Matthew Stafford (QB, LAR) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 5

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 50% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: It feels like yesterday when the 0-16 Lions crowned Matthew Stafford as their new franchise savior. Many years have passed since then, and now Stafford is a part of the Rams, a team that he led to Super Bowl glory in the 2021 season. However, even though his age has gone up, Stafford is still the same gunslinger at heart.

No one in the NFL has thrown the ball more than Stafford this season (166 pass attempts), and only Tua Tagovailoa has more passing yards (Stafford has 1,229 yards). But unlike Tua and the Dolphins, the Rams need Stafford to be aggressive in order to survive.

Matthew Stafford with a no-step sidewinder pic.twitter.com/HUmr5nwGF3

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 3, 2023

With Cooper Kupp sidelined, Stafford has found his new favorite receiving target: rookie wideout Puka Nacua. Had Nacua recorded something like 400 receiving yards in 17 games, his rookie campaign would have been considered a success due to his fifth-round stature, but Stafford had other plans for him.

Nacua currently leads the NFL in receptions and has 501 yards receiving, but he's not the only receiving target on the Rams who have benefited. Tutu Atwell (67.5) and Tyler Higbee (49.0) are both averaging career-highs in yards per game. It's clear that Stafford has been feeding these players relentlessly just to give the Rams a chance.

Things are bound to get better now that Kupp is nearing a return. Let's not forget that Stafford finished as the overall QB5 in his only full season with Kupp. With Kupp and Nacua, we can expect Stafford's volume numbers to go through the roof. Even though he suffered a hip bruise in their previous game against Indianapolis, he's expected to fully recover before Week 5. The Rams might have a tough schedule ahead of them, but that could be a blessing in disguise for Stafford's fantasy owners, as it could make him even more aggressive.

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