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Week 4 of the 2022-23 NFL season is almost in the books, but we’ve got a fun NFC West battle on deck for Monday Night Football before we turn the page to Week 5. This Monday night, the Los Angeles Rams will travel north to face off against the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game.

You know we need to have some action on Monday Night Football, so let’s target three players to score the first touchdown in tonight’s Rams-49ers matchup.

Cam Akers +950

Cam Akers fantasy owners were punching the wall in unison after the running back finished Week 1 with just three carries and zero (yes, zero) yards. It sure seemed as if Darrell Henderson had taken over as the No. 1 back in Los Angeles, but that hasn’t been the case since.

Akers has dominated the backfield snaps since Week 1, and he enjoyed his best game of the young season last week with 12 carries for 61 yards and a score against the Arizona Cardinals. The 23-year-old is clearly back in Sean McVay’s good graces, so he should receive a majority of the touches against San Francisco.

Allen Robinson +1200

Allen Robinson lines up against the Cardinals.
Allen Robinson of the Los Angeles Rams lines up during a game against the Arizona Cardinals | Michael Owens/Getty Images

Allen Robinson has been a major disappointment for the Rams early in the season. The veteran wide receiver has recorded just seven catches for 88 yards and one touchdown through three games, but his weak production doesn’t tell the full story.

Despite his underwhelming statistics, Robinson has been a focal point of LA’s offense inside the red zone. A-Rob ranks seventh in the NFL in red zone targets (six) through three weeks, and his targets inside the 20 have increased by one every week. McVay will continue to draw up goal-line plays for Robinson, so let’s hope we see one early.

Jordan Mason +3000

If you’ve followed my first touchdown scorer picks since the start of the season, you know I love my backup running backs. The 49ers are currently without Elijah Mitchell and Tyrion Davis-Price, which has pushed Jordan Mason to No. 2 on the depth chart.

Jeff Wilson Jr. is much more likely to punch one in Monday night, but Mason should be the first running back on the field when he needs a breather. There’s a chance Wilson has to leave the field when San Francisco gets inside the red zone, and that would create an opportunity for Mason to receive some goal-line touches. At 30/1 odds, I think he’s worth a sprinkle.

All betting odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 10/3.

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Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.