First and foremost, I want to wish everyone a very Merry, safe and blessed Christmas! Of course, that is much more important than anything in fantasy football. Having said that, this is the second round of the playoffs for most leagues. Congratulations to everyone that made it to this round! With games stretching from Thursday night all the way to Christmas Day, there are lineup decisions to be made. As that is the case, the game leading off the week, New Orleans at Los Angeles Rams, takes on a significant role. Are there any players worth putting into starting lineups in this game? No worries, as this fantasy football Saints/Rams starts/sits edition will help get it all sorted out.

As is always the case with one of my articles, debate and discussion are strongly encouraged. If there are any that agree or disagree with the selections, or who have any questions, let’s talk about it!

New Orleans Starts

Chris Olave, Wide Receiver

First, let me say that there will be no discussion of whether to start Alvin Kamara here. If you have him on the roster, you start him. It’s as simple as that. Second, with that out of the way, one of the Saints players that you definitely want in your starting lineup, is Chris Olave. True, he has had some recent injury concerns, as he didn’t play against the Giants. However, he is listed as healthy for this game.

When looking at the game against the Panthers in week 14, Olave wasn’t anything special, but did have a TD catch. In the two games before that, though, he had 114 and 119 yards receiving. Best of all, the Rams rank 20th against fantasy wide receivers. Even better: Washington’s Terry McLaurin had 141 yards and a touchdown last Sunday against Los Angeles. Prediction: expect the same out of Olave Thursday. Get him in your lineup and don’t look back.

Derek Carr, Quarterback

No question, Derek Carr has been hit or miss this season, but he is coming on strong of late. He hasn’t rolled up the passing yardage you probably want to see. Even so, he does have five TD passes and a single interception in his last two games.

As with wide receivers, the Rams aren’t that great against fantasy quarterbacks. They come into this game ranked 24th in that area. Washington’s Howell and Brissett wound up with three TD passes between them against Los Angeles. Fantasy managers should expect the same production from Carr. Unless you have a much better quarterback option, he is very startable against the Rams.

Saints Sit

Taysom Hill, Tight End

Let me be clear here. When it comes to predicting what a player will do, none are harder to figure out than Taysom Hill. Undoubtedly, he’s had some big games this year. Case in point: he scored 16, 21.5 and 22.5 fantasy points in a three game span earlier this season. However, since then, Hill has just one game in double digit fantasy points.

Clearly, his last game against the Giants was his biggest clunker of the season. He was targeted just once in the game, catching it for a paltry four yards. Further, he had only one rush for a single yard. Even though the Rams rank a lowly 27th against tight ends, you simply can’t trust Hill in the fantasy playoffs. I know the position is always lean, but there has to be a better option than Hill. To be as blunt as I can on this fantasy football Saints/Rams starts/sits edition: find him.

Los Angeles Rams Starts

Matthew Stafford, Quarterback

For certain, this selection may seem to go against conventional wisdom, given that the Saints rank an outstanding 4th against fantasy QBs. Even so, unless a manager has a clear upgrade over Matthew Stafford on the roster, he is imminently startable in this game.

After all, Stafford only has 12 touchdowns and a single interception in his last four games. He had 279 and 294 yards with three TDs each against the Browns and Ravens in consecutive weeks. We all know how good those team’s defenses are. Stafford went through them like butter. As stated, unless there is a much better option available than Stafford, don’t be afraid to get him into the starting lineup Thursday.

Kyren Williams, Running Back

I won’t waste much time discussion why Kyren Williams should be in the starting lineup. Even though the Saints are as good against running backs as they are against QBs (4th), Williams is a must start. Over his past four games, he has 143, 88, 114 and 152 yards rushing. He also has four TDs in that stretch.

Further, Williams had 17 catches in 22 targets. Not Surprisingly, Williams has 41, 19, 17 and 27 fantasy points in those four games. He is involved in the running and passing games. He needs to be in the starting lineup on any team that has him on the roster.

Rams Sit

Tutu Atwell, Wide Receiver

Most likely, you noticed that Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua weren’t listed as starters above. Those players are good enough that you don’t need me to pitch their names. That is especially true of Kupp. However, the same can’t be said for Tutu Atwell. When the season began, he was a great story. However, the fairy tale has, unfortunately, come to an end.

In the past two weeks, Atwell has just a single catch. He hasn’t had more than three catches in a game in the last four weeks. Simply stated, he shouldn’t be on a roster, let alone starting in this game, especially in the playoffs. Send him packing before the game begins. Don’t allow him to clutter your roster any further.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy football Saints/Rams starts/sits edition! As stated at the beginning, everyone have a wonderful Christmas. I wish the best to all in you advance further into the fantasy playoffs.

Follow me on Twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news!