Saints vs. Rams Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy DraftKings for TNF

The Los Angeles Rams will kick off Week 16 by hosting the New Orleans Saints in a pivotal NFC showdown.

The Rams, who were largely written off during the summer, are 7-7 and firmly in the wild-card mix. The Saints, meanwhile, share a 7-7 record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers atop the NFC South.

Thursday night's matchup carries heavy playoff implications and will serve as a tremendous way to kick off the week. It will also provide a prime opportunity for some daily fantasy sports (DFS) action.

Let's dive a bit deeper into the matchup and some of our top DFS plays for Thursday night.

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Whether you're considering Thursday-only games or looking to dip into the matchup for week-long contests, there's no shortage of viable DFS options here. It includes two quarterbacks who are worth considering, given the matchup.

Los Angeles' Matthew Stafford ($6.3K) has reestablished himself as a solid second--tier fantasy QB. He gets to throw to Cooper Kupp ($8.0K) and Puka Nacua ($7.2K), and he still benefits from the spacing that Sean McVay's offense creates.

However, the Saints' Derek Carr ($5.4K) might actually be the better budget play for Week 16. He's coming off a 218-yard, three-touchdown outing and facing a Rams defense that has been inconsistent against the pass.

Los Angeles has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

Don't expect Carr to be as efficient as he was last week. While the Rams don't enjoy a fantastic home-field advantage, making the trip to L.A. on a short week isn't easy. However, he does carry a fair amount of upside for his price point.

Kupp and Nacua are probably the top WR options in this matchup, though New Orleans' Chris Olave ($6.6K) is certainly worth a look.

Olave missed Week 15 with an ankle injury, but he's expected to return to face the Rams, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football.

The Rams have allowed the 14th-most fantasy points to opposing receivers, meaning Olave should at least have a fair matchup. He's a high-volume target when healthy, so a three-receiver stack involving Olave, Kupp and Nacua is certainly worth consideration.

We'll give the Rams D/ST unit ($3.0K) a slight edge over New Orleans' ($2.5K) for two reasons. For one, the Rams are at home. Secondly, Los Angeles' offense has largely learned to avoid miscues during its recent 5-1 stretch.

On the season, the Rams have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing D/STs.

There's another reason why we'd consider starting Carr over Stafford. The rise of Kyren Williams ($7.8K) has helped give the Rams a more run-oriented identity.

Williams played a massive role in last week's win over the Washington Commanders, finishing with 152 rushing yards, five receptions and a touchdown. L.A. may very well lean on Williams and the ground game against a New Orleans defense that has allowed 4.5 yards per carry.

Pairing Williams with Alvin Kamara ($7.7K) in the RB lineup makes perfect sense here.

While Los Angeles has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points, Kamara maintains a high point-per-reception (PPR) floor. In the Saints' Week 15 win over the New York Giants, Kamara caught five passes and tallied 110 scrimmage yards.

L.A.'s Royce Freeman ($4.4K) and the Saints' Jamaal Williams ($4.3K) may both see work in this game, but neither is really worth starting in the flex unless Olave ends up being unable to go. In that scenario, Freeman is probably the safer choice, given the defenses involved.

It's hard not to consider Saints tight end Taysom Hill ($5.0K), given his various roles in the New Orleans' offense. However, Hill does come with some boom-or-bust potential. Last week, for example, he caught one four-yard pass, had a one-yard run and threw an incompletion.

Given the price differential, it's worth considering traditional tight end Juwan Johnson ($3.2K) over Hill and Los Angeles' Tyler Higbee ($3.4K). Playing Johnson could squeeze out a few more cap dollars for other skill positions, and Johnson does show up on occasion.

Last week, Johnson caught two passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. He's caught at least two passes in three of his last four games. The Rams defense, meanwhile, has surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.

For managers more comfortable with his rushing/receiving/passing upside, Hill is absolutely worth a start here. Just keep in mind that Johnson is a viable alternative in this matchup.

*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros.

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