Rams Have Unexpected Fantasy Sleeper for 2025 NFL Season

The Los Angeles Rams have a lot of work to do in the 2025 NFL season. They may have gone 10-7 and made an appearance in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last year, but they left plenty of room for improvement. Head Coach Sean McVay is hoping to prove that his team can still compete at the highest level and stave off rumors of the end of an era.

The offense was particularly disappointing in 2024. Amid some natural regression from quarterback Matthew Stafford and a slew of injuries to the supporting cast, they struggled to find consistency within their attack, particularly in the red zone. With Davante Adams in to replace the shell of Cooper Kupp, they could look a lot better on that side of the ball, given that Stafford gets over his lingering back issue and remains healthy throughout the campaign.

On defense last season, they were deceptively decent. They may have allowed the seventh-most yards in the NFL, but they were encouragingly stout in scoring, finishing 17th in opposing total points. Unlike the offense, they were great in the red zone, relinquishing touchdowns on just 47.5 percent of possessions there. They were also middle-of-the-pack in turnovers forced.

Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse (8) and linebacker Byron Young (0) celebrate a sack against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

When looking at the Los Angeles Rams through a fantasy football lens for the upcoming season, defense doesn’t exactly jump to the forefront. Between Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tyler Higbee, and even Matthew Stafford, the team employs quite a few valuable fantasy targets. Practically everything there hinges on the health and performance of the Rams’ aging quarterback, though.

On the other hand, LA’s defense could be a sneaky good unit in 2025, better than they were last year. NBC Sports’ Eric Samulski believes that they could even wind up being a solid fantasy pick this season:

“I was a big fan of the Rams’ pass-rush last year. They were 7th in Pass Rush Productivity rate and have plenty of talent with Jared Verse, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, and Braden Fiske. I expect more sacks in 2025. Their secondary can afford to improve their performance this season, but if they can be even an average unit, then I think this defensive line can carry them to solid fantasy production.”

Between their pass rush and turnovers forced, the Rams’ defense actually finished as a top-10 fantasy unit last season. With the upgrades they’ve made on that side of the ball, natural development from their young players, and, hopefully, a more consistent offense to help them, LA’s defense could be even better in 2025.

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All draft-position and fantasy scoring stats courtesy of Fantasy Pros on a full-PPR, 17-week basis