Rams WR Robert Woods tore ACL in practice Friday, out for season

Adam Schefter reported Saturday that Rams WR Robert Woods tore his ACL in Friday’s practice, knocking him out for the remainder of the 2021 NFL season. This news comes after Los Angeles Rams made headlines this week after signing former Giants and Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr. He signed a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Woods is in his ninth NFL season and has been with the Rams since 2017, including two 1,000 receiving yard seasons with Jared Goff under center. Woods had initially been off to a relatively slow start to the season, averaging just under four catches and 43 receiving yards per game. He had a breakout performance in Week 5 against their divisional rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, where he totaled 12 catches for 150 receiving yards.

Sean McVay indicated Friday that, “If we feel like [Odell] can help us against the 49ers, then we’ll have him ready to go.” It remains unclear if that statement was before or after Woods’ injury was confirmed. The good news is that Beckham Jr. has been active with an NFL team (despite the lack of production) and is “in football shape” to take on the field — so long as he can grasp some basics within the playbook.

It’s only a matter of time before OBJ is worked into the lineup with an increased role now that Woods is out for the season. Until we see him take on that larger role while gaining familiarity with the playbook, second-year wideout Van Jefferson looks to be an intriguing play in DFS this week (or deep season-long leagues) with an increased role.

Incredibly, FantasyPros shows Odell Beckham Jr. as available in 17% of Yahoo! leagues and 19% of ESPN leagues — so it doesn’t hurt to double-check if he might be available in your league, as he could be primed for a big second-half breakout.