NFC West

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is out for Sunday's season opener against the Chicago Bears because of a groin injury, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The sudden development surely will have fantasy football managers scrambling to set their Week 1 lineups. The tight ends available on the waiver wire might not be as decorated as Kittle, but there are some options that have favorable matchups that could be worth taking a look at.

NBC Sports fantasy football expert suggests Isaiah Likely of the Baltimore Ravens, Mo Alie-Cox of the Indianapolis Colts and Robert Tonyan of the Green Bay Packers as top waiver-wire adds this week. There are other options as well, such as Gerald Everett of the Los Angeles Chargers and Irv Smith of the Minnesota Vikings, so fantasy managers who have Kittle on their rosters need not panic.

Not ideal. TE’s available in more than 75% of Yahoo leagues that I like tomorrow include Isaiah Likely, Mo Ali-Cox and Robert Tonyan. I like Likely all season long - if he’s available that’s who I would pick up https://t.co/qIDYmzXLPy

— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) September 11, 2022

Plan on Kittle being out this week. Some replacement options to consider who are available in more than 40% of @CBSSports #FantasyFootball leagues …

David Njoku at CAR
Gerald Everett vs. LV
Evan Engram at WAS
Irv Smith vs. GB
Albert Okwuegbunam at SEA
Robert Tonyan at MIN https://t.co/aU8MEpgq1c

— Jamey Eisenberg (@JameyEisenberg) September 9, 2022

Irv Smith and Gerald Everett are the top-two tight ends mostly available to snatch off the waiver wire if you are dealing with Kittle/Ertz shenanigans

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 9, 2022

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Kittle is one of San Francisco's most consistent weapons, so his presence in the passing attack will surely be missed.

But what does Kittle's absence mean for the fantasy production of 49ers receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel?

Samuel will likely maintain his status as San Francisco's top receiving option. He has proved himself to be a reliable No. 1 receiver and a fantasy football powerhouse after earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2021.

The versatile fourth-year wideout is likely to remain the focal point of San Francisco's offense going forward.

Aiyuk is a more complicated case, though.

The 24-year-old had an inconsistent sophomore season in 2021, finishing with 56 catches for 826 yards and five touchdowns. He recorded over 100 receiving yards just once in 17 games.

Aiyuk reportedly had a strong training camp, so there is some hope that he's ready to fulfill his potential. He will see more passes coming his way with Kittle out of the lineup.

Fantasy owners should remain cautious with the Arizona State product, and he should stay on the bench unless there's a desperate situation at receiver.

Samuel, on the other hand, is a must-start as long as he remains healthy. He will maintain his target share even after Kittle returns, so fantasy owners can rely on him until the end of the season.

Kittle's absence will also impact quarterback Trey Lance, who is in his first year as San Francisco's starter. Lance will no longer have the big tight end as his safety blanket, so Samuel and Aiyuk will have to step up to keep the 22-year-old signal-caller comfortable.

It can be expected that Lance will be using his ability as a runner more with Kittle out of the lineup. Elijah Mitchell should also have more opportunities out of the backfield, but fantasy managers should be wary of Lance taking goal-line carries away from the starting running back.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is expected to miss Sunday's season opener against the Chicago Bears with a groin injury, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Kittle suffered the injury during practice on Monday and has been sidelined since.

However, there was some optimism that he would play after he told reporters Friday he was feeling "significantly better" than he did earlier in the week and would do everything possible to play against the Bears.

Kittle previously missed 11 games over the past two seasons due to injuries and hasn't played a full season since 2018. He missed eight contests in 2020 and three more last season, failing to perform up to his typical standards as he played through pain.

The 28-year-old caught 71 passes for 910 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games last season.

Ross Dwelley and Tyler Kroft will get more work with Kittle out of the lineup. Wide receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings should also see a heavier workload.

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams, who suffered a broken finger on the first day of training camp this year, will play in his team's regular-season opener Monday against the Denver Broncos.

"I’m ready to go, man," Adams said, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. "I’m excited."

Adams only missed two practices before returning with a cast on his hand, per ESPN's Brady Henderson.

Jamal Adams is back after missing the Seahawks’ last two practices. He’s wearing a cast over the left hand that he re-injured at the end of the first practice. pic.twitter.com/tVHNZtWcpK

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 1, 2022

The former LSU star didn't play in the preseason, but as Condotta noted, that was the case for other starters as well.

Adams has not been listed on the Seahawks' injury report this week.

The broken finger occurred after Adams accidentally got his finger twisted in another player's face mask during practice, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.

Adams has been gutting through numerous injuries over the past few years, including a twice-torn labrum that forced him on injured reserve and ended his season early last year after 12 games. He finished the year with 87 tackles and two interceptions.

He also had surgery that fused two of his left hand's fingers. Adams told reporters:

"Been going through that for two years now. I mean, my first year when I got here, dislocated my ring finger probably about 10 times and the other one, probably about 12. So I’ve been dealing with that. I didn’t really say much. Let everybody talk about it, whatever. But you know, it’s good now and they’re in trouble. ... I played with one arm damn near for two years. But that’s no excuse. At the end of the day it was tape it up. Let’s go."

Adams is ready to rock as he enters his sixth NFL season and third with Seattle. The 26-year-old has earned three Pro Bowl nods and a First-Team All-Pro appearance thus far in his pro career.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay seemingly provided some insight Friday into why running back Cam Akers saw limited playing time during Thursday night's season-opening 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium.

According to ESPN's Sarah Barshop, McVay said the following about the third-year player:

"There were some instances where there were some positive things and some things that he can do better, but we want to see just an increased level of urgency and accountability snap in and snap out from him.

"I know what Cam is capable of. We've all seen how talented and what a special player this guy's capable of being. And I want to see him reach his highest potential."

Akers was expected to be the lead back in a partial timeshare with Darrell Henderson entering the season, but Akers barely played on Thursday, rushing three times for no yards and seeing only an 18 percent snap share.

Meanwhile, Henderson was the bell cow, playing 82 percent of the offensive snaps and rushing for 47 yards on 13 carries while also catching five passes for 26 yards.

Akers was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of Florida State, and after a slow start to his rookie season, he came on late in the year, finishing with 625 rushing yards and three touchdowns from scrimmage.

Prior to the 2021 campaign, Akers tore his Achilles, and he was expected to miss the entire season. Shockingly, he recovered enough to play in one regular-season game and during L.A.'s entire playoff run to a Super Bowl title.

Akers struggled mightily in the postseason, though, rushing for 172 yards in four games and averaging just 2.6 yards per carry.

The 23-year-old Akers is still just over one year removed from an injury that usually takes well over a year to fully recover from, so there may be an easing-in process as the 2022 season goes on.

Given how poorly the Rams played in their loss to Buffalo, it is fair to wonder if McVay will consider major changes for next week's home game against the Atlanta Falcons, including more playing time for Akers.

San Francisco 49ers fan Daniel Luna is suing the Los Angeles Rams after an alleged attack in the Rams' stadium parking lot earlier this year left him in a coma.

According to TMZ Sports, Luna alleges that Bryan Alexis Cifuentes pushed him and then punched him during the second quarter of the NFC Championship Game in January while a group of people watched the game from the parking lot at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Luna added that he was defenseless and became unconscious after getting punched, which resulted in him being put in a medically induced coma. Luna came out of the coma five weeks later in March.

Luna alleges the Rams didn't do enough to prevent the incident from happening, so he is suing the Rams, Cifuentes and others for unspecified damages.

Before allegedly getting punched by Cifuentes, Luna said he "made contact" with Cifuentes from behind and then walked away.

Inglewood Mayor James Butts Jr., who announced the arrest of Cifuentes in February, said at the time that investigators said Luna pushed Cifuentes before Cifuentes pushed and then punched Luna.

Cifuentes was charged with felony assault by means to produce great bodily injury, and he pleaded not guilty to the charge in August. Cifuentes' case is ongoing.

The Rams overcame a 17-7 deficit to defeat the 49ers 20-17 in the NFC Championship Game, and they went on to win the Super Bowl over the Cincinnati Bengals.

On Thursday night, the Rams opened the 2022 season with a 31-10 home loss to the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan ripped the idea that the team doesn't trust second-year quarterback Trey Lance after restructuring the contract of veteran Jimmy Garoppolo to keep him on the roster.

"It sounds like a fan talking and they have zero idea of what they're talking about. Not to insult a fan or anything," Shanahan said during an appearance on KNBR, per The Athletic's David Lombardi.

Garoppolo and the 49ers restructured his contract last month. His new deal is worth $6.5 million fully guaranteed with incentives that can make it worth nearly $16 million.

San Francisco attempted to trade Garoppolo throughout the offseason but was unsuccessful due to his salary (which was nearly $27 million before the restructure) and concerns about his shoulder. He underwent shoulder surgery in March and was cleared to practice in July.

The 49ers have fully committed to Lance as their starting quarterback this year, meaning Garoppolo will serve as his backup.

However, if Lance struggles, it's reasonable to believe Shanahan will opt to start Garoppolo.

That said, Shanahan did make sure to tell his team to support Lance even if he struggles, just as it did Garoppolo in the past, via ESPN's Nick Wagoner:

"Our players also know Jimmy went through some tough times, too, and they had his back regardless of if they thought there was a better option. You've got to realize when you do struggle, those guys know it's a lot harder to play well when no one has your back. You've got to help guys through that. And I think we have got the guys who can do that. I think our guys did that for Jimmy when he was here, even when he was having some tough times and allowed him to fight through that, and I believe our guys will do the same thing for Trey.

"I understand what people outside of our locker room will say and they are right in terms of human nature to do that. But it's going to happen regardless if you don't play well."

The 49ers will open the 2022 campaign against Justin Fields, the 2021 11th overall pick, and the Chicago Bears on Sunday. It will be Lance's third career start. If he struggles early in the season, 49ers fans may call for Garoppolo to reclaim the QB1 spot.

Allen Robinson was perfectly set up for a return to fantasy football dominance when he signed with the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams to catch passes from Matthew Stafford.

Or so it seemed.

Robinson was a fantasy football dud in 2021 with 38 catches for 410 yards and one touchdown, although he was playing for a Chicago Bears team that was breaking in a rookie quarterback and didn't have many weapons around him.

Playing alongside Cooper Kupp on the established Rams figured to be different, but he had a grand total of one catch for 12 yards on two targets in a brutal 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Thursday's opener.

Social media noticed:

Allen Robinson on the Bears vs. Allen Robinson on the Rams pic.twitter.com/aoLBj4TWLD

— Henny Omega (@CamronSanto) September 9, 2022

Allen Robinson. pic.twitter.com/moARDvzhRA

— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) September 9, 2022

Maybe Allen Robinson is a quarterback curse

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) September 9, 2022

https://twitter.com/SteveGalloNFL/status/1568079638714253313

Allen Robinson had a Kenny Golladay-esque season in 2021 and his ADP didn’t change from 2021 to 2022

We were betting solely on Matthew Stafford, huh?

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) September 9, 2022

Allen Robinson’s last 100 yard game was quarterbacked by Mitch Trubisky against Mike Glennon’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

— Davis Mattek (@DavisMattek) September 9, 2022

Per @NextGenStats, Allen Robinson aligned against Dane Jackson on just under half his routes. Also saw 6th round rookie Christian Benford a bunch.

2 targets, 1 rec, 12 yards

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) September 9, 2022

Allen Robinson has not been part of the offense because he is away filming DUNE.

— Nora Princiotti (@NoraPrinciotti) September 9, 2022

https://twitter.com/riversmccown/status/1568074081127342081

I will not overreact to Week 1... I will not overreact to Week 1... I will not overreact to Week 1 except about Allen Robinson...

— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) September 9, 2022

Matthew Stafford is the best quarterback to never throw the ball to Allen Robinson.

— Adam Rank (@adamrank) September 9, 2022

It's one thing if Kupp (15 targets) and tight end Tyler Higbee (11 targets) see more opportunities than Robinson, but he also finished with fewer targets than Darrell Henderson Jr. and Ben Skowronek.

Perhaps the version of Robinson who surpassed 1,100 receiving yards in three different seasons will show up for the Rams when they host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2, but his tenure with Los Angeles is not off to an ideal start.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams were blown out by the Buffalo Bills 31-10 in their 2022 season opener on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and head coach Sean McVay is shouldering some of the blame.

"We weren't ready to go. That's on me," McVay told reporters after the loss. "There was a lot of decisions I made that didn't put us in the best position to succeed. It was a very humbling night."

He added, "We're going to fix this."

The game was tied 10-10 at halftime, but the mistakes began to pile up for the Rams in the second half, and Josh Allen and the Bills went on to break it open with 21 unanswered points after halftime.

Aside from the team lifting the Lombardi Trophy in front of a packed stadium before kickoff, nothing seemed to go right for the Rams on Thursday night.

Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 29 of 41 passes for 240 yards and one touchdown against three interceptions. The team's offensive line was also horrid, allowing seven sacks.

Matthew Stafford total sacks:

7 — 2021 playoffs
7 — Tonight

Last time he was sacked that many times he was a Lion. pic.twitter.com/F1ZQwV1bCA

— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 9, 2022

Star wide receiver Cooper Kupp was a bright spot, catching 13 passes for 128 yards and one touchdown, but the rest of the receiving group was subpar. Tight end Tyler Higbee, running back Darrell Henderson Jr. and wide receivers Ben Skowronek, Allen Robinson II and Brandon Powell combined for just 112 yards.

Robinson, who signed a three-year, $46.5 million deal with the Rams during the offseason, caught just one pass for 12 yards in what was a disappointing L.A. debut for the veteran.

Henderson also saw the majority of snaps at running back, finishing with 13 carries for 47 yards. Cam Akers, who was expected to be the team's top running back this year, had just three carries for no yards.

Akers is working his way back from an Achilles tear suffered in July 2021, but it was surprising to not see him more involved in the season opener.

McVay told reporters that he couldn't get Akers and Robinson more involved because the offense couldn't get into a rhythm.

The Rams will look to bounce back next weekend when they host the Atlanta Falcons.

"My favorite part about sports is the opportunity to respond," McVay told reporters.

Odell Beckham Jr., who remains a free agent as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in last year's Super Bowl, was in attendance for the NFL's regular-season opener between his former team, the defending champion Los Angeles Rams, and the Buffalo Bills.

And it was a bittersweet experience for him:

At this game overwhelmed wit emotion I don’t kno how to feel 😂… part of me wants to be out there and the other part of me is enjoying watchin the benefits of the hard work these people put in!

— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) September 9, 2022

Beckham took part in the pregame ceremonies for the champion Rams, wearing yellow pants and a blue hat in an ensemble that definitely, totally, absolutely didn't have people raising their eyebrows just a bit at what it all might mean:

Probably a good sign that the expected return of Odell Beckham Jr. to the #Rams is right on track. GM Les Snead looks pretty happy. pic.twitter.com/5lrHnKmdgY

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) September 9, 2022

Odell Beckham Jr. is also in the house tonight as the @RamsNFL get set to kick off against the @BuffaloBills.

What do we think? Is @obj here to stay in LA? pic.twitter.com/VPsSN9rKyf

— Kristen Lago (@kristenmlago) September 8, 2022

And now OBJ hugs Les Snead, Reggie Scott, Cooper Kupp, Ben Skowronek, Sean McVay, Jalen Ramsey and Raheem Morris. OBJ looks right at home on the Rams' sideline.

— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) September 8, 2022

(I am trolling as he is hugging a lot of people)

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 8, 2022

Beckham was on the Rams last season, so it wasn't a surprise that he was present for the team's banner unveiling to celebrate its title. Until he signs with a new team, however, the speculation will be rampant.

At least for Thursday night, he had to settle for watching two Super Bowl contenders do battle from the sidelines.

Fantasy football players who took a chance on Cam Akers are not happy.

The Los Angeles Rams running back had three carries for zero yards during Thursday's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He was clearly behind Darrell Henderson Jr. (13 carries) in the running back rotation, and even Brandon Powell got a carry for the Rams.

Akers' lack of production and opportunity drew plenty of reactions:

Cam Akers managers watching Darrell Henderson get all the workpic.twitter.com/EYJvHBOPBS

— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) September 9, 2022

Rams RB Cam Akers did not play in the first quarter.

Darrell Henderson handled all 4 carriers.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 9, 2022

Brandon Powell with as many runs called for him as Cam Akers pic.twitter.com/3SNVR4coMm

— Christopher Harris (@HarrisFootball) September 9, 2022

Cam Akers owners not happy. Henderson owners: 😁

— Behind the Steel Curtain (@btsteelcurtain) September 9, 2022

We have our first fantasy football question of the year: where in the world is Cam Akers?

— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) September 9, 2022

No Cam Akers?! Confusion… kick returner getting attempts over him. EXCUSE ME??!!!

— ✝️ (@FEsquiat) September 9, 2022

Bruh I'm seeing everybody in the backfield for the Rams BUT Cam Akers 😤 should've never drafted him in fantasy.

— Jay (@___jbone) September 9, 2022

Cam Akers managers punching air rn 😭

— Shav (@ThatGuyShav) September 9, 2022

Rams RB snap count after 4 drives

Darrell Henderson 22
Cam Akers 2

Out of 24 plays

— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) September 9, 2022

Cam Akers fantasy owners right now pic.twitter.com/beInPuwcha

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) September 9, 2022

Fantasy managers looking for Cam Akers… pic.twitter.com/KxR2c4uXeU

— Rotoworld Football (@rotoworld_fb) September 9, 2022

Rush yards over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats

Henderson: +7 on 7 carries
Akers: -7 on 2 carries

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) September 9, 2022

5 of 32 snaps for Cam Akers in the first half isn't good.

This isn't a timeshare it is a takeover by Darrell Henderson. https://t.co/XeP8ktXiHh

— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) September 9, 2022

There was always a risk involved with drafting Akers. Not only is he splitting time in the backfield with Henderson, but he also tore his Achilles before last season and played just a single game in the regular season before appearing in four playoff games.

It is still incredibly early in the season, and Akers figures to have some type of role in the loaded Rams offense.

But it was a concerning role for fantasy football players in the opener Thursday.