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

PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2022.

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DEN@JAX | CAR@ATL | CHI@DAL | MIA@DET | ARZ@MIN
LVR@NO | NE@NYJ | PIT@PHI | TEN@HOU | WSH@IND
SF@LAR | NYG@SEA | GB@BUF

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.