The Rams have vaulted themselves back into the playoff picture, winning four of their last five games. Most of the credit for Los Angeles’ turnaround goes to a resurgent offense, buoyed by the return of wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. However, passing game success comes at a cost. Star running back Kyren Williams has seen his production take a nosedive, ranking as the fantasy RB25 over the past three weeks.
While small sample sizes don’t warrant an overreaction, Williams’ decline couldn’t come at a worse time. With a handful of games before the fantasy playoffs, can managers trust the third-year pro to bounce back?
The most ominous number for Williams is fifteen, the number of carries he’s garnered in each of the team’s previous two games. It’s the running back’s lightest workload since Week 2, when he rushed the ball twelve times in a 31-point blowout vs. the Cardinals. To make matters worse, rookie third-rounder Blake Corum was on the field for 19% of LA’s snaps last Sunday, a significant uptick from 7% in Week 10.
Still, none of this warrants doom and gloom, as Williams is the RB1 on one of the league’s best offenses. Head coach Sean McVay has been known to cycle through rushers in the past, but he’s avoided doing so during the past two seasons. If Williams wasn’t running well, there would be cause for concern, but he’s still gained a respectable 4.2 yards per carry since Week 9.
Ultimately, managers might need to reset their expectations going forward. Kupp and Nacua missing various games, along with Los Angeles’ lack of depth at running back, has helped fuel Williams’ success over the past two seasons. The Pro Bowler is still a set it and forget it starter, but his time as a top five fantasy option might be over.
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