49ers tight end George Kittle has been a reliable option for quarterback Brock Purdy throughout the three seasons they've played together. The 49ers have been hit with injuries at the skill position as hard as any team in the league and will be without running back Christian McCaffrey (knee), running back Jordan Mason (ankle) and receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) in the NFL DFS player pool for 49ers vs. Rams on Thursday Night Football to kick off the Week 15 NFL schedule. Kittle is averaging 72.7 yards per game this season, his most with Purdy and highest since 2020, and as the TE1 in Fantasy football on a points-per-game basis, is Kittle a must-roster for NFL DFS lineups?
The Rams don't often utilize their tight ends, but that makes Colby Parkinson a cheaper option to fill NFL DFS picks. The 49ers allow the third-fewest Fantasy football points-per-game to opposing tight ends this season and Parkinson hasn't had more than one reception in any of his last six games, so that's something to consider when forming a TNF NFL DFS strategy. Before locking in any NFL DFS picks on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel for Thursday Night Football, be sure to check out the NFL DFS advice, strategy, and stacks from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.
McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every snap of NFL action, taking factors such as matchups, statistical trends, and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best DFS values that he shares only with members at SportsLine. His methodology has led to enormous cashes on FanDuel and DraftKings. Last year, he won the DraftKings Millionaire Maker twice and the FanDuel Million once. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, McClure has turned his attention to Rams vs. 49ers on Thursday Night Football and just locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Top NFL DFS picks for 49ers vs. Rams
One of McClure's top NFL DFS picks for Thursday Night Football is 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. The final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has gone from fighting to prove his worth in the NFL to being on his way to potentially securing one of the most lucrative contracts in the NFL this offseason. Despite the 49ers' struggles with a 6-7 record this year, the losses shouldn't be pinned on Purdy as he's 12th in the league in passing yards (3,032), including 10th in yards per game (252.7), making him QB9 in Fantasy football on a points-per-game basis.
The Rams are allowing the second-most yards per pass (8.0) and rank 23rd in passing yards per game allowed (224.7) this season. Josh Allen dissected the Los Angeles defense with six touchdowns (three passing, three rushing) while throwing for 342 yards last week. This is a crucial game for the 49ers to keep their postseason hopes alive and McClure expects a coach like Kyle Shanahan to find ways to replicate Buffalo's success against the Rams. Purdy had 292 yards and three touchdowns in his first meeting of the season against Los Angeles, McClure expects a similar output on Thursday. See who else to roster here.
McClure's optimal NFL DFS strategy also involves rostering Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua. Anyone who thought the fifth-round pick may just be a one-year wonder following a historic rookie season has been proven incorrect, just as Nacua has every team second-guessing why they didn't take him in the first four rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. Nacua is averaging 111.2 yards over his last five games and is coming off having 162 yards and a touchdown on 12 receptions in the Rams' 44-42 win over the Bills last week.
Nacua is as important to the Los Angeles offense as any player is to their team's success in the NFL. He has at least eight targets in each of his last five games, averaging 8.4 receptions on 11.6 targets per game during that span. Nacua has a 72% catch rate, an increase from 65.6% last year, and he's averaging more yards per game (88.5) than he did last year as well. Nacua set rookie records for receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) last season and he's been even better on a per-game basis this season, making him a must-add for McClure in TNF NFL DFS lineups. See who else to roster here.
How to set NFL DFS lineups for 49ers vs. Rams
McClure is also targeting another undervalued player who could explode for huge numbers on Thursday Night Football. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is, and the rest of McClure's NFL DFS picks, at SportsLine.
So who is Mike McClure including in his optimal NFL DFS lineups for Thursday Night Football, and which under-the-radar player offers huge value? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, NFL DFS rankings, NFL DFS advice and NFL DFS stacks, all from a daily Fantasy expert with more than $2 million in winnings, and find out.