Los Angeles Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford did not participate in the team’s practice on Monday despite expectations that he would take part in individual drills. The veteran QB has been sidelined for most of Rams training camp due to an aggravated disc in his back and the team has taken extra precaution with the 37-year-old signal caller.
Fantasy football impact of Matthew Stafford’s back injury
Matthew Stafford once again missed Rams practice on Monday with a back injury. We’ll look at the fantasy impact.
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Head coach Sean McVay said on Sunday that Stafford did have a successful throwing workout prior to the team’s preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys this past weekend. However, he indicated on Monday that the QB didn’t feel good enough to throw and instead, he spent time in an Ammortal rejuvenation chamber.
Stafford and the Rams officially agreed to a revised contract worth $84 million over two years back in May, ensuring that he’d return for his fifth season with the organization. The team is still expecting the Super Bowl-winning QV to be ready to go for their Week 1 opener against the Houston Texans on September 7, but his status will be closely monitored for the rest of training camp. McVay also indicated on Monday that surgery is something that has not been discussed as an option just yet.
In Stafford’s absence, veteran backup Jimmy Garoppolo has been getting first-team reps with the team. He was also held out of L.A.‘s preseason opener on Saturday as third-stringer Stetson Bennett IV led the team to a 31-21 victory.
Fantasy Football Impact
As mentioned before, Stafford’s status will be something to monitor over the next few weeks as the Rams continue on through training camp and the preseason. He is coming off a 2024 campaign where he ranked as the 19th-best quarterback in fantasy football, throwing for 3,762 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Per FantasyPros, he is currently 23rd in average draft position among QB’s and the injury may depress his value even further.
Should he actually miss time and force Garoppolo into action to start the season, the Rams’ running back room will become even more valuable to fantasy managers. Kyren Williams is already trending towards being a top 10 RB in ADP, making Blake Corum and rookie Jarquez Hunter solid later-round handcuff options.
