#Project32 provides in-depth breakdowns, projections, and rankings of all 32 teams coupled with promotion of some charitable organizations (a ‘My Clause My Cleats’ charity from some of your favorite fantasy players on each team)
In support of Operation Progress, the 2021 ‘My Cause My Cleats’ pick of the overall WR1 Cooper Kupp.
Operation Progress partners with LAPD officers to lift the community and shape the future by working with Scholars to develop skills, relationships, new mindsets, and a toolbox to transcend socio-economic conditions while they serve as an example of success and resilience.
#Project32 Menu
- Division: NFC West
- 2021 Finish: 12-5
- Divisional Record: 3-3
- 2022 Projected Finish: 11-6
- 2022 Strength of Schedule: 31st
Los Angeles Rams Offense
Play Caller: Sean McVay
What a difference a year makes! The addition of Matthew Stafford has allowed Sean McVay to be more aggressive as a play-caller and the passing game to be more explosive. When digging into this offense, a few things stood out. The Rams threw the ball 432 times to their wide receivers, which ranked 2nd in the NFL. They use, almost exclusively, 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs), allowing their playmakers to stay on the field regardless of the situation or down and distance. McVay also uses tight formations, with typically two wide receivers lined up within a few yards of the offensive tackles. This creates extra blockers in the wide zone scheme and free releases for his receivers in the passing game. This becomes a simple numbers game for Stafford. To complement that, they will use detached bunch and stack formations making the defense show their hand in how they want to match up. If the Rams can stay healthy offensively in 2022, this could be a special season with the addition of Allen Robinson and the return of Cam Akers to a Super Bowl-defending Los Angeles Rams offense.
2021 By the Numbers
- Points Scored: 460 (8th)
- Total Yards: 6,325 (9th)
- Total Plays: 1,058 (18th)
- Yards Per Play: 6.0 (4th)
- 1st Downs: 355 (12th)
- Scoring Rate: 45.9% (3rd)
- Turnover Rate: 12.25 (17th)
- Offensive Plays/Game: 63.2 (15th)
- Pace of Play: 27.8 Second Per Play (9th)
- Passing Ratio: 59% (11th)
- Neutral Game Script: 60% (6th)
- RPO: 97 Snaps (28.9% Success Rate)
- Motion: 402 Plays (35.3% Success Rate)
- No Huddle: 179 Plays (43.6% Success Rate)
- Play Action: 160 Plays (46.9% Success Rate)
2021 Target Distribution
WRs: 432 Targets (2nd)
RBs: 76 Targets (31st)
TEs: 94 Targets (27th)
2021 Personnel Groupings
11 Personnel: 1,133 Plays
OVR: 86% (53% Success Rate)
Pass Rate: 63% (54% Success Rate)
Run Rate: 37% (51% Success Rate)
12 Personnel: 152 Plays
OVR: 12% (37% Success Rate)
Pass Rate: 26% (53% Success Rate)
Run Rate: 74% (31% Success Rate)
Offensive Line Projected Starters
LT: #70 Joe Noteboom
Age: 27 HT: 6’5 WT: 321 College: TCU Draft: RD3 Pick 89
OVR PFF: 76.0 Pass: 76.1 Run: 70.3 (174 Snaps)
Contract: 3 years / $13,333,333 per year (17th at position) – Expires 2025
LG: #73 David Edwards
Age: 25 HT: 6’6 WT: 308 College: Wisconsin Draft: RD5 Pick 169
OVR PFF: 68.4 Pass: 70.7 Run: 65.1 (1,365 Snaps)
Contract: 1 year / $696,130 per year (100th at position) – Expires 2023
C: #55 Brian Allen
Age: 26 HT: 6’2 WT: 303 College: Michigan State Draft: RD4 Pick 111
OVR PFF: 80.2 Pass: 63.5 Run 87.4 (903 Snaps)
Contract: 3 years / $6,011,667 per year (11th at position) – Expires 2025
RG: #71 Bobby Evans
Age: 25 HT: 6’4 WT: 312 College: Oklahoma Draft: RD3 Pick 97
OVR PFF: 48.2 Pass: 66.6 Run 44.7 (91 Snaps)
Contract: 1 year / $878,473 per year (61st at position) – Expires 2023
RT: #79 Rob Havenstein
Age: 30 HT: 6’8 WT: 330 College: Wisconsin Draft: RD2 Pick 57
OVR PFF: 83.4 Pass: 77.5 Run: 82.2 (1,236 Snaps)
Contract: 1 year / $8,125,000 per year (7th at position) – Expires 2023
“I think it’s safe to say his Kupp is always full!”
QB Room
#9 Matthew Stafford
Age: 34 HT: 6’2 WT: 225 College: Georgia Draft: RD1 Pick 1
Contract: 5 years / $40,000,000 per year (7th at position) – Expires 2027
Matthew Stafford spent 12 seasons in Detroit, passing for over 45,000 yards and 282 touchdowns, but only made the playoffs three times (2011, 2014, 2016) while playing in only one Pro Bowl. To say he was excited to play for the Rams in a Sean McVay offense would be a massive understatement. All he did was lead the Rams to a 12-5 record while completing 67% of his passes for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns during the regular season. How did it go in the playoffs? How about 4-0 and a Lombardi Trophy. Stafford is now a Super Bowl Champion. He signed a four-year, $160 million extension this offseason, and he’s still only 34 years old.
Stafford was outstanding in 2021 and ranked in the top ten in several advanced metrics. He was first in completion percentage against man coverage (69.1%), third in red zone attempts (116), fourth in air yards (5,170), ninth in deep ball attempts (71), third in yards per attempt (8.1), and 4th in expected fantasy points per game (22.91). I could keep going, but I think you get the point. I firmly believe he could be even better in 2022 with the addition of Robinson and the return of Akers. Did I mention he returns the top fantasy wide receiver in the NFL in 2021 in Cooper Kupp? I think it’s safe to say his “Kupp” is always full!
2022 Fantasy Outlook:
Passing: 622 Attempts, 67.4% Comp Rate, 5,019 Yards (8.1 YPA), 40 Touchdowns (6.4%)
Rushing: 33 Attempts, 1.3 YPC, 43 Yards, 1 Touchdown
PROJECTIONS TEMPLATE – GET NOW!
RB Room
#3 Cam Akers
Age: 23 HT: 5’10 WT: 217 College: Florida State Draft: RD2 Pick 20
Contract: 2 years / $1,543,261 per year (45th at position) – Expires 2024
Cam Akers ruptured his Achilles right before the start of training camp and was expected to miss the entire 2021 season, but he had other plans. He was able to return during the final game of the regular season and finished that contest with five carries and three receptions for a total of 13 yards. During the Rams’ Super Bowl run, Akers had 67 carries for only 172 yards (2.6 ypc) to go along with eight receptions for 76 yards (9.5 ypr) but never found the endzone. He now gets an entire off-season to prepare for what could be a breakout season in 2022.
The Rams only targeted the running backs 76 times in 2021, which ranked 31st in the NFL behind only the Seattle Seahawks (67). If Akers can get you 30-plus receptions in the passing game, you should consider that a win. In 2020, Akers’s rookie season, he had 145 attempts for 625 yards (4.3 ypc) to go along with 11 receptions for 123 yards and three total touchdowns. I tend to stay away from running backs coming off an Achilles injury with limited upside in the passing game, but I’m hoping Akers regains the explosiveness he showed as a rookie.
2022 Fantasy Outlook:
Receiving: 6% Target Share, 37 Targets, 30 Receptions, 284 yards (9.5 YPR), 2 Touchdowns
Rushing: 48% Rush Share, 199 Attempts, 876 Yards (4.4 YPC), 7 Touchdowns
#27 Darrell Henderson
Age: 24 HT: 5’8 WT: 208 College: Memphis Draft: RD3 Pick 6
Contract: 1 year / $1,053,001 per year (87th at position) – Expires 2023
Darrell Henderson is coming off back-to-back seasons with over 600 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground, making him one of the better handcuffs in the NFL. He finished the 2021 season with 178 total touches for 864 yards (4.9 YPT) and eight touchdowns. He had a career-high 29 receptions, proving that he has stand-alone value in this offense. He ranked in the top 15 in true yards per carry (4.5), breakaway run rate (6%), and breakaway runs (9), showing off his sub-4.5 speed when given the opportunity. This is a contract year for Henderson, and with the Rams drafting Kyren Williams, they may be open to moving on from him after the 2022 season.
2022 Fantasy Outlook:
Receiving: 4% Target Share, 25 Targets, 17 Receptions, 132 Yards (7.6 YPR), 1 Touchdown
Rushing: 32% Rush Share, 133 Attempts, 597 Yards (5.0 YPC), 5 Touchdowns
WR Room
#10 Cooper Kupp
Age: 29 HT: 6’2 WT: 204 College: Washington Draft: RD 3 Pick 5
Contract: 5 years / $26,700,000 per year (4th at position) – Expires 2027
Where do I even start with Cooper Kupp? In 2021, he played a full schedule of games for only the second time in his 5-year career and went beast-mode on the entire league. He racked up an insane 191 targets, 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns. If you want to include his four post-season games, those totals climb to 233 targets, 178 receptions, 2,425 yards, and 22 touchdowns… in a single season! Not bad for a third-round draft pick out of Eastern Washington.
According to Reception Perception, Kupp’s success rate against man coverage was 91.7%, the second highest score ever recorded behind only Antonio Brown in 2014. When you consider how often he sees zone coverage (72.8%), that’s an astonishing number. He beats press coverage at a clip of 76.7% with a complete toolbox of release moves. He finished first in too many metrics to list, but the ones that stand out include yards after catch (855), yards per route run (3.33), and fantasy points per game (25.9). It’s not a reach to think that Kupp could break the single-season records for targets (204), receptions (149), and Receiving Yards (1,964) set by Marvin Harrison, Michael Thomas, and Calvin Johnson, respectively.
2022 Fantasy Outlook:
Receiving: 29% Target Share, 180 Targets, 135 Receptions, 1719 Yards (15.0 YPR), 15 Touchdowns
“This is the calm before the storm in terms of the potential of this wide receiver room”
#1 Allen Robinson
Age: 28 HT: 6’2 WT: 220 College: Penn State Draft: RD2 Pick 29
Contract: 3 years / $15,500,000 per year (21th at position) – Expires 2025
Allen Robinson is coming off the worst year of his NFL career, excluding 2017 when he played in just one game. He finished the 2021 season with just 38 receptions for 410 yards and just one touchdown in 12 games. This is the same player that has ended with over 150 targets four times in his 8-year career, including three 1,000-yard seasons. It was time for Mr. Robinson to get out of Chicago, and he got a fresh start with the defending Super Bowl Champions.
Robinson will take on the possession role that Odell Beckham Jr. vacated. This is the calm before the storm in terms of the potential of this wide receiver room. You have the alpha slot receiver in Kupp, the possession ability of Robinson, and the deep-threat capabilities of Van Jefferson. Robinson will provide a safe floor in 2022, but his ceiling could take you back to 2014 Allen Robinson (80/1400/14).
2022 Fantasy Outlook:
Receiving: 21% Target Share, 131 Targets, 85 Receptions, 1062 Yards (12.5 YPR), 10 Touchdowns
#12 Van Jefferson
Age: 25 HT: 6’2 WT: 200 College: Florida Draft: RD2 Pick 25
Contract: 2 years / $1,402,785 per year (107th at position) – Expires 2024
Van Jefferson was not heavily involved as a rookie in 2020, but when asked to transition from a possession receiver to a deep downfield threat, we got a snapshot of what he could be in this high-powered offense. He finished the 2021 season with 89 targets, 50 receptions, 802 yards, and six touchdowns. More importantly, he’s earned Sean McVay’s and Matthew Stafford’s trust.
Jefferson finished as a WR2 in several metrics, including air yards (1,182), average depth of target (13.3), red zone targets (16), and yards per reception (16.0). Coming into year three in this offense and a clearly defined role, we could see an even more significant jump in production in 2022. The only thing that could derail his fantasy outlook for 2022 will be if the Rams re-sign OBJ. Let’s hope for Van’s sake that doesn’t happen.
2022 Fantasy Outlook:
Receiving: 13% Target Share, 81 Targets, 47 Receptions, 704 Yards (15.0 YPR), 5 Touchdowns
TE Room
#89 Tyler Higbee
Age: 29 HT: 6’6 WT: 249 College: Western Kentucky Draft: RD4 Pick 12
Contract: 2 years / $7,250,000 per year (18th at position) – Expires 2024
Tyler Higbee enters his seventh season with the Rams as the clear TE1 in this offense. He is heavily utilized in both the run and passing game and rarely comes off the field. He turned 85 targets into 61 receptions, 560 yards, and five touchdowns in 2021. Higbee was heavily utilized in short to intermediate areas of the field and less as a seam option in this offense, leading to only 9.2 yards per reception (24th) and 6.6 yards per target (22nd). However, on the flip side, he finished first in red zone targets (20), ninth in target separation (1.80) and sixth in expected fantasy points per game (11.8) at the tight end position. Higbee has been a consistent contributor to this offense over the last three seasons, and we should expect more of the same in 2022.
2022 Fantasy Outlook:
Receiving: 12% Target Share, 75 Targets, 54 Receptions, 543 Yards (10.1 YPR), 5 Touchdowns
**Advanced Stats & Metrics provided by Yards Per Fantasy, Player Profiler, Sharp Football Analysis, Fantasy Pros, Team Rankings, Pro Football Focus, Over the Cap and Pro Football Reference**
#PROJECT32 MENU
Draft With Us On Underdog! Use Promo-Code: YARDSPER for a 100% deposit match up to $100!
