Davis

Allen

Kupp’s absence was expected, given his projected multi-week recovery timeline. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue notes “Jimmy [Garoppolo] back in the backup spot at QB after his two-game suspension.” The Rams are exceptionally short-staffed with Puka Nacua also on injured reserve. They will likely try to eke out a win through a run-heavy offensive attack.

The Rams’ short-staffed pass-catching corps will be without its No. 2 tight end as well. Allen was unable to practice all week though, so this is hardly a surprise. While he is firmly entrenched behind starter Colby Parkinson, a Week 4 return would at least provide Matthew Stafford with a capable rotational player.

Durant suffered an apparent toe injury in the Rams’ Week 1 loss to the Lions, but played with a decreased workload for Week 2. He starts out the week not practicing, adding to the Rams’ injury woes. With Durant’s Week 3 also in jeopardy, the 49ers offense will have a plus matchup against a weakened Rams secondary. K Joshua Karty (groin) and TE Davis Allen (back) also did not participate, all sitting out practice with WR Cooper Kupp (ankle). The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue mentions CB Ahkello Witherspoon as an elevation candidate heading into Week 3.

The team’s offensive line is depleted after placing Steve Avila and Joe Noteboom on injured reserve, while Puka Nacua was placed there as well. Allen is one of the key injuries listed on the inactives list, missing Week 2 with a back injury and leaving Colby Parkinson the definitive tight end target for the Rams.

Allen played behind free agent addition Colby Parkinson in Week 1. Parkinson led all tight ends in routes in his first game as a Ram and hauled in four passes for 47 yards. Allen’s likely absence locks Parkinson in as a volume-based TE2.

Allen played a handful of snaps in Week 1, seeing one target. He starts out the week as a non-participant, and based on how he ramps up over the next couple of days, Allen could miss Week 2 against the Cardinals. Regardless, Colby Parkinson is the tight end to own from the Rams.

Rodrigue has steadily beat the drum for the Rams’ tight end room this offseason, though it remains to be seen how much of a personnel shift Sean McVay will employ, having led the league in 11 personnel usage in five-of-seven seasons as the Rams head coach. Tight ends coach Nick Caley, who coached the Patriots’ tight ends from 2017-to-2022, reportedly turned down an offer for the Patriots’ open offensive coordinator role this offseason, “in part because of the group of players he coaches in L.A.” Fantasy managers should continue monitoring second-year TE Davis Allen and free-agent signee TE Colby Parkinson’s training camp development while starter Tyler Higbee rehabilitates a pair of Grade 3 ACL and MCL tears that occurred on January 14th.

Higbee tore his ACL and MCL in LA’s Wild Card Round loss to the Lions. He was taken down on a blindside hit to the leg. Though Snead didn’t set a timeline for his recovery, it’s safe to assume Higbee will not be available for the first month of the season. He could miss more than half of the year. Davis Allen didn’t do much in his rookie season but did serve as Higbee’s backup for the majority of his debut campaign. He could be in line for a larger workload in year two.

Higbee was injured on a blindside low hit. The same type of hit that led to knee injuries for both T.J. Hockenson and Sam LaPorta earlier in the season. It seems like a fairly simple tackle to get out of the game, and one that might prevent a lot of knee injuries. In Higbee’s case, he will undergo surgery and almost certainly will miss the start of the season, most likely at least the first half of the season. That could lead to a bigger workload in 2024 for rookie TE Davis Allen.

It took Allen a few tries, but he eventually found the end zone on a seven-yard score for the first touchdown of his career. With Tyler Higbee sidelined, Allen stepped up to lead the Rams’ tight end room, hauling in passes of 18 and 21 yards to turn in a big outing in what was his busiest game of the season. Allen won’t be on the Week 15 radar if Higbee is active, but could have some streaming upside against the Commanders if Higbee is held out.