start of the season. In the two previous games that Purdy missed, Jones threw for 563 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Jones' salary doesn't come at a discount on DraftKings, but it's so low on FanDuel that he stands out.

The Rams have no injury concerns at quarterback. Matthew Stafford ($10,400 DK, $11,800 FD) is coming off his best game of the season, throwing for 375 yards and three touchdowns against the Colts. That was his third straight game with at least two touchdown passes. As good as he has been, this won't be an easy matchup, as the 49ers have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. In two games against them last season, Stafford combined for 381 passing yards and one touchdown.

Running Back

This will be a fun matchup between Christian McCaffrey ($11,400 DK, $13,200 FD) and the Rams defense. McCaffrey has posted at least 100 total yards in all four games this season, and with the 49ers dealing with so many injuries, their star running back has averaged 25.0 touches per game and accounted for 29.3 percent of their targets. The Rams have given up just 20.3 points per game, which can be partially attributed to their defense allowing just two rushing touchdowns all season. They are also one of just two teams that hasn't allowed a rushing attempt of at least 20 yards. Even though this isn't an ideal matchup, McCaffrey's workload makes him one of the top options.

Kyren Williams ($9,000 DK, $10,800 FD) thrived against the 49ers last year: he had 116 total yards and three touchdowns against them in Week 3 and then ran 29 times for 108 yards in Week 15. That was one of 10 games last season in which Williams received at least 18 carries. He has been given at least 17 carries in three of four games this season, so expect him to continue to have a high floor that makes him an appealing option. For those looking to take a chance on a player with a cheap salary, Blake Corum ($3,000 DK, $4,400 FD) has 17 carries over the last two games and scored a rushing touchdown in Week 2 versus the Titans.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

The short week has also left the 49ers with injury issues at wide receiver. Jauan Jennings (ankle) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) have been ruled out, joining George Kittle (hamstring) and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) on the sidelines. Kendrick Bourne ($4,600 DK, $3,600 FD) played 68 percent of the 49ers' snaps last week and could be in line for added work again. The other remaining options at wide receivers are Demarcus Robinson ($3,600 DK, $5,200 FD), Skyy Moore ($800 DK, $1,400 FD) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($2,600 DK, $1,000 FD). Of those three, don't sleep on Robinson; he has big-play upside, averaging at least 14.3 yards per reception in both of the last two seasons with the Rams.

The 49ers pass catcher who could see the biggest increase in his workload is tight end Jake Tonges ($4,200 DK, $6,000 FD), who has played at least 69 percent of their snaps in each of the last three games. During that stretch, he has caught nine of 13 targets for 110 yards and one touchdown.

While Puka Nacua ($11,600 DK, $12,800 FD) comes with a hefty salary on both sites, fading him is very risky. He has accounted for 38.2 percent of the Rams' targets and 42.3 percent of their air yards this season. He has also been targeted on a whopping 62.5 percent of his routes run, leaving him with 42 receptions for 503 yards and one touchdown. While his numbers aren't as gaudy, Davante Adams ($9,600 DK, $9,800 FD) has a 26.0 percent target share and has been responsible for 36.5 percent of their air yards. His yardage totals don't jump off the page, but his 10 red-zone targets have led to a touchdown in three straight games.

Rams' tight end Tyler Higbee ($2,800 DK, $3,400 FD) has been quiet through four weeks, catching six passes for 62 yards on only 11 targets. He is listed as doubtful for this matchup with a hip injury, but given his lack of involvement in the offense, there are no other tight ends to be excited about on the Rams.

Kicker

Joshua Karty ($5,400 DK, $6,400 FD) made 85.3 percent of his field goal attempts last season and has gone 8-for-10 this year. Meanwhile, Eddy Pineiro ($5,000 DK, $6,200 FD) has only attempted seven field goals this season, making them all. Across 17 games with the Panthers last year, he went 7-for-9 on attempts of at least 40 yards.

Defense/Special Teams

The 49ers ($3,800 DK, $5,800 FD) have held their opponents to 18.8 points per game. However, a concerning stat is that they only have five sacks. Increasing that total won't be easy with Nick Bosa (knee) out for the season. They are also one of only three teams that hasn't recorded an interception. Meanwhile, the Rams ($4,000 DK, $6,600 FD) have 14 sacks, which is tied for the second-most in the league. Given all of the injuries that the 49ers have on offense, the Rams defense could shine in this matchup.