Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) calls a play from the line of scrimmage in the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Will Matthew Stafford Have Fruitful Fantasy Football Season?

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 6:00 AM ET

There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Los Angeles Rams for the 2025 NFL season. They may have finished with a 10-7 record last year, capped off with a Divisional Round appearance in the playoffs, but they also produced plenty of concerns about their future prospects. The Rams snuck into the postseason with by far the worst point differential in the field, skating by through a rare "strength of victory" tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks.

Now, Head Coach Sean McVay and his team are setting out to prove that last season was an anomaly with a bounce-back year. Everything will hinge on the health and performance of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who will have to stave off rumors of his regression in 2025. Los Angeles has enlisted Davante Adams to give Staf ford another elite target in the passing game, but it won't matter if the QB can't stay healthy and produce at a high level.

Things didn't look good when Stafford missed the first two weeks of training camp with lingering back issues. Since then, he's returned to practice, and McVay has maintained that his quarterback will be available for the season opener against the Houston Texans. Stafford's availability will be the main driver behind the Rams' viability as an NFL contender and a fantasy football factory for the 2025 campaign.

The Los Angeles Rams could be one of the best fantasy football teams in the 2025 NFL season

Between Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Kyren Williams, Tyler Higbee, Jared Verse, and even the defense, the Los Angeles Rams could have multiple high-end fantasy football performers in the 2025 NFL season. However, Stafford's health and availability will dictate just how successful practically every member of the Rams will be this year.

With his return to practice, though, The Athletic's Michael Salfino is confident that he'll lead LA to an offensive resurgence this season:

"I’ve refused to downgrade [the] Rams in my rankings all summer because of Stafford’s back issue. Sean McVay said he would be playing if it were the regular season. Stafford doesn’t need more than three weeks of practice to get acquainted with Davante Adams.

I’m well over market on Adams and sticking to that (WR13 for me). I’m down on Puka Nacua (he’s not a red zone receiver, for some reason, and now has one of the best TD makers ever beside him in Adams). I love Kyren Williams at his ADP (RB12; he’s my RB10). I expect the Rams to have a top-5 scoring offense."

Those are lofty goals for a unit that finished just 15th in yards and 20th in scoring last year. Adams coming in to replace Cooper Kupp should be a significant upgrade for the Rams, especially in the red zone, but the pressure is on Stafford to prove that he can still lead a winning team in his 17th season and earn the two-year, $84 million contract he signed with LA this past offseason.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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