NFL Week 1 Thursday Night Football Player Props and Best Bets

Welcome to the first Thursday Night Football game of the year! Every Thursday, we will drop a player prop article featuring some of our favorite bets to use across different betting platforms.

A lot of these picks are based on what the betting sites are offering, along with data-driven reasoning for why they could end up being great bets.

Let’s dive into our favorite player props for Thursday Night Football!

Thursday Night Football Player Props

San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams

• Los Angeles Rams are favored (-3.5) over the San Francisco 49ers
• Total Over/Under: 48.5

Player Props | Best Bets

Make sure to check out all of our Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!

On the Rams side of the ball, Matthew Stafford should get off to a fast start against the 49ers. PFF ranked San Francisco’s defense 20th heading into the season. Even better for Stafford, the 49ers’ secondary ranked 23rd entering 2026 after receiving the third-lowest grade in the NFL in 2025.

Stafford dominated in both games against the 49ers last season, averaging 340 passing yards and 3.5 touchdowns over the two matchups. Based on San Francisco’s struggles in the secondary, Stafford should be able to light them up again and finish with over 260 passing yards in this matchup.

Stafford has also been great at keeping turnovers to a minimum, throwing only eight interceptions in three of the last four seasons. The 49ers tied for the second-fewest interceptions in the NFL last year with six. San Francisco also failed to intercept Stafford in either matchup last season, so let’s repeat that in Week 1 with Stafford under 0.5 interceptions.

Moving over to Stafford’s top weapon, Puka Nacua is on track to play in Week 1. Nacua will likely see coverage from up-and-coming slot corner Upton Stout. The former third-round pick is expected to improve in 2026, but Nacua should still be able to dominate. He surpassed 86 receiving yards nine times last season, including once against the 49ers. I’m not going to doubt a star player in a primetime game, so take Nacua over 86.5 receiving yards in this matchup.

The same can be said about his touchdown upside. Nacua had a career-high 10 touchdowns last season and ranked inside the top 10 in red-zone targets. The 49ers allowed the fourth-most touchdowns to the position, and Nacua has scored three times in five career games against San Francisco. Give me Nacua to score an anytime touchdown in Week 1.

Staying with the Rams, Kyren Williams has a solid receiving prop worth taking a shot on. The 49ers allowed the second-most receptions and 10th-most receiving yards to opposing running backs in 2025. Williams surpassed this mark in 11 of 17 games last season. While his reception total may be low, as I’m expecting the Rams to play from ahead, Williams should be able to do enough with at least one catch to get over 9.5 receiving yards. He has surpassed that mark in four of his five career games against the 49ers.

The Rams’ tight ends are going to be a fun group this year, but mostly a headache for fantasy football, so why not take a chance on them for player props? Starting tight end Colby Parkinson found a consistent role after the Rams’ bye week last season, producing over 20 receiving yards in eight of his final nine games. Parkinson’s target rate ranked fifth among tight ends, and he finished inside the top 35 at the position in routes run. He is clearly a target for Stafford when he’s running routes, so look for Parkinson to go over 20.5 receiving yards.

Second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson is more of a dart throw in this game. The Rams use a heavy amount of 13 personnel, which puts three tight ends on the field at the same time. His 6-foot-7 frame makes him an attractive option in the red zone. The 49ers allowed the fifth-most touchdowns to tight ends last season. Ferguson is poised for a breakout season, so with the potential for a tight end to find the end zone, let’s take Ferguson to score an anytime touchdown.

Star running back Christian McCaffrey should have a slightly easier task now that Aaron Donald isn’t making the trip to Australia for Week 1. The Rams’ defense is still elite and ranked inside the top 10 against the run last season. They even held McCaffrey to 87 rushing yards combined across their two matchups.

The Rams’ offense may also force the 49ers to play from behind, limiting McCaffrey’s opportunity for a high carry total. He should finish under 69.5 rushing yards, a mark he failed to surpass in nine of 17 games last season.

While McCaffrey may not hit his rushing prop, his receiving ability still gives him a chance to produce plenty of total yardage. In four games as a 49er against the Rams, McCaffrey has surpassed 100 yards from scrimmage three times. He also reached 100 scrimmage yards in 12 games last season.

With Myles Garrett attacking up front, look for the 49ers to get the ball out quickly to McCaffrey. That should help him get over 102.5 rushing and receiving yards and over 4.5 receptions. The Rams ranked inside the top 10 in receptions allowed to running backs last season, giving McCaffrey another opportunity to make an impact through the air.

Finally, veteran tight end George Kittle will play his first game since tearing his Achilles. Kittle is expected to be on a snap count in his return, which could limit his opportunities in this matchup. The 49ers may want him to focus more on blocking, an area where he has always been elite, rather than giving him a full workload in the passing game.

The Rams have held Kittle to three or fewer receptions in three of his last five matchups against them. With the potential for a snap count and new weapons looking to build chemistry in the offense, look for Kittle under 3.5 receptions.

My Preferred Parlay for This Matchup (+2000)

• Matthew Stafford — Under .5 Interceptions
• Matthew Stafford — Over 260.5 Passing Yards
• Kyren Williams — Over 9.5 Receiving Yards
• Puka Nacua  — Anytime Touchdown
• George Kittle — Under 3.5 Receptions