How to watch, what to watch for Rams vs. Cardinals in Week 13

The Seattle Seahawks have control of the NFC West but the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals aren’t far behind and will get a chance to gain ground on the leaders when they face off in Week 13. This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams and the result could affect the playoff picture in a major way.

The Rams entered Week 12 following victories over the Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers but were unexpectedly upset by the San Francisco 49ers. Jared Goff’s three-game streak of over 300 yards passing came to an end and Cam Akers surprisingly led the rushing attack. It’s unlikely that Los Angeles will misfire again when facing Arizona though, so this game could be a shootout.

The Cardinals have lost two of their last three games and will be up against arguably the best pass defense in the NFL. Kyler Murray appears to be recovering from a shoulder injury and Arizona’s offense has struggled with their star signal caller at less than 100 percent. If Murray isn’t feeling better by game day the DeAndre Hopkins’ effectiveness could be limited. That could lead to the Cardinals depending on Chase Edmonds and Kenyan Drake to move the chains.

TV Info

Date: Sunday, Dec. 6
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Broadcast map

Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)

Rams: #6 Overall — #7 offense, #6 defense, #29 special teams
Cardinals: #13 Overall — #13 offense, #11 defense, #26 special teams

DraftKings Sportsbook odds

Rams: -2.5, -148
Cardinals: +2.5, +120
Total: 48.5

Fantasy football start/sit advice

Rams

Jared Goff, QB, $6,400

Goff was having a ton of success ahead of Week 12 and will now face a defense that ranks 30th against quarterbacks on DraftKings. Patrick Peterson can’t cover Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Josh Reynolds. This could be a game where Goff spreads the ball around to put together another solid stat line.

Cooper Kupp, WR, $6,100

Kupp was targeted a season-low five times in his last game. The last time he dropped that low was Week 1, but I don’t expect Goff’s favorite pass catcher to bust a second time in a row. Kupp ranks 10th in targets with 96 on the year and Arizona’s defense ranks 25th against wideouts on DraftKings. A ceiling game could be in the cards for Kupp.

Cardinals

Kenyan Drake, RB, $5,700

Drake tallied a season-high 22 carries in Week 12. While he only finished with 78 rushing yards he scored two touchdowns and caught three passes for 15 yards. If Murray’s shoulder continues to bother him, look for Arizona to pound the ground with Drake.

Kyler Murray, QB, $7,600

Murray is under $8,000 for the first time in three weeks. While he’s not projected to throw for a ton of yards against the Rams, his legs help him make up for his struggles throwing thr football. He could be on the run quite a bit against Aaron Donald and company. The top fantasy player in the NFL is hard to pass on because of his versatility. He rushed for 67 yards and two scores against the Washington Football Team’s stud defensive line earlier this year.