Blake Corum’s role keeps growing. He handled 18 touches in Las Vegas last week, matching Kyren Williams, and turned them into 93 rushing yards, a touchdown and 17.1 PPR points. That gives him three straight games in double figures. Now the Rams host the Chargers in a crosstown matchup that sets up well for the ground game. Find out whether you should start or sit Blake Corum in Week 8.
Blake Corum Start or Sit Advice for Week 8
The trend is unmistakable. Corum has gone from eight touches in Week 5 to 11 in Week 6 and 18 in Week 7, and his production has followed with 16.2, 14.0 and 17.1 PPR points. He now holds 34.4% of the Rams’ carries, up from 31.8% a week ago, and he is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, nearly matching Williams’ 5.1.
The bigger shift came near the goal line. Corum took six red zone carries against the Raiders to Williams’ two, and he now has nine on the season. After drawing just three red zone carries through the first six weeks, he is getting real chances to finish drives, and he has scored three touchdowns.
The Chargers give him a favorable matchup. They allow 23.9 PPR points per game to running backs against a league average of 22.3, along with 104.8 rushing yards per game against 91.7 and six rushing touchdowns to the position. The Chargers have also allowed 31 red zone carries to backs, above the league average of 25.5. That production came against Buffalo, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Denver and Kansas City, a group running 11% above league average, so the numbers are only slightly inflated.
The Chargers’ defense is also shorthanded. Safety Derwin James Jr. did not practice this week after a setback with his hamstring and could miss Sunday’s game.
Game script should favor the run as well. The Rams carry a high-powered offense that scores 24.3 points per game and averages 4.70 yards per carry as a team, while the Chargers are scoring just 15.0 points per game. If the Rams build a lead, both backs should see plenty of carries late.
The Biggest Fantasy Risk for Blake Corum in Week 8
Williams is still the lead back. He holds 51.6% of the carries and averages 18.3 touches per game to Corum’s 10.6, and he has 17 red zone carries to Corum’s nine. Week 7 may have been a game-script outlier rather than a permanent shift, and Sean McVay could easily swing the split back toward Williams.
Corum also offers little in the passing game. He has 10 catches for 99 yards on 14 targets this season, a 5.2% target share, while Williams has 32 catches on 41 targets. The Chargers allow just 25.7 receiving yards per game to backs, below the league average of 32.4, so the passing game is unlikely to add much regardless.
His production also leans on touchdowns. Before this three-game stretch, Corum posted 3.5 and 3.1 PPR points in Weeks 3 and 4, and a game without a score could look thin quickly.
Fantasy Outlook for Blake Corum in Week 8
Start Corum in Week 8 as a strong FLEX option. His workload has grown three straight weeks, he is now getting a real share of the red zone carries, and the Chargers have been generous to running backs and are likely without a key piece of their secondary.
The ceiling is capped by Williams’ hold on the lead role, so Corum’s floor is not as safe as his recent production suggests. Still, the trend, matchup and likely game script all point in his favor. Fantasy managers covering byes from the Giants, Saints, Texans and 49ers should feel comfortable plugging him into the lineup.