The NFL has its fair share of split backfields, but few have a second option as effective as the Rams. Blake Corum may play second fiddle to Kyren Williams, but he’s arguably just as good as the starter. After a few quality weeks in fantasy football, he’s now entering weekly FLEX territory, too.
Heading into Week 9, does Corum belong in fantasy lineups as the Rams face off against the Commanders?
Should you start Blake Corum in Week 9?
It took a while for Blake Corum to finally hit his stride at the NFL level. A former national champion at Michigan, he was a third-round pick by Los Angeles back in 2024. He hardly played as a rookie with just 58 rush attempts on the year and only 207 rushing yards, but his breakout began during year two of his pro career. He recorded 746 rushing yards and six touchdowns last season, averaging 7.2 FPPG but showing potential down the stretch – he recorded double-digit fantasy points in four of his last six games to end the year as his workload grew.
Now, the 25-year-old is playing his best football. He has 75 rush attempts for 389 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season, also catching 10 passes for 99 yards and one more score. In fantasy football, he’s averaging a career-best 10.3 FPPG and is a top-24 RB in total points scored thus far, though it should be noted the Rams haven’t yet had their bye week. Corum has reached double-digit points in five of his eight games and is coming off four straight weeks of 13.3 PPR points or better, scoring a touchdown in all of those matchups. Will this hot streak continue in Week 9?
There are multiple factors working in the halfback’s favor. For starters, his role has grown slightly over the last few weeks. He handled 17 and 11 rush attempts over the last two games, though his snap shares of 44% and 31% may not spark much confidence. Coming off arguably his two best games of the season – 93 and 73 rushing yards with a touchdown in each game – in the midst of a four-game scoring streak may be enough to keep the coaching staff comfortable with riding the hot hand. Williams has seen 16 carries in each of those games, so there’s not a huge gap in carry share between the teammates.
Even if he doesn’t see 10+ rush attempts, there are still avenues for Corum to produce FLEX value. He’s averaging 5.19 YPC this season, fifth best of 47 qualified RBs. He’s also ranked fourth in success rate and stuff rate, seventh in explosive run rate, and to top it off, he’s first in EPA/attempt. While he’s averaging just 48.6 rushing yards per game, Corum is legitimately elite when it comes to those efficiency metrics and doesn’t need a huge workload to rack up yards or find the end zone.
His touchdown upside is also notable. As mentioned earlier, Corum has scored three rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown over his last four games, reaching the end zone exactly once in each contest. He’s on a hot streak, which has been made possible by a shift in red-zone opportunities. From Week 1 through Week 4, Williams handled 13 carries inside the red zone while Corum didn’t see a single one. Since Week 5, though, Corum has taken nine carries in the red zone to Williams’ eight. The coaching staff is clearly making an effort to get Corum more involved inside the 20-yard line, so these high-value touches have made him much more valuable in fantasy.
Finally, we do have to consider the matchup. The Rams face the Commanders, who haven’t provided a positive environment for opposing running backs this season. Washington allows just 19.5 FPPG to RBs, which falls 26th in the league. The unit is also allowing the position to run for just 3.65 YPC, which falls 25th, and the 75.6 rushing yards per game rank 25th as well. It’s not all negative for Corum, though.
The Commanders just lost Daron Payne to IR, leaving them without a standout defensive tackle in the middle of the defensive trenches. Moreover, Los Angeles is a 5.5-point favorite in this game, which could lend itself to a few extra rush attempts for the halfbacks if the visitors lead throughout the day. Plus, the Rams’ offense should have no issue moving the ball through the air and should get into scoring position at least a couple of times, which could mean some high-value chances for Corum to cross the goal line.
He’s probably not going to deliver standout value this week, but a FLEX finish for Corum is absolutely within the range of outcomes. He’s still a somewhat TD-dependent second option in this backfield, but his elite efficiency and growing role in the most valuable area of the field has him firmly on the fantasy radar. He’s a start-worthy asset in 12-team leagues and larger in Week 9.
