LA Rams NFL Draft Outlook: Makai Lemon Among 3 Fantasy Football Breakout Prospects

The LA Rams are projected to draft a skill player in the 2026 NFL Draft, fueling a Matthew Stafford MVP repeat.

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) celebrates after catching a 32-yard touchdown pass against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams look forward to the upcoming season with high aspirations. While they were true Super Bowl contenders in 2025, they failed to get to the big dance. Yet, the team still mostly has the talent to make their return, five years since their Super Bowl victory. The team has needs on draft day, just like everyone else, and they hope to make them effectively to fuel that championship run.

Rams Fantasy Football Situation

Matthew Stafford returns for yet another season, following his MVP win. With his weapons remaining the same, Stafford is a top-10 fantasy football quarterback.

Kyren Williams will be threatened by Blake Corum this season. That limits his upside, but William remains a top-10 running back on volume.

Puka Nacua has been quite the offseason storyline. Nonetheless, he will be back to training camp with WR1 overall upside.

Davante Adams was rumored to be a trad, but he will stay in LA. Can he repeat his 14-touchdown season? Unlikely. Adams is a WR2.

Draft Day Needs

Top Needs: Wide Receiver, Offensive Tackle

Secondary Needs: Cornerback, Linebacker

Backburner Needs: Quarterback

Which Skill Players May the Rams Draft?

Ty Simpson has been rumored to head to the LA Rams at Pick No. 13. The question is: will he last? Many NFL draft experts have hailed Simpson as better than Fernando Mendoza. He will not go ahead of Mendoza, but Simpson could find himself drafted in the top 10.

Per Kalshi, Simpson is most likely to go to the Arizona Cardinals (60%) and second to the Rams (31%). If drafted by the Rams, Simpson will be an elite dynasty stash. He will not play in 2026, unless Stafford misses time. Under Sean McVay, the future will be very high should Stafford retire after this season, as has been speculated.

The Rams' most favored player in the draft at No. 13 is Makai Lemon. The USC wide receiver is widely considered the next-best wide receiver after Carnell Tate. He compares to the play styles of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Khalil Shakir. As a Ram, Lemon would struggle to find too much immediate value, playing behind Nacua and Adams. He would be a bench stash in fantasy football, as his upside would be high if Nacua or Adams missed time.

The third skill player that the Rams may draft is Jordyn Tyson. As the team looks for another wide receiver to make this offense the best in the NFL, they are rumored to have hawkeyes on a wide receiver. If not Lemon, they can draft Arizona State's Tyson. He is also more of a slot-style wide receiver like Lemon. Tyson's value would be a bench player with big upside as the team's WR3.