Rams vs. Colts Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Tutu Atwell, Anthony Richardson, Zack Moss, Michael Pittman Jr.

Welcome to our Rams vs. Colts fantasy football start 'em, sit' em matchups analysis article for Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season.

Read our matchups analysis, player breakdowns, and lineup recommendations for the matchup and set those winning lineups. Good luck RotoBallers!

Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts

Spread: Rams -1.0
Implied Total: Rams (23.5) vs. Colts (22.5)
Pace: Rams (21st) vs. Colts (3rd)
Rams Off. DVOA: 18.2% Pass (15th), -1.2% Rush (11th)
Colts Off. DVOA: 2.5% Pass (21st), -5.8% Rush (14th)
Rams Def. DVOA: 10.9% Pass (20th), 13.5% Rush (29th)
Colts Def. DVOA: 2.6% Pass (15th), -14.2% Rush (13th)

Matchups We Love

Kyren Williams (RB, LAR)

Williams played 100% of the snaps in Week 3, accounting for every running back touch. That type of usage is unheard of in today's day and age. For whatever reason, they seemed to go away from their ground attack, which was working previously. 10 rushing attempts are disappointing for Williams. He did earn a whopping seven targets, but many of them were uncatchable. His volume keeps him in the top 24 against an average defense.

Zack Moss (RB, IND)

The Colts kicker, Matt Gay, kicked five field goals, four of which were from 50 yards or longer, including the game-winner. Aside from him, it was the Moss show. He finished with 33 touches for nearly 150 yards and a receiving touchdown.

#Colts Zack Moss’ usage is off the charts. Among all RBs in the league:

- 2nd in snap%: 84.9%
- 1st in 3rd down snap%: 100%
- 1st in opp%: 42%
- 1st in carry%: 90.6%
- 1st in RBCarry%: 90.6%

All this while getting all the passing down and RZ work
pic.twitter.com/Vfyddd1lVi

— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) September 27, 2023

He's one of the few tailbacks receiving this kind of workload, which makes him worth chasing for fantasy. It's no surprise that his carry count went up in a game with poor weather that was also missing rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. Even with Richardson back, Moss stays in the top 24.

Anthony Richardson (QB, IND)

Richardson is back at practice, so he's trending toward making his return from the concussion. The rushing we saw from him prior to the concussion was elite. He had 13 rushing attempts for 75 yards and three touchdowns in six quarters of action. That alone is enough to get him into the top 10 with a top-five upside.

Rams WRs

The dynamic duo of Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell fell back to earth against Cincinnati, but they were still the clear top options. One of the issues was that the team failed to establish the run, which fed into their play-action game. Head coach Sean McVay is too clever not to figure that out and find a way to get a more balanced attack. These two are still earning plenty of targets in a pass-first offense, ranking fifth in pass rate over expectation. Nacua keeps the upper hand as a top-20 wideout with Atwell not far behind against beatable rookie corners.

Another big week for #RamsHouse Puka Nacua incoming? 👀 pic.twitter.com/B3gONx2LC2

— GameBlazers (@PlayGameBlazers) September 30, 2023

Matchups We Hate

None

Other Matchups

Matthew Stafford (QB, LAR)

Stafford was under constant pressure, taking six sacks and frequently getting rid of the ball early. The offensive line will be an issue against Indy, but their secondary is more exploitable. They've been beaten consistently by quarterbacks in fantasy, partly due to Lamar Jackson's rushing production last week, making Stafford a volume-based streamer.

Tyler Higbee (TE, LAR)

After totaling a measly 12 yards on three catches against the 49ers in Week 2, Higbee made his targets count last week. He caught all five of them for 71 yards. It's likely correlated to the increase in pressure, causing Stafford to look for options closer to the line of scrimmage, but it's still a positive sign. He's back in the top 12 as long as he's active after missing practice Thursday and Friday.

UPDATE: Higbee is listed as questionable. After getting in his first practice of the week on Friday, it looks like he'll play.

Michael Pittman Jr. (WR, IND)

Gardner Minshew threw the ball a lot, 44 times to be exact. Not only did it help to sustain the volume and production for Pittman Jr., but it also made Josh Downs relevant. Downs seems to have secured the No. 2 role in the offense, which with Minshew at the helm was important. The Rams appear better on defense statistically than they really are because they faced Geno Smith in Week 1, who struggled after losing two offensive linemen, and faced a hobbled Joe Burrow last week. Pittman will be locked in regardless of who's throwing him the ball, while Downs moves to a risky start with Richardson back.

Notable Injuries

Jonathan Taylor (ankle)
Jelani Woods (hamstring)
Cooper Kupp (hamstring)
Tyler Higbee (Achilles)

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