Entering last night's contest, Brock Purdy was the QB9 in points per game. Kyren Williams was the RB9. Cooper Kupp was the WR5. Jauan Jennings was the WR14. George Kittle was the TE1. One of the ugliest TNF games in recent memory also produced ugly starts for the fantasy playoffs. For some of you, this is a tough hole to dig out of.
The opportunities were there, starting with Deebo Samuel. Yesterday I stated my belief that he'd get more involved. And for a while Purdy looked his way more than anywhere else. Instead he finished with a 3-16 receiving line on seven targets, and he picked up only three yards on two carries. The Rams' D deserves credit. Deebo deserves whatever is the opposite. Two dropped passes -- including one that would've given him a somewhat respectable 13 fantasy points overall -- and seemingly running the wrong route, inadvertently tackling teammate Isaac Guerendo . . . It was all too much to take.
To his credit, Deebo patiently answered reporters' questions afterward, repeatedly acknowledging that he messed up. The problem is that it's not just one game. The former fantasy standout looks lost out there. He's scored in single digits in each of his last five outings. San Francisco could cut bait after the season, but it would mean a huge salary cap hit. If you have Deebo and manage to advance in your playoffs, he seems to be completely benchable against Miami (Week 16) and Detroit (Week 17).
Rain and drops played a factor, so let's not overreact to Purdy's and Matthew Stafford's letdown, Jennings having his least-productive effort in more than two months, and Kupp not catching a pass for the first time in five years. Still, the letdowns were pretty shocking, and the timing obviously couldn't be worse.
On the ground, Kyren Williams had another 31 touches, giving him 62 since Sunday and 310 on the season. If he plays thru Week 18, he'll probably hit 360-370 touches, plus whatever he accrues in the playoffs if L.A. makes the cut. That could put him near or even above 400 touches -- a major yellow flag for 2025.
And Guerendo barely racked up double-digits against a defense yielding 4.6 yards per carry to opposing running backs. His four receptions are a promising sign. Handcuff Patrick Taylor was a non-factor. It will be Guerendo-or-bust until the 49ers are forced to re-evaluate options if/when they're mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
Notably, both starting RBs regressed significantly from their Sunday showings, despite Willims earning a monster load and Guerendo reaching 20 touches.
Finally, final score predictions. I actually picked the lowest score in this community, and it was still way too high . . . and the wrong team won. It appears Chris Aldape is the big winner; he predicting a 24-21 Rams win. A big congrats to Chris.
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