Brandon Powell News

Powell's usage fell in line with what became typical for the return specialist in the second half of the season. Despite an uptick in playing time, Powell managed a pedestrian 23-156-0 receiving line in 2022, while tacking on an additional 17 rushing attempts for 80 yards, all career highs. Powell heads into 2023 as an unrestricted free agent after a pair of one-year deals with the Rams, and a similar deal may be in the cards for the journeyman.

Powell was on the field for three-quarters of the Rams' snaps on offense, yet his stat line was more or less typical for him on the season. Powell was also failed to record a single kick or punt return for the first time all season, and despite the uptick in usage in the last two games, the return specialist's stock is trending downward heading into a season finale against the Seahawks.

Powell's usage in the blowout victory spiked significantly compared to prior weeks, as he was on the field for 40 snaps on offense, far more than the 21 total snaps he logged the previous two weeks combined. Despite the increased time on the field, he was unable to do much with his touches, averaging a paltry three yards per touch, and his normally robust role as a return specialist was stymied by the Broncos only kicking a total of five times during the game, in part due to a whopping four interceptions from Denver quarterbacks. Powell's role in the offense is unlikely to change, even with the surge in snap counts, which takes some of the shine off a tantalizing matchup with a soft Chargers defense in Week 17.

Powell's role in the offense has been sliding downward in recent weeks, even with Cooper Kupp (foot) and Allen Robinson (ankle) done for the year. With just seven snaps on offense against Green Bay, Powell recorded his lowest snap count since Week 10 against Arizona. On a positive note, Powell's 107 total return yards marked a season-high for the speedster, and he also managed two touches on his limited snaps after being shut out entirely during Week 14 against the Raiders.

Powell's zero in the stat sheet on offense could potentially be attributed to the illness that had him listed as questionable prior to Thursday's contest, which coincides with his sharp drop from 26 snaps to 14 between Week 13 and 14. Fantasy managers hoping for a repeat of his robust performance in Seattle, where he managed to bring in four catches for 39 yards and tacked on 45 rushing yards on three attempts, had to be disappointed with the goose egg. Powell will look to bounce back with a lengthy period to rest between now and Week 15's Monday Night Football showdown with Green Bay.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandon Powell (illness) is active for Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night. Powell was added to the injury report Wednesday after missing practice, but he will be available Thursday night. Powell and the rest of the Rams' pass-catchers have a plus draw against the Raiders, but they don't necessarily have the talent or quarterback to take advantage. numberFire's models project Powell for 4.9 opportunities and 31.3 yards on Thursday. He has a $7,500 salary on FanDuel's single-game slate. Per our nERD rankings, the Raiders defense is third-worst overall and second-worst against the pass this season.