NFL Week 8 Fantasy Football Recap: Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers

• Christian McCaffrey: 18 carries, 94 yards, 1 touchdown, 8 receptions, 55 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 1 pass attempt, 1 pass completion, 34 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown

• Cooper Kupp: 8 receptions, 79 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 carries, 10 rushing yards

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Christian McCaffrey dominates: McCaffrey had more than a week to learn the 49ers’ playbook for this game, which led him to be the clear lead running back for the team.

Jeff Wilson still saw significant playing time for the 49ers, but this was largely in two-back sets. Part of the reason for that use could have been the 49ers being down two of their top three receivers.
McCaffrey lined up in a wide receiver position eight times.
The All-Pro might see fewer touches once Deebo Samuel is back, but he should still be in starting lineups every week going forward.
Wilson can be dropped. The 49ers have a bye week next week, and Elijah Mitchell could be back after the bye.

Sell high on Brandon Aiyuk: The 49ers receiver led the team in receiving with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, but quieter days are ahead for him.

The 49ers had both Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings inactive due to injuries.
Thirty-four of his receiving yards and his touchdown came on a trick play.
San Francisco has the fourth-easiest remaining schedule. The 49ers will want to run the ball a lot, and they’ll get to.
When they do throw, Aiyuk will arguably be the fourth-best option when everyone is healthy.

The Rams’ running back committee: Darrell Henderson seemed to be the clear starter in recent weeks, but the backfield became more of a committee this week due to his health.

Henderson has been dealing with an illness all week, which limited his practice time.
Henderson kept his third-down role, but undrafted rookie Ronnie Rivers was the lead rusher. Rivers gained 21 yards on eight carries.
Malcolm Brown was the goal-line rusher, which further complicated the backfield, but Brown was unable to score.
Los Angeles has a bye week next week. That should be enough time for Henderson to recover, but the situation could become more complicated.
Cam Akers is expected to return to the Rams if they are unable to find a trade partner this week.
Kyren Williams was designated to return from injured reserve earlier in the week. He wasn’t ready for this game but should be good to go in two weeks.
Any combination of the five backs could be active in two weeks, and any one could lead the team in fantasy points.
Williams is the one player to consider off the waiver wire, as he’s the one Los Angeles seems most excited about.

Monitor Cooper Kupp’s health: Kupp suffered an ankle injury within the last two minutes of the Rams' loss to the 49ers.

The early indication is that he dodged a bullet, but we won’t know for sure until there are more tests.
The injury overshadowed the return of Van Jefferson, who made his season debut.
Jefferson split playing time with Bennett Skowronek in three-receiver sets and didn’t really impact Allen Robinson II’s playing time.
Those three receivers would play nearly every snap if Kupp misses any time with an injury.
Robinson is available off the waiver wire in 40% of ESPN leagues and needs to be picked up. He received a season-high eight targets and went over 50 receiving yards for the second straight game.
Jefferson should be picked up in other leagues despite not having a target. His playing time should only rise from here.

Table Notes

• Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.

• Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.

• Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.