Rams vs. Lions SNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, Kyren Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Sam LaPorta, Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Higbee

January 14, 2024

Fantasy football start em, sit em lineups advice for the Rams vs. Lions on Sunday Night Football during Wild Card Weekend (2024). NFL matchups analysis and starts/sits.

The first two games of Wild Card Weekend were blowouts, so hopefully, the highly-anticipated NFC bout featuring the Rams and Lions will live up to the hype. Below you can read our Sunday Night Football matchups analysis article for the Rams vs. Lions game to help make any fantasy lineup decisions for single-game DFS contests.

Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff were traded for each other ahead of the 2021 season, so there are plenty of fun storylines to monitor in Sunday's game. Both offenses are great, but both defenses have plenty of weaknesses.

Read our fantasy football breakdowns for this game -- the recommended starts, sits, and matchups we love heading into an exciting game during Wild Card Weekend. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions

Spread: Lions -3.0
Implied Total: Rams (24.25) vs. Lions (27.25)
Pace: Rams (21st) vs. Lions (18th)
Rams Off. DVOA: 25.6% Pass (9th), 3.7% Rush (6th)
Lions Off. DVOA: 26.7% Pass (7th), 8.9% Rush (4th)
Rams Def. DVOA: 10.3% Pass (21st), -7.1% Rush (20th)
Lions Def. DVOA: 6.5% Pass (16th), -18.0% Rush (1st)
PFF Coverage Grade: Rams (31st) vs. Lions (29th)
PFF Rush D Grade: Rams (7th) vs. Lions (5th)
Offensive EPA/Play: Rams (9th) vs. Lions (8th)
EPA/Play Allowed: Rams (20th) vs. Lions (21st)

Matchups We Love

Jared Goff (QB, DET)

The two quarterbacks who were traded for one another squaring off in the playoffs is about as good as it gets. The burns run deeper for Goff, who watched Matthew Stafford take his old team to the promised land with a Super Bowl win while he battled to keep his job amidst a rebuild in Detroit. This game has the highest over/under of the week, which makes sense because both offenses are elite while neither defense can defend the pass.

Earning the right to host this contest at Ford Field is arguably the most significant of any squad for the Lions because Goff is much better at home. The passing yards are a lock, but the touchdowns could have a wider range of outcomes because both tailbacks are capable of finding the end zone. That being said, he ranks as the QB8 this week as a nice secondary piece in stacks with the other weapons.

Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, DET)

The primary weapon is St. Brown, who was the most consistent wideout in the league this season. He finished fifth in targets (164), third in receptions (119), third in receiving yards, and tied for fourth in touchdowns (10). No matter how you slice it, he was extraordinary. It's a great matchup as the Rams gave up the most fantasy points to wideouts in the final six weeks, setting him as the WR2 behind only Lamb.

Matthew Stafford (QB, LAR)

After going all-in for a Super Bowl and succeeding two years ago, the Rams entered the year with all sorts of cap issues and young players. Between injuries, aging veterans, and the uncertainty of Sean McVay's desire to coach, they were easy to write off. However, that's proven to be a mistake as they found their stride midway through the year and now enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league.

Stafford is responsible for much of that, turning back the clock at times with some vintage performances. After just one multi-touchdown game through his first nine outings, he hit that mark every week except Week 17, tossing 15 of them across his final six contests. There are similarities to Goff in terms of the running game scoring, but the matchup is too good, so he slots in one spot ahead of Goff as the QB7.

Puka Nacua & Cooper Kupp (WR, LAR)

Nacua played long enough in Week 18 to break the rookie records for receptions (105) and receiving yards (1486) in a season. Those numbers were top-10 in the league among all wide receivers. When we found out Kupp would be inactive to start the year, the questions began about who could replace him. Nacua answered the bell and then some, to the point that he needs to be viewed as their No. 1 WR. Detroit gave up the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers over the final six weeks, making both these two great options. Nacua lands around WR5 with Kupp a handful of spots lower around WR10.

Kyren Williams (RB, LAR)

Earning the label "matchup-proof" is a rare feat for a running back. However, regardless of who the opponent was, you could pencil Williams in for 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. He's been incredible as the starter for Los Angeles, which is a role known to produce fantasy superstars. It's nearly as bad a matchup as you'll find, but he's one of the few remaining workhorse backs with the highest touchdown upside of any starting tailback this week, which is why he's the RB1 overall.

Matchups We Hate

Tyler Higbee (TE, LAR)

Aside from one outlier performance, Higbee has been an afterthought for most of the season, especially once Kupp returned. He's behind all three of Nacua, Kupp, and Williams along with their third wideout, but the over/under is ideal, making him the last of the tight ends worth considering this week.

UPDATE: Higbee is listed as questionable for Sunday's game. In deeper formats, you could look to Davis Allen, who filled in nicely when Higbbe was out a few weeks ago.

Other Matchups:

Jahmyr Gibbs & David Montgomery (RB, DET)

This duo has given defenses nightmares. The offense is at its best when the pass rush slows down, Goff has protection, and the run game creates opportunities for play-action. That all stems from the effectiveness and the threat these two pose.

They combined for nearly 2,000 rushing yards, almost 500 receiving yards, and 24 total touchdowns. Both are spectacular backs with different skill sets. Gibbs is an elite receiver who makes explosive plays while Montgomery is a hard runner who knows how to find pay dirt and grind out the tough yards. Given the potential for the passing attack to do more of the damage this week, Gibbs ranks just ahead of Montgomery, but they're both around the top five despite facing what's been the worst matchup over the final six weeks of the season.

Demarcus Robinson (WR, LAR)

The team acquired Robinson to add depth and he quickly overtook Tutu Atwell as the No. 3 receiver. If you remove Week 18 where he barely played, he comes into this one with 92 yards or a touchdown in his past five contests, including four finishes inside the top 24. Once you get past the top 15 wideouts available this week, he's right there as one of the better choices, especially considering his scoring prowess and the potential for a shootout.

Sam LaPorta (TE, DET)

LaPorta suffered a knee injury in Week 18 that made it seem like he would be out this week, but now he's listed as questionable and was practicing on Friday. He'd carry risk if active, but it's hard not to consider him alongside the big four we've been referring to.

Jameson Williams (WR, DET)

Williams may never deliver relative to the first-round draft capital they spent on him in 2022. However, he's shown flashes of his home-run-hitting ability with his exceptional speed. He missed Week 18 with an injury but is good to go for this week. Kalif Raymond is out, and Josh Reynolds has produced at times, but this has the makings of a game that Williams could give you a spike week in, landing him right around Robinson, who we covered above. He would be even more intriguing if LaPorta is ruled out.

Notable Injuries

Sam LaPorta (knee)
Kalif Raymond (knee)
Tyler Higbee (shoulder)

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