As Week 5 of the NFL regular season kicks off with a Thursday night game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, fantasy managers face critical lineup decisions that could make or break their week. Having spent years analyzing team matchups, I have learned that starting the right assets against divisional rivals requires breaking down each player’s role within their offensive scheme, and this Rams matchup presents unique opportunities worth exploring.
The 49ers bring their best offensive weapons into this contest, where deciding who to start becomes easier when you check the projected game script and understand how Kyle Shanahan deploys his playmakers in prime-time settings. Whether you are having trouble with your flex spot or deciding between multiple San Francisco options, using a reliable start/sit tool like FantasySP can help you navigate the complexities of Week 5 lineup construction.
Let me break this down for you: when the 49ers face Los Angeles in divisional games, the pace typically accelerates, creating more fantasy-relevant touches across the board. Later in this writeup, we’ll examine how Mac Jones and Jake Tonges fit into the equation, but understanding the broader context of this NFL matchup helps you make informed choices about which assets deserve roster spots.
For those still deciding, remember that each team’s approach to this rivalry game influences player usage, so with proper analysis, your decision becomes clearer and your lineup stronger heading into the regular season’s fifth week.
Mac Jones Fantasy Outlook
With Brock Purdy out due to a toe injury again, Mac Jones steps into another start for the 49ers, and while he’s currently 2-0 in his starts this season, the numbers tell only part of the story when evaluating his fantasy value for Week 5 against the Rams. Jones has completed 66.3% of his passes for 563 yards, throwing four touchdowns and just one interception across those two victories, including 279 passing yards against the Saints and 284 yards against the Cardinals, with three of those touchdown passes coming in the win over New Orleans.
He even rushed for five yards on seven attempts, though that ground contribution remains minimal in my eyes. However, here’s where I pause based on years of analyzing quarterback matchups: LA presents a tough matchup as they operate a top-10 defense that excels at slowing fantasy QBs, which significantly impacts Jones’ ceiling this week.
Should you start him? While I have not ranked quarterbacks yet, you can expect Jones to be in the 20s somewhere when those rankings drop, and remember that four teams are on byes, meaning the available pool shrinks but that dose not elevate him to a very good fantasy asset. He’s also going to operate with less offensive playmakers around him as we’ll get into later, which further dampens his appeal even in favorable game scripts.
From my perspective after watching Jones make both starts so far, he’s just a starting option in deeper leagues where you’re desperate at the position, and honestly, I’d try to stay away from him if I could find literally any QB with a better matchup or more weapons around them, because the Rams defense knows how to neutralize backup quarterbacks who lack elite supporting casts.
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Running Back Fantasy Outlooks
Christian McCaffrey remains the workhorse back for the Niners, and after watching him dominate touches across four games this season, I can confidently say he’s one of the most reliable fantasy plays every week, though tonight presents unique challenges against LA’s stout run defense.
CMC has played 228 offensive snaps through this timeframe, accumulating 100 touches where he’s rushed 69 times for 225 yards with no scores on the ground but has absolutely dominated through the air with 305 receiving yards and two scores on 31 receptions from 43 targets, which showcases why volume alone makes him a good fantasy asset regardless of matchup.
However, with some of the team’s other injuries mounting on a short week, I could see Brian Robinson being much more involved tonight than his current 50 snaps and 24 touches overall would suggest, especially since he’s rushed 22 times for 96 yards with no scores while catching two of his three targets for three yards, making him a sneaky good starting option in different circumstances.
Should you worry about the hardest fantasy matchup a RB could have when the two backs face LA, who has been absolutely stout against RBs so far this season? McCaffrey is still projected for 19 PPR points in Week 5, which sits tied for the third highest mark in our system, and I have CMC as the No. 2 fantasy back in my rankings, while Robinson is set for four PPR points and didn’t crack my top 30 despite his talent.
From my years of analyzing running back committees, you can expect CMC to be heavily involved as always because I’m starting him without hesitation based purely on his elite usage, but Robinson becomes interesting only in really deep leagues since that tough test has me against starting him in Week 5 even though he would be significantly more appealing if the matchup wasn’t this tough.
What makes McCaffrey special is not just his rushing ability or his work as a receiver, but how the Niners deploy him across offensive situations, ensuring he always remains the centerpiece even when facing defenses designed to limit RBs, and while I wouldn’t be surprised to see Robinson pretty involved too given the circumstances, the volume disparity between the backs tells you everything about who deserves your trust tonight.
Navigating the Depleted 49ers Receiving Corps
With Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, two big name wideouts who are out for the Niners, along with Jordan Watkins who will also miss the game, tonight’s situation becomes a guessing game as available players like Kendrick Bourne, Skyy Moore, Demarcus Robinson and Marquez Valdes Scantling comprise the wide receivers from the active roster while Malik Turner, Russell Gage Jr. and Junior Bergen are all on the practice squad.
Bourne has played the most snaps at 126 among those suiting up tonight, which leaves him as my top fantasy choice, though it’s unfortunate that Pearsall and Jennings are out considering this is a pretty favorable fantasy matchup for receivers where someone could genuinely step up.
Week 1 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings
From my years analyzing receiver situations, Bourne has eight receptions on 13 targets for 87 yards and no scores, which demonstrates consistent involvement even if Pearsall led the team with 227 snaps before his injury and Jennings was at 160 before going down, making the current depth chart incredibly thin. Valdes Scantling has played 53 offensive snaps so far, catching one of his two targets for nine yards, while Moore has a 10 yard catch across two targets in his 47 snaps played, and Gage has played 28 snaps, not earning a target though, which tells you how unpredictable this situation becomes.
Robinson played 25 snaps in his first game of the year last week where he had a 20 yard catch across two targets, making him my second option behind Bourne, but here’s what you need to understand: none of these guys are very good fantasy options for tonight, and honestly, none of them are near my top 30 WR ranking list in standard formats. No San Fran receiver even appears on the FSP projection page, which should tell you everything about how unreliable this becomes, though that makes them all better deep league options if you are desperate and nowhere near standard league usability for typical rosters.
Would I start any of them? Bourne would be my selection but again, I’d only want him to start in deeper fantasy leagues where you are truly stuck, and after that, I’d take Robinson as a desperation play, but beyond those two, you might as well flip a coin on who might factor in because the opportunity distribution remains completely unclear. Moore has been more involved than MVS of late, yet I’d probably take Valdes Scantling over Moore based purely on his past production profile with other teams, though really, I’d just stay away from everyone after Bourne and Robinson in deeper leagues unless you absolutely have no other choice and need someone to throw into your lineup tonight.
Tight End Fantasy Outlooks
This situation at tight end presents unique value for fantasy managers willing to dig deep, as George Kittle, who would normally star in a good game like tonight’s contest, has been on the injured reserve list since Week 2, meaning we’ll get Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell for the Niners instead.
Tonges has played 176 snaps so far compared to Farrell who is at 147 snaps, and from my experience watching these two operate, Tongs is the better fantasy option by a good margin based purely on volume and red zone usage. He’s received 16 targets, which is third on the team for now, and Tonges has caught 12 of those passes for 125 yards and two scores, making him increasingly relevant as a sneaky good starting option given the circumstances surrounding this matchup. Farrell has just six targets where he’s caught five for 39 yards and a score, which demonstrates he could be semi involved but certainly not enough to trust in most formats.
Should you start Tonges tonight? Tonges is coming off his best showing, and with a backup quarterback in Jones who has to throw the ball to someone, combined with the team’s top two wideouts out as Jennings and Pearsall were ruled out, Tonges should be pretty involved as a safety valve underneath. Tonges is a pretty solid starting option in deeper leagues, and honestly, it would not be crazy to start him in standard leagues either, especially considering I had him ranked 22nd going into the week but would move him inside the top 20 after learning about the receiver injuries that force more targets his way.
Farrell is an option in really deep leagues, but there has to be a better option available on your waiver wire, and while he could see some work, I’m not very confident in him, so I’d avoid using him if possible unless you are absolutely desperate at TE. What makes Tonges particularly appealing beyond the raw numbers? It’s a pretty average fantasy matchup for the San Fran TEs when you examine LA’s defense against the position, yet neither guy is on the FSP TE projection page, which tells you the algorithm doesn’t quite capture the elevated opportunity Tonges faces with so many weapons out and a quarterback forced to get the ball to his most reliable checkdown option.
Kicker Fantasy Outlook
Eddy Pineiro is the kicker for the Niners after the team let go of Jake Moody after a single game, and while Pineiro is perfect on his seven field goal tries despite having missed one of his five extra point attempts, the broader context surrounding tonight’s game makes him a challenging fantasy play to trust in most formats. He’s projected for seven fantasy points tonight, which is a pretty average mark when you consider the game is projected for just 45 points, and from my years analyzing kicker situations, volume opportunity matters far more than accuracy when projecting fantasy success.
I feel that the Rams might do most of that scoring based on their superior roster health and matchup advantages, which directly impacts Pineiro’s ceiling since the Niners finding much offensive success becomes increasingly unlikely under these circumstances. Should you stream Pineiro this week? With Jones being out there instead of Purdy, combined with all the wideouts down due to injuries, I don’t see San Francisco sustaining many drives into field goal range where Pineiro can capitalize on high-value attempts.
For that reason, I’d avoid Pineiro outside of deeper fantasy setups where you’re truly desperate at the position, because even though he has been perfect technically on his tries, the offensive environment around him creates a low-volume scenario that limits his upside regardless of his leg strength or accuracy on extra point conversions.
What makes this situation particularly frustrating for fantasy managers? The team made a bold move letting go of Moody, bringing in Pineiro who objectively possesses the talent, yet being in this depleted lineup means his scoring opportunities remain capped, and there are almost certainly better streaming options available who operate within higher-scoring game scripts even if they’ve missed kicks earlier this season.
Defense/Special Teams Fantasy Outlook
The Niners’ defense has been pretty good so far this season, with the unit having allowed just 1,122 yards and 18.8 points per game, which demonstrates solid early performance that might mislead fantasy managers into trusting them tonight.
San Fran’s defense is pretty healthy, which normally would be encouraging, yet the test will be tough against the Rams’ offense given their talent level and scheme versatility that creates mismatches across all three levels. Should you stream the San Fran D/ST this week? Our projections don’t like the Niners’ D/ST, as its projected for just five fantasy points, and I too would be against starting them based on my experience analyzing defensive matchups where talent disparities become glaring.
Yes, they have been pretty stout this season, but here’s what concerns me: this will pretty easily be the best offensive unit they’ve faced, and I don’t see San Fran winning tonight, which typically correlates with defenses spending extended time on the field where fatigue compounds. I think the Niners’ defense will break down eventually and give up a decent amount of points as the Rams’ skill position players exploit one-on-one opportunities and their offense operates with rhythm throughout the game.
What about deeper formats where streaming options thin out? I’d still be fine starting the San Fran D/ST in some deeper fantasy setups where you literally have no alternatives and need someone to fill the slot, but in standard setups, I see them as a below average option that carries significant bust potential given the circumstances. The unit possesses legitimate talent when healthy, yet context matters tremendously in fantasy defense evaluation, and tonight presents a scenario where even a good unit faces an uphill battle against superior offensive firepower that should eventually wear them down through sustained drives and explosive plays that accumulate points rapidly.
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