Football is in the air, once again! Week 1 officially got started on Wednesday (isn’t that weird to say?) with Super Bowl LX’s rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Now, we get to look forward to Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. These two NFC West division rivals have been going at it for years and are arguably one of the best rivalries in all of football. The Rams have a losing record against the 49ers over the last five years, with a 4-6 head-to-head record. The 49ers have an edge in head-to-head games; the Rams have won the more recent Super Bowl between the two franchises.
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Week 1 Thursday Night Football Preview
Both teams finished 12-5, but the 49ers limped into the playoffs missing much of their starting defense. Both teams also lost to fellow division rival Seattle Seahawks, sending the teams back to square one. Heading into 2026, both teams seem to be going in different directions. Both offenses are pretty good when healthy, with the Rams being at the top of the charts last season, ranked first overall. Injuries aside, the 49ers finished 10th overall in offense last season.
The Rams finished top five in both rushing and passing in the offensive categories, averaging nearly 31 points per game. The 49ers held their own, finishing fifth overall in passing but 24th in rushing, according to ProFootballReference.
The key to this matchup might be the defenses. Each team is either getting back healthy players or bringing in new additions to the roster. The 49ers get back Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, both of whom dealt with season-ending injuries last season. The Rams brought in new pieces, adding Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie during the offseason. Defensively, not much separates the two defensive units overall. The Rams finished with the 10th-ranked defense, with the 49ers finishing 13th. The Rams allowed 20.8 points per game while the 49ers allowed 21.8. Both teams, when healthy, are dangerous squads to go up against.
To make the matchup more difficult to call, they know each other very well, with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay matching wits throughout the games.
For fantasy football, both teams have optimal options for fantasy lineups to get the fantasy season started.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
The Fantasy Breakdown
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are locked and loaded, with the NFL world expecting them to be at the top of the offensive charts once again this season. The reigning MVP and ageless wonder Matthew Stafford has shown no signs of slowing down after leading the league in passing yards last season. Stafford is still being drafted outside of the top 12 in 12-team redraft leagues despite finishing as the QB3 in fantasy points per game at 20.6 per. Stafford finished with a wild 46-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio and will have all of his weapons at his disposal.
Wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams will be his top options in the passing game for another season. Nacua, who was in the news during the offseason, was a hot topic for receiving discipline from the NFL. According to Adam Schefter, however, it seems like Nacua will avoid both the Commissioner’s Exempt List and suspension from the league (for now) and be available for Week 1’s game. Some believe that Davante Adams has lost a step. That might be true. But he’s still a dangerous weapon to account for in an offense that loves to pass the ball. Adams made his mark in the red zone, scoring 14 touchdowns, leading all wide receivers last season. Adams also finished ninth in fantasy points per game with a near-16-point average.
"I think there's a real possibility that Puka Nacua doesn't face any discipline this season..
He's gonna be out there against the San Francisco 49ers" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/LvnBD47NKR
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 7, 2026
The one area I’m paying attention to during this game is the Rams’ run game. Kyren Williams has been the lead dog for the Rams’ backfield for a few seasons now. This offseason has been singing the praises of another potential push from backup running back Blake Corum to command more work, pushing Kyren William for an even share of the workload. So far, it hasn’t happened. Williams led the backfield last season with a near 70% snap share to Corum’s 28%. I don’t think that will change dramatically this season, but Corum does have a case. He’s definitely more explosive than Kyren Williams, but Williams is no slouch to the big play either. Williams feels like the more trusted back on the roster, evidenced by the disparity between the two in passing targets and usage in third-down situations.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are a gritty team to deal with on both sides of the ball. Brock Purdy is largely slept on as a good quarterback because of the team around him. But watching him over the last few seasons while comparing him to former 49ers quarterbacks should easily put that notion to bed. Purdy dealt with his own injuries, playing in just nine games in 2025. He still managed to put up a 19.7 FPPG average with a 20:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That’s without his top wide receiver options, Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall, for much of the season. Over an entire healthy season in 2024, Purdy threw for over 3,800 yards.
If there’s one thing I want Purdy to do, it’s to up that number in the passing touchdown category. Throwing just 20 touchdowns won’t cut it, but to be fair, he needs his weapons to stay on the field.
The 49ers attempted to address that issue by bringing in a pair of receivers, Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. They also brought back former Commanders receiver Deebo Samuel. Unfortunately, the power plant already claimed Kirk, who will begin the season on the PUP list. Fellow receiver Ricky Pearsall won’t get to see the regular season at all, landing on IR and getting season-ending knee surgery. This brings us to rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, who has been getting a lot of love this offseason during training camp. The noise around Stribling is that he can be a piece that brings the 49ers’ passing attack together. Stribling is another player on my watch list to see how the 49ers deploy him in an offense loaded with weapons.
And of course we can’t talk about the return of this player… George Kittle. Did you think I was going to bring up Christian McCaffrey? I won’t spend much time on him because you know what he’s all about. You had to spend a top five or six pick to get him in fantasy drafts this season. So you know the production is there when he’s healthy. And per all recent reports, he’s ready to go. McCaffrey was held out of Monday’s practice in Australia, but that was more of a precaution. But back to Kittle. It’s amazing to see the extent of his recovery this offseason, returning to action after tearing his Achilles in the wild-card round against the Philadelphia Eagles. Kittle returns as a reliable target for Brock Purdy in the passing game.
No one doubts Kittle’s presence in the offense, but it’s only a matter of whether he can stay on the field for an entire season. Kittle missed six games last season, so the injury narrative is always hovering around him.
And The Winner Is… (and Fantasy Advice
This is always a standard rule of thumb. Don’t get overly cute with your lineups. Your highly drafted players will lead your lineups. For the Rams, that’s Puka Nacua. For the Niners, it’s Christian McCaffrey. These are linchpin pieces who will generate more fantasy points than most players on your roster in any given week. You aren’t going to bench these guys. For the matchup, let’s look at it a different way. For the Rams, Kyren Williams and Davante Adams are also locks. Last season, the 49ers allowed the 13th-most points to opposing wide receivers at 33.1 fantasy points per game. The Rams have one of the largest-volume passing attacks in the NFL, finishing fifth in pass attempts last season. Plenty of work for both Nacua and Adams to coexist. But you knew that already.
The 49ers ranked 22nd against the run, allowing 4.3 yards per attempt to opposing running backs. That’s just enough for Kyren Williams to get busy. Not to mention he’ll get additional looks out of the backfield as a receiver. The tight end position is the only spot I would stay away from for the Rams. Terrence Ferguson, Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson… There are just too many guys at the position to want to throw in your lineup. Until they separate, fantasy managers should stay away.
For the 49ers, Mike Evans is going to be a startable player. Albeit a little risky because of his injury history. Evans has a fast track to volume in the Niners’ passing attack as the WR1. The Niners also get back tight end George Kittle, who was working his way back from a torn Achilles. Kittle is expected to suit up, giving Brock Purdy, another startable player, another weapon to target. There haven’t been any reports on whether or not Kittle will be on a snap count for the game. The Rams allowed the 18th-fewest points to opposing quarterbacks last season, at just 17 fantasy points per game. They also allowed 13 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, giving a solid floor for Kittle managers to work with.
But these divisional games are tough to call because they know each other so well. I’d be comfortable starting Purdy even against a tougher Rams defense with Myles Garrett (but no Aaron Donald just yet) on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
Deebo Samuel is another possible starter, but I would wait to see how they use him. Samuel remains a dual-threat as a rusher and a receiver. If the 49ers go back to using Samuel in that fashion, he could have renewed fantasy value. Rookie De’Zhaun Stribling will be the player I’m glued to during this game. If the Niners truly want to get this kid involved, he is going to be a fantasy gem this season. For these reasons, I’m leaving him on my bench.
For my winner pick, I’m taking the Rams to win for Week 1. They have a lot of firepower, Myles Garrett on defense, and the reigning MVP, Matthew Stafford, on their side. The over/under for the game is set at 48.5 with the Rams heading in as -3.5 favorites. The Niners will make it competitive, but I think the Rams walk out of this game with the W.
Final score: 33-20 LAR
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