Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season is here and we’ll be treated to an NFC West showdown on Thursday night featuring the San Francisco 49ers heading down the coast to visit the Los Angeles Rams. L.A. enters as a 7-point home favorite, with an over/under of 46.5. Both of these teams enter this matchup at 3-1 on the year and will try to maintain their status at the top of a very competitive divisional race.
Below, we will take a look at the best DFS plays for this Thursday night showdown.
Captain’s Picks
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers (FLEX $13,200, CPT $19,800)
McCaffrey is the highest priced player in this matchup and he still may be worth the heavy salary hit for multiple reasons. First, he’s resumed his role as a dominant fantasy running back after an injury-riddled 2024 campaign, averaging 20.12 fantasy points on FanDuel through four games. His skills catching passes in particular elevates him above the pack as his 31 receptions for 305 yards not only leads all running backs, but ranks eighth among all pass-catchers in general.
Second, well, have you seen the state of the 49ers offense? Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings are all out due to injury, meaning C-MAC may have to step up and do a little bit of everything out of necessity.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams (FLEX $11,800, CPT $17,700)
Stafford is starting to heat up and he is coming off an superb day against the Colts last Sunday where he completed roughly 71% of his passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns. It sure helps when you’re in sync with two All-Pro receivers in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams and that’s a huge part of the reason why the Rams are 3-1 heading into this primetime showdown. He’s averaging 19.3 fantasy points per game and the veteran Pro Bowler is definitely worth a captain’s spot.
Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams (FLEX $9,800, CPT $14,700)
Speaking of Adams, he’s seemingly found a good situation with the Rams after wandering the wilderness with the Raiders and Jets for the past few seasons. The three-time All-Pro was an effective WR2 for Stafford through the first month of the season and has scored a touchdown in three straight games heading into this showdown. At $14,700, there’s even value to be had by inserting him into the top slot of your lineup and there’s a good chance that he can find the end zone again here.
Value flex plays
Jake Tonges, TE, San Francisco 49ers (FLEX $6,000, CPT $9,000)
Tonges has been a decent contributor for San Francisco’s offense since George Kittle went down with a hamstring injury in Week 1 and he’s actually been a decent performer on the fantasy front. The tight end caught three of five targets for 58 yards and a touchdown that brought the Niners back to within a score in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Jags. With so many injuries to the offense, Tonges is another player San Fran will have to turn to out of necessity.
Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams (FLEX $4,400, CPT $6,600)
Corum has been getting a steady dose of work as Kyren Williams’ backup this season and he carried the ball nine times while staying on the field for roughly 30% of the snaps in last Sunday’s win over the Colts. The 49ers have been middle of the road when defending against the run so far this season and I actually think that the second-year back can make the most of his opportunities by breaking off a few big runs in this one. Keep him in mind when setting your lineups.
Kendrick Bourne, WR, San Francisco 49ers (FLEX $3,600, CPT $5,400)
Hey, someone has to catch passes for the 49ers in this matchup and Bourne will have no choice but to step it up here. The veteran is coming off a brutal game against the Jags last week where he caught one pass for 17 yards but dropped three other targets in the loss. The volume of targets he may get makes him a low-cost option that should be considered, but cross your fingers and hope that he can actually catch the football on Thursday.