Rams' Kyren Williams: Earns 44 total touches as rookie
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Williams rushed 35 times for 139 yards and caught nine passes for 76 yards during the 2022 season.
The fifth-round rookie's season was defined by a pair of injuries that kept him from unlocking his full potential. In June, Williams suffered a broken foot that cost him most of the preseason. Then, in Week 1, Williams sustained a high-ankle sprain that kept him off the field until Week 10. While Williams was given a fairly high snap share through the first few weeks after his return, a resurgent Cam Akers quickly sapped the usage rates of all other backs on the roster, culminating in Akers finishing Week 18 as the only back to see offensive snaps. Williams returns for his sophomore campaign as the current No. 2 back on the roster, but Akers has played his way into the clear starting role for 2023, which may limit the upside of the Notre Dame product.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Dismal usage in loss
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Williams rushed twice for six yards during Sunday's 31-10 loss to the Chargers.
Williams set a season low in snap count, with just three offensive snaps during a game where Cam Akers continued to rejuvenate his career with a stellar 19-123-0 rushing line. More concerning for fantasy managers, Akers is also taking over as the passing down back in recent weeks, an area where Williams was expected to excel. Williams has just two receptions for 13 yards in his previous five games combined, while Akers boasts eight catches for 75 yards in the same span. The Rams will be looking to play spoiler to the Seahawks in the season finale, but Akers likely will retain his role as a three-down back, relegating Williams to a pittance of touches once again.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Ineffective in limited playing time
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Williams rushed six times for 18 yards and caught his only target for three yards during Sunday's 51-14 victory against the Broncos.
Williams saw just eight snaps on offense yet earned seven touches on those limited snaps. A second-quarter drive saw the rookie get his number called on three consecutive plays, highlighted by a seven-yard run up the middle. Williams was a clear second fiddle to a resurgent Cam Akers (23-118-3), and with the Rams perhaps wanting to give Akers the opportunity to claim the backfield for his own in 2023, Williams will likely continue to see little playing time through the Rams' final two games.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Four touches in win
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Williams rushed three times for 19 yards and secured one of two targets for 10 yards in Thursday's 17-16 victory against the Raiders.
Despite seeing only eight fewer snaps than fellow running back Cam Akers, Williams was utilized far less and also ceded playing time to Malcolm Brown. Akers committed a costly fumble in the second quarter that ended a lengthy drive for the Rams, and it coincided with Williams getting his first touches of the game on the Rams' first drive of the second half. The Rams will draw one of the NFL's softest run defenses in Green Bay for Week 15, and that matchup combined with Akers having another lackluster rushing performance (12-42-1) may give Williams some hope for turning in a breakthrough game.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Sharp decline in playing time
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Williams rushed three times for nine yards and failed to secure his only target during Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Seahawks.
The Rams saw six different players record a rushing attempt Sunday, and Williams finished fifth on the team in rushing yardage, only besting backup quarterback Bryce Perkins, who took the field for a single snap. Cam Akers led the team with 17 carries for 60 yards and two TDs and was on the field for 72 percent of the Rams' offensive snaps, compared to just 28 percent for Williams. He has seemingly fallen to the No. 2 role in one of the weakest offensive units in the league, a development that makes it difficult to trust the rookie running back in fantasy lineups, even with the Raiders next on the docket for a Thursday night matchup in Week 14.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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In PPR, Williams might be worth using as a flex option in deeper leagues. Williams played the most snaps for the Rams in Week 12 at Kansas City and finished with 11 carries for 35 yards, along with three catches for 25 yards on three catches. He now has two games with three catches in his past three outings, and he should continue to be heavily involved in the passing game with the Rams likely chasing points in Week 13 against Seattle. The Seahawks are among the league leaders in receptions (65), receiving yards (535) and receiving touchdowns (three) to running backs this year, so Williams' role in the passing game should help him in this matchup. Meanwhile, you can avoid Cam Akers in most leagues since he's not scoring touchdowns or working in the passing game.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Sleeper RBs
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In PPR, Williams might be worth using as a flex option in deeper leagues. Williams played the most snaps for the Rams in Week 12 at Kansas City and finished with 11 carries for 35 yards, along with three catches for 25 yards on three catches. He now has two games with three catches in his past three outings, and he should continue to be heavily involved in the passing game with the Rams likely chasing points in Week 13 against Seattle. The Seahawks are among the league leaders in receptions (65), receiving yards (535) and receiving touchdowns (three) to running backs this year, so Williams' role in the passing game should help him in this matchup. Meanwhile, you can avoid Cam Akers in most leagues since he's not scoring touchdowns or working in the passing game.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Modest numbers against KC
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Williams carried the ball 11 times for 35 yards and caught all three of his targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 26-10 loss to Kansas City.
He saw the most carries of any Rams player, but both Cam Akers (37) and quarterback Bryce Perkins (44) produced more rushing yards on their totes. Williams did make up for it by tying for the team lead in receptions, however. With the Los Angeles offense in complete disarray, neither Williams nor Akers figure to have much fantasy appeal in Week 13 against the Seahawks -- even against a defense that just coughed up over 300 combined yards to Josh Jacobs.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Sneaky Sleeper in PPR (Lineup Decisions)
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Williams should continue to see his role expand in the offense after getting 55% of the snaps last week with Darrell Henderson, who has since been waived, barely seeing action. His biggest impact will likely come in PPR leagues, as the Chiefs give up a lot of receptions to backs and the Rams will likely be forced to play from behind, leaving easy dump-offs to Williams on the table for much of the second half. Dave ranks Williams ahead of Damien Harris, James Robinson and A.J. Dillon in PPR leagues
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Expanded role likely
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Williams is likely in line for more playing time in the Rams backfield after the team waived Darrell Henderson on Tuesday, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.
Even before Henderson's departure, Williams had already staked a claim to a steady role in the past two weeks, which coincided with the rookie's return from a stint on injured reserve due to a high-ankle sprain. In losses to the Cardinals and Saints, Williams played a total of 50 snaps, topping both Henderson (38) and Cam Akers (34) in that regard. The rookie has flashed promise with some lengthy gains in limited rushing attempts while also showing off his receiving chops with four catches for 38 yards. Heading into Sunday's game in Kansas City, the Rams could lean on a two-man running back committee featuring Akers as the lead back after he put up a solid 61 rushing yards on just 14 attempts Week 11. However, with the Rams likely to be playing from behind often for the remainder of the season, Williams may be called on for his pass-catching abilities more often than not and may actually be the more desirable back to roster in fantasy leagues.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Eight total touches in loss
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Williams rushed seven times for 36 yards and caught one of two targets for eight yards in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Saints.
Williams led the Rams backfield in snap share, staying on the field for 35 plays. That usage was more than Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson combined, and Williams used the opportunity to break off a 17-yard scamper in the third quarter that led to a Matt Gay field goal. While it may be hard to rely on any running back for the Rams from a fantasy perspective, Williams saw his playing time effectively double between Weeks 10 and 11, and the rookie may get more time to carve out a role with the Rams on the brink of a lost season.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Stashes (RB Preview)
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With the Rams season going in the tank and Cooper Kupp going on IR, don't be surprised if the Rams give Williams some extended run down the stretch to see what they have in him. He can't be any worse than what they've gotten from Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Week 11 Waiver Priority List
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Williams returned in Week 10 from his seven-game absence with an ankle injury and immediately had a prominent role in the passing game with three catches for 30 yards on three targets. He only played 27 percent of the snaps, but that was second on the team behind Darrell Henderson (57 percent) and ahead of Cam Akers (17 percent). And now with Cooper Kupp (ankle) out, Williams might have an increased role for the Rams. Williams is worth adding for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB, with his value higher in PPR.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Comes off IR
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The Rams activated Williams (ankle) from injured reserve Saturday.
Head coach Sean McVay made it known Williams would make his debut following a seven-game absence. The Notre Dame product couldn't have made his return at a better time as the Rams' running game has struggled recently. Expect Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers to both mix in alongside Williams, who figures to be the team's top pass-catching running back immediately.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Will be activated this week
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Head coach Sean McVay said the Rams will activate Williams (ankle) from injured reserve before Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.
The transaction will need to become official Friday or Saturday for William to suit up Sunday. He's been practicing with the team since Oct. 26, after suffering a high-ankle sprain on special teams in the season opener. The rookie may now get his shot on offense given the unsettled state of the Rams backfield.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Could play this week
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Rams head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that Williams (ankle) has a good shot to play Sunday against the Cardinals, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.
The Rams designated the rookie to return from injured reserve Oct. 26, opening a 21-day window where he can either be reinstated to the active roster or ruled out for the rest of the season. The team can technically keep Williams out for another game and then activate him next week, but it sounds like McVay expects the running back to be ready by Sunday. The fifth-round pick makes for an interesting bench stash in fantasy leagues, given the unsettled nature of the Rams' backfield.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Still not ready
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Williams (ankle) was not activated off injured reserve Saturday and thus will not play in Week 9.
There was some optimism the 2022 fifth-round pick would make his season debut Sunday, but that will have to wait another week, as the Rams opted not to activate the rookie Saturday. In his stead, a combination of Ronnie Rivers, Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown and possibly even Cam Akers could shoulder a backfield load that has yielded very little results as of late. The Rams still have a little over two weeks left on the 21-day window to activate Williams before he's placed back on injured reserve for the remainder of the year.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Could return from IR for Week 9
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Coach Sean McVay said Monday that Williams (ankle) may be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game at Tampa Bay, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Williams has been recovering from a high-ankle sprain that he sustained Week 1 and resided on IR since then. After the Rams designated him to return last Wednesday, he managed a pregame workout before this past Sunday's loss to the 49ers. With Cam Akers (personal) a candidate to be traded, the composition of L.A.'s backfield is up in the air at the moment, with all of Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown and practice squad member Ronnie Rivers getting in the mix Week 8. If Williams is able to join them Week 9, he could play an immediate role on passing downs.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Not expected to play this week
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Coach Sean McVay suggested Friday (ankle) that Williams won't be activated for Sunday's game against the 49ers, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.
Williams was designated Wednesday to return from injured reserve, opening a 21-day window for the Rams to activate him or put him back on IR for the rest of the season. They may bring him back as soon as Week 9 at Tampa Bay, as the current backfield situation is less than optimal with Cam Akers still sidelined for non-injury reasons and a candidate to be traded. Darrell Henderson (illness) and Malcolm Brown figure to lead the way Sunday against the Niners.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Return to practice looming
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Rams head coach Sean McVay said Monday that the team may be able to start discussing Williams (ankle) return from injured reserve following Week 8, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Williams picked up a high-ankle sprain during the season opener and has been sidelined since. He was given a 6-to-8-week return timetable, so he appears to be right on track, though McVay's comments were far from definitive. Once Williams returns to practice, he'll have a 21-day period to be added to the active roster, or he'll revert back to IR for the remainder of the season.
