I suspect a lot of people have given up on the Rams in their fantasy leagues. Two games and 19 points don't signal fruitful things for players wearing the golden horns.
Will week three be any different? Using 3k's game preview and history as our guide, let's take a quick look at the fantasy implications for the Rams this week.
Steven Jackson, RB: Of course the big fantasy question most people are asking is when will they get a return for drafting Jackson early in the first round. Well, this could be another tough week. Seattle has a pretty good run defense led by Julian Peterson and Lofa Tatupu. They held Frank Gore to 61 yards rushing on 19 carries last week, but Gore did manage to score a rushing TD. The week before, Seattle allowed Buffalo's Marshwn Lynch to score, but kept him under 80 yards rushing. In fact, in a game the Bills won 34-10, the Seahawks held them to just 106 yards on the ground. Jackson, according to head coach Scott Linehan, will see more work, which means Dan Kreider will have to get plenty of work as well. The passing game might be tough for the Rams running back too with those linebackers.
Torry Holt, WR: Holt's actually a smart play against the Seahawks. In both their games this season, the Seahawks have allowed a team's top WR to post a 100+ yard game; the Bills' Lee Evans and our own former Mr Ram Isaace Bruce, who had a 153 yards on 4 catches last week.
Donnie Avery, WR: Putting Avery in your lineup is a hail mary play, for sure. While the Seahawks allowed top WRs to rack up 100+ yard games, they did not allow them to score. That was left to the second and third WRs and TE. The Rams are supposedly going to play Avery, the speedy second round pick, plenty this week, at both positions, and Linehan said they've added some plays for Avery to this week's game plan.
Randy McMichael, TE: With defenders having to account for Steven Jackson, McMichael should get more balls thrown his way, especially since Seattle has a good pass rush that's sure to put pressure on Bugler. Outside of K Josh Brown, McMichael might be the safest fantasy play on the Rams this week.
Marc Bulger, QB: As mentioned earlier, Seattle has a good pass rush, probably not quite at the same level as the Giants and Eagles, but they had 8 sacks last week. Still, SF QB J.T. O'Sullivan did a mighty good job jigging around with pressure on to make throws, the benefit to not having been sacked countless times in the last three years. If the o-line has another ugly game, all bets are off.
Josh Brown, K: Score if you drafted Brown. Three field goals, the shortest of which was 46 yards, and the other two more than 50. Start this guy. He'll be motivated to be a difference maker against his old team, just like he always was against the Rams.
St. Louis DST: If ever there was a game the Rams defense could shine... They have a lot of issues to overcome, but if they elevate their play to the level they're capable of, they can be the difference maker in this game. And Seattle's passing game has "intercept me" written all over it. Leonard Little might be back, which would be a boon to the Rams this week. The Rams top cornerback Ron Bartell (did I just write that?) has a bruised rib cage, but will play and will start this week. Breakthrough game for Bartell? only if he gets some help from the other DBs.