Evan Silva’s Matchups: Week 16

Thursday Night Football

L.A. Rams @ Seattle

Team Totals: Rams 23, Seahawks 21.5

The MVP favorite (-300) at DraftKings as of Monday night, Matthew Stafford may be hard-pressed to keep his lead here, likely without touchdown-scoring machine Davante Adams (hamstring) at the Seahawks, who’ve allowed a league-low 6.0 yards per pass attempt and the NFL’s fourth-lowest passer rating (77.1) while ranking top four in sacks (42) and top two in pressure rate (27.4%). Stafford managed year lows in completion rate (53.6%), passing yards (130), and yards per pass attempt (4.6) when these teams met in Week 11. … Kyren Williams’ grip on L.A.’s lead running back job isn’t in doubt, but Blake Corum has made a vehement case for more complementary work by averaging 9.3 yards per carry with four TDs over the Rams’ last three games. The Seahawks have surrendered the league’s third-fewest fantasy RB points. Williams is a dicey RB2. Corum is playable in single-game DFS.

Adams’ expected absence sets up Puka Nacua for a monster TNF game. Puka has drawn 11 or more targets in seven games this year. Sans Adams, he can easily exceed that number at Seattle. … At wideout, seventh-round rookie Konata Mumpfield ran far out in front of Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington in last week’s win over Detroit. Versus the Lions, the Rams leaned hard into three-tight end, 13-personnel formations featuring Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen. Matchup advantages are almost impossible to identify against stingy Seattle, yet Parkinson has earned serious TE1/2 streamer consideration. Parkinson quietly leads the NFL in red-zone targets with 15 since Week 9. Athletic rookie Ferguson and dependable veteran Allen are justifiable on one-game DFS slates.

Potentially missing LT Charles Cross (hamstring) on his blindside, Sam Darnold is a low-confidence QB2 versus a Rams defense permitting the NFL’s eighth-fewest yards per pass attempt (6.6) and eighth-lowest passer rating (85.6) while ranking top eight in sacks (37). Darnold had his season-worst game in these clubs’ Week 11 date, throwing four picks in a 21-19 defeat. … Zach Charbonnet out-snapped slumping Kenneth Walker III 33 to 25 in last week’s narrow win over Indianapolis. The Seahawks have clearly and understandably lost trust in their rushing attack as an entity. The Rams have allowed the fewest fantasy running back points in the NFL. Charbonnet and Walker profile as low-floor, low-ceiling flex options.

The Rams can be had in the secondary, as exhibited by Amon-Ra St. Brown (13/164/2), Michael Wilson (11/142/2), Jameson Williams (7/134/1), and Jalen Coker (4/74/1) over the last three weeks. DraftKings’ favorite for NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is inevitable. … Rashid Shaheed appeared on 68% of Seattle’s Week 15 offensive snaps — his most playing time since arriving from New Orleans — and has consecutive stat lines of 4/67/0 and 5/74/0 with a kickoff return touchdown mixed in. Shaheed is a boom-bust WR4/flex play. … This is a #RevengeGame for Cooper Kupp, but so was Week 11, and Kupp eked out 3/23/0 receiving on seven targets in that one. … With Elijah Arroyo (knee) on I.R., A.J. Barner will rarely leave the field and checks in as a TD-or-bust TE streamer option.

Score Prediction: Seahawks 23, Rams 20

Editor’s Note: This Matchup was written by John Daigle, with input from Evan Silva.

Saturday Night Football 5:00 p.m. E.T.

Philadelphia @ Washington

Team Totals: Eagles 26, Commanders 19.5