As we race toward August, Footballguys.com will look at one team per day with our extremely in-depth Team Reports and our quick-hitting Team Mood and Players We're In and Out On, where we check out the overall mood of each team's offense and let you know the players we are in on (because they are great values at the cost it takes to acquire them) and who we're out on (because they are too expensive and won't have a good return on that investment).
Here are all of the Team Mood and Players We're In and Out On articles:
Arizona | Atlanta | Baltimore | Buffalo | Carolina | Chicago | Cincinnati | Cleveland | Dallas | Denver | Detroit | Green Bay | Houston | Indianapolis | Jacksonville | Kansas City | Las Vegas | LA Chargers | LA Rams | Miami | Minnesota | New England | New Orleans | NY Giants | NY Jets | Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | San Francisco | Seattle | Tampa Bay | Tennessee | Washington
Quick Hits
Want a brief overview? Here it is:
- Mood - Good
- We're In On at Cost - QB Matthew Stafford and RB Cam Akers
- We're Out On at Cost - TE Tyler Higbee
Want a longer breakdown of how it's going in Los Angeles? Read on.
LA Rams, Team Mood
- Good - 12
- Neutral - 2
- Bad - 0
Staffers in a Good Mood on
- Jason Wood: Super Bowl champs return all the key offensive pieces, plus an upgrade at the No. 2 receiver position.
- James Brimacombe: Defending Super Bowl Champions. Not much more to say on why they are good.
- Craig Lakins: The defending Super Bowl champs boast a sharp-minded head coach, a franchise quarterback, and weapons at all skill positions.
- Andy Hicks: The offense has depth at all positions and quality play-calling and execution.
- Phil Alexander: Last year's top-six scoring offense may have improved with the addition of Allen Robinson.
- Sam Wagman: The Super Bowl champs are returning many key pieces of their roster and got better in a couple spots.
- Jordan McNamara: Defending champions, with a coaching staff and front office committed to keeping their championship window open.
- Jeff Bell: Sean McVay’s scheme led to a record season from Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford’s best season in a decade.
- Ben Cummins: Super Bowl champs return one of the best offenses in football.
- Chad Parsons: In Sean McVay I trust.
- Christian Williams: Getting Cam Akers back to full health and adding Allen Robinson should keep this offense dynamic.
- Kevin Coleman: The defending Super Bowl champs added Allen Robinson to the fifth-ranked passing offense in 2021.
Staffers in a Neutral Mood
- Dave Kluge: They lost Andrew Whitworth and Robert Woods. Allen Robinson makes for a great replacement at the WR2 spot, but Whitworth is tough to replace.
- Ryan Weisse: Can it get much better than defending champion? Everybody is a year older, but it should be a similar offense to 2021.
Staffers in a Bad Mood
- None.
Players We're In On at Cost
- Matthew Stafford - 5
- Cam Akers - 5
- Cooper Kupp - 3
- Allen Robinson - 3
- Tyler Higbee - 1
- Almost Everyone - 1
Reasons to be In on Cam Akers
- James Brimacombe: I am skeptical that they continue at such a high rate so I want to move my chips onto the running game.
- Craig Lakins: I'm not willing to hold his average playoff performances against him considering he shouldn't have been playing at all.
- Phil Alexander: Why should anyone focus on Cam Akers' lack of explosiveness in last year's playoffs instead of his miraculous same-season comeback from a torn Achilles?
- Sam Wagman: It was only last offseason that Cam Akers was almost a consensus top-10 dynasty running back.
- Christian Williams: Risk is built into Akers' ADP considering his upside.
Reasons to be In on Matthew Stafford
- Ryan Weisse: Stafford is cheap and tied to great wide receivers.
- Jordan McNamara: Stafford has such a good floor and ceiling combination at a good price, particularly in dynasty formats. He is an ideal QB2 in dynasty formats.
- Jeff Bell: Stafford finished just one PPG back from QB6. In year two in the system and a steep discount in a one-QB league, he is a fine QB1 selection.
- Chad Parsons: Sky-high floor with a quality ceiling as the point man of the offense, plus adding Allen Robinson.
Reasons to be In on Allen Robinson
- Dave Kluge: It's unlikely that Robinson fell off the cliff at 28. With the best quarterback of his career and on an explosive offense, he should bounce back in 2022.
- Ryan Weisse: Robinson's price is creeping up but still a value.
- Kevin Coleman: Robinson should smash his current ADP and should step into a 20% target share on one of the NFL's best passing offenses.
Reasons to be In on Cooper Kupp
- Jason Wood: He's worth drafting at No. 2 overall in any league format.
- Ryan Weisse: Kupp is expensive but worth every penny. His floor is 150 targets.
Reasons to be In on Tyler Higbee
- Andy Hicks: Higbee seems good value to me. He has bottom-end TE1 range, and his late 2019 explosion remains fresh in the mind for upside.
Reasons to be In on Almost Everyone
- Ben Cummins: Cooper Kupp is worth it. He’s that good. I’m in on the bull cases for Cam Akers and Allen Robinson. Tyler Higbee is an awesome value.
Players We're Out On at Cost
- Tyler Higbee - 6
- Cam Akers - 5
- Allen Robinson - 2
- Van Jefferson - 2
Reasons to be Out on Tyler Higbee
- James Brimacombe: With Kupp, Robinson, and Jefferson all in the wide receiver room I just don't see a huge need for the tight end position.
- Dave Kluge: Higbee is going to struggle to pull a meaningful target share with all of these playmakers. It's time to move on from the late-season 2019 run by Higbee.
- Phil Alexander: There are several better late-round tight end options than Tyler Higbee in 2022.
- Sam Wagman: I want no part of Tyler Higbee. There are better options with more upside in that mid-late TE2 tier.
- Jeff Bell: By default, Higbee is the least exciting piece of this offense. He lacks the upside to separate in a crowded tight end pack.
- Christian Williams: Swinging on players with higher upside in this range is a more sound strategy.
Reasons to be Out on Cam Akers
- Jason Wood: Just don't trust he's going to be explosive and productive on a consistent basis.
- Ryan Weisse: Yes, coming back as quickly as he did was borderline miraculous. I am still not sold on returning from an Achilles injury.
- Jordan McNamara: I'm not downgrading him for the Achilles injury, but I'm avoiding him at cost because the ceiling of the situation, with a lack of receiving work for the backfield, is a question.
- Chad Parsons: Returning to anywhere close to 100 percent is a huge question mark and the team is not receiving-friendly for running backs in recent years anyway.
- Kevin Coleman: Akers was inefficient in his return last season from his Achilles injury. A commendable recovery, but his current cost is too high in fantasy drafts.
Reasons to be Out on Allen Robinson
- Craig Lakins: I think he'll have a fine season, but can he pay off a fifth-round ADP with so many mouths to feed?
- Andy Hicks: Robinson has three good fantasy seasons in eight. His disinterest in Chicago last season concerns me if I am using a high draft pick.
Reasons to be Out on Van Jefferson
- Ben Cummins: Tutu Atwell could steal some deep targets this year.
- Christian Williams: Swinging on players with higher upside in this range is a more sound strategy.
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