Williams will attempt to hold off sixth-round pick Zach Evans and UDFA Tiyon Evans for the RB2 job in behind Cam Akers. Akers' injury history suggests whoever is in that role could get some run in 2023, which would make them a reasonable pick in the double-digit rounds of deeper Fantasy leagues. Injuries derailed Williams' first season in the pros but it's worth remembering that he produced 2,799 yards from scrimmage and 31 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Notre Dame. Williams won't even turn 23 until the end of August, so he's close to a must-hold in Dynasty unless he has a disastrous camp and falls behind both of the Evanses.
Williams (ankle) practiced fully Thursday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Williams remains on injured reserve, but after back-to-back uncapped sessions to kick off Week 12 prep, he's drawing ever closer to returning to action from the sprained left ankle that so far has forced four straight absences. The Rams may list him with no designation on their final injury report of the week Friday, but they also don't need to activate him from IR until Saturday afternoon in order for him to have a chance to play Sunday in Arizona. Perhaps other moves that the team makes in the coming days will signal that Williams will be back (or not), like potentially elevating Darrell Henderson from the practice squad. In the end, Williams seems like a good bet to be available this weekend.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: RBs to Start
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Williams will hopefully be 100 percent ready to go after missing the past four games with an ankle injury, and the Rams seem confident in his availability after waiving Darrell Henderson on Tuesday. The last time we saw Williams was in Week 6 against Arizona, and he tore up the Cardinals for 20 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown. He had 21.8 PPR points in that game, and he scored at least 17.4 PPR points in four of six games to open the season. The Cardinals are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and a running back has scored at least 12.7 PPR points against Arizona in every game this year.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Logs full practice Wednesday
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Rams head coach Sean McVay said Williams (ankle) will be a full practice participant Wednesday, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
On the same day in which the Rams designated Williams for return from injured reserve, the running back "looked like he was full speed during walkthrough just now," per McVay. The team likely will want Williams to string together multiple uncapped practices before activating him from IR, but he seems poised to miss the minimum four games due to a sprained left ankle. The Rams will need to add Williams back on the active roster by Saturday at 4 p.m. ET for him to have a chance to play Sunday at Arizona.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Expected back Week 12
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Coach Sean McVay said Tuesday he expects Williams (knee) to return from IR in time to suit up versus the Cardinals in Week 12, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.
Williams' earliest eligible return date from injured reserve is Week 12, and it looks like he's on track to meet that timeline. Los Angeles currently has a bye this week and will then take on the Seahawks in Week 11, which will give Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman another chance to lead the backfield, but it appears Williams will be back in the mix for a road game in Arizona on Nov. 26. It remains to be seen, however, whether he will immediately regain his No. 1 role, or whether he will return to a committee situation.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Surprisingly goes to IR
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Williams (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Head coach Sean McVay didn't seem optimistic Williams would return in relatively quick fashion following an ankle injury in Sunday's win over the Cardinals, but the initial reports didn't seem to indicate the second-year back would need a stint on injured reserve. As a result, Williams won't be eligible to return until Week 12 -- all the way at the end of November. It's unclear who will step up and assume the larger share of what figures to be a significant backfield-by-committee, as the likes of Zach Evans, Royce Freeman, Myles Gaskin and likely practice-squad elevation Darrell Henderson all could see some work in the ensuing weeks.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: No activity Wednesday
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Williams (ankle), whom coach Sean McVay said Wednesday won't play Sunday against the Steelers, didn't practice Wednesday.
Williams is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a sprained ankle that he suffered this past Sunday against the Cardinals, so his lack of practice activity shortly after the injury doesn't come as a surprise. However, he was spotted with a cast on his left ankle and also needed a scooter to get around during Wednesday's session, per Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register. With Ronnie Rivers' (knee) landing on injured reserve Wednesday, the Rams now are down their top two running backs for at least one game, leaving rookie sixth-rounder Zach Evans as the team's likely No. 1 back heading into the Week 7 matchup with Pittsburgh. Behind Evans, the Rams have Royce Freeman and Myles Gaskin on the active roster and Darrell Henderson on the practice squad.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Won't play this week
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Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed that Williams (ankle) won't play Sunday against the Steelers, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Earlier reports suggested Williams likely would miss multiple games and return either Week 9 or Week 11, with the Rams being on bye in the week in between. McVay didn't elaborate much on Williams' outlook beyond this week, but the Rams' top back will miss his first game of the season Sunday. Meanwhile, Williams' top backup, Ronnie Rivers (knee), is headed for injured reserve, leaving the Rams with Zach Evans, Myles Gaskin and Royce Freeman as their available options out of the backfield.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Multi-week absence expected
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Williams (ankle) is expected to miss multiple contests but should return to action after the Rams' Week 10 bye at the latest, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Adam Schefter of ESPN previously reported Monday that Williams was likely to miss the Rams' Week 7 game against the Steelers due to the sprained ankle he sustained late in this past Sunday's 26-9 victory against the Cardinals, but Fowler suggests the running back could be in line to miss more time beyond this week. If Williams is in sidelined through the Rams' bye, he would be in line to miss three games before returning to action Nov. 19 against the Seahawks. With backup Ronnie Rivers (knee) expected to miss 4-to-5 weeks due to an injury of his own, the Rams' lead backfield role could thus be up for grabs with matchups against the Steelers, Cowboys and Packers on deck. Though head coach Sean McVay hasn't revealed his plans for the backfield, he intimated that rookie sixth-round pick Zach Evans may get the first chance to start, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports. Even so, Evans may not be handed a clear lead role, as the Rams signed Royce Freeman off their practice squad and Myles Gaskin off Minnesota's practice squad to bolster their backfield. The team also added veteran Darrell Henderson to the practice squad.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Set for MRI
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Williams (ankle) will undergo an MRI on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The MRI should provide more details about the ankle injury Williams sustained late in the Rams' 26-9 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday, when he handled 20 carries for a career-high 158 yards and a touchdown. The second-year pro left Sunday's game without a boot on his injured ankle, but until his MRI results are in, it'll be difficult to project how much time, if any, Williams might have to miss. Meanwhile, backup Ronnie Rivers (knee) is believed to be dealing with a PCL sprain and also will receive an MRI.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Career-high rushing yardage in win
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Williams (ankle) rushed 20 times for 158 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 26-9 victory against the Cardinals.
It was a tale of two halves for the Rams' lead back, as Williams had only two rushes for four yards after two quarters of action. The Rams came out in the third quarter and flipped the script, rushing the ball nine straight times, with Williams accounting for 52 yards on that drive alone. From there, Williams showed off his explosiveness with a pair of lengthy rushes for 27 and 31 yards, respectively, and capped it off with a five-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to put an exclamation point on an exceptional day, his second in three weeks with over 100 yards on the ground. Williams did pick up an ankle injury near the end of the game, but coach Sean McVay told Bridget Condon of NFL Network afterward that "I think he's going to be good. Just got his ankle tweaked at the end." It'll be something that fantasy managers should still keep an eye on with backup Ronnie Rivers (knee) also exiting the contest.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Fifteen touches Sunday
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Williams rushed 13 times for 53 yards and caught both of his targets for four yards during Sunday's 23-14 loss to the Eagles.
Williams' rushing line was very similar to his first two games of the season aside from a lack of touchdowns, but his receiving numbers took a substantial hit with the return of Cooper Kupp to the fold. The Rams may have been cautious with their primary running back as he nursed a hip injury through the week, and the Eagles are also more susceptible to the pass than the run, which could help explain the dip in Williams' production. An inviting matchup against a soft Cardinals rush defense in Week 6 offers a prime chance for Williams to bounce back to form.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Practicing Thursday
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Williams (hip) took part in Thursday's practice, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Williams' activity level won't be known until the Rams post their second injury report of Week 5 prep, but his presence on the practice field Thursday is a step in the right direction after he missed Wednesday's session due to a sore hip. Even if Williams is unable to log a full practice by week's end, there's an expectation from coach Sean McVay that the running back should be able to suit up Sunday against the Eagles, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Misses practice, should play Sunday
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Rams head coach Sean McVay said that Williams (hip) won't participate in Wednesday's practice, but the absence is precautionary, as the running back is expected to play Sunday versus the Eagles, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports
Williams is coming off a career-best performance that included 127 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns on 28 touches this past Sunday at Indianapolis. On Monday, McVay told Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site that Williams was tending to a bruised hip, which now is keeping him out of practice to kick off Week 5 prep. If McVay's comments Wednesday are taken at face value, Williams should mix into drills again Thursday and/or Friday, but there's a chance the second-year pro enters the weekend with a designation.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Bounces back with two-TD day
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Williams rushed 25 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns and caught all three of his targets for 24 yards during Sunday's 29-23 overtime win versus the Colts. He also fumbled once.
A week after earning just 10 rushing attempts against the Bengals, the Rams went heavy on the run against a lackluster Colts defense and were rewarded with Williams netting a career high in rushing attempts and yardage. The second-year back scored both of his touchdowns in the first quarter, and unlike the previous game, backup Ronnie Rivers saw a fair amount of touches of his own. Williams will face a stiff test in Week 5 against an Eagles defense that has been particularly sturdy against the run.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: RBs to Start
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It's probably obvious at this point to start Williams, but I just want to illustrate how impressive the past two games have been for him. According to NFL.com, Williams is the first Rams player ever to score multiple touchdowns in each of his first two games of a season, something legends like Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt never accomplished. His 28 PPR points against San Francisco in Week 2 were the most against the 49ers in their past 28 games. And he's made Cam Akers irrelevant and on his way out the door in Los Angeles. This week, Williams should maintain his high level of play on Monday night at Cincinnati, and the Bengals have allowed a running back to score at least 12.2 PPR points in each of the first two games. I like Williams as a top-10 Fantasy running back in all leagues.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Leads backfield with two-score day
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Williams rushed 14 times for 52 yards and a touchdown while adding six receptions (10 targets) for 48 yards and another score in Sunday's 30-23 loss to the 49ers.
Williams took over as the Rams' lead back after Cam Akers (coach's decision) was listed as inactive prior to kickoff. The 2022 fifth-round pick took full advantage of the opportunity and turned 20 touches into 100 yards and two combined scores. With Akers seemingly out of the picture, Williams should see the lion's share of carries and backfield targets moving forward, starting with next Monday's tilt against the Bengals.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Confirmed for lead role Sunday
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Williams will serve as the Rams' lead back for Sunday's game against the 49ers, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
The Rams will make Cam Akers inactive for the contest and could look into trading him away after he managed just 29 yards on 22 carries while playing 33 percent of the offensive snaps in Los Angeles' season-opening win over Seattle. Williams, who worked behind Akers in Week 1 but played 67 percent of snaps and finished with 15 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns while also drawing two targets, should now get a chance to build on that performance. Though the matchup with a stingy San Francisco defense isn't an ideal one for fantasy purposes, Williams' season-long outlook should see a big boost if Akers remains out of the backfield mix in the weeks to come.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Could handle lead role Sunday
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Williams is expected to serve as the Rams' lead back Sunday against the 49ers after Jay Glazer reported on "Fox NFL Sunday" that Cam Akers will be a healthy inactive for the contest.
The Rams reportedly intend to entertain trading Akers, something they did last season before both parties were ultimately able to agree to a reconciliation. However, after Akers mustered just 29 yards on 22 carries in the Rams' Week 1 win over the Seahawks, he appears to have fallen out of favor again. Williams, meanwhile, carried 15 times for 52 yards and two touchdowns while going without a reception on two targets. He looks worthy of a spot in fantasy lineups this week with what should be a clear path to plenty of volume out of the backfield.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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The Rams are going with Williams as the No. 2 running back behind Cam Akers, but Williams could also have a role in the passing game this season. We'll see what Williams can do after a limited role in his rookie campaign in 2022, but the Rams need all the help they can get with Cooper Kupp (hamstring) now banged up. I'm not sure what the Rams would do if Akers got hurt since Williams doesn't profile as a lead running back, but he could be a sneaky option in PPR if he plays on third downs and in obvious passing situations. In deep PPR leagues, Williams is worth 1 percent of your FAB.
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Rams' Kyren Williams: Yet to see preseason action
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Williams hasn't seen action in either of the Rams' first two preseason games.
The same applies to the Rams' presumed top back Cam Akers, which has given the trio of Zach Evans, Royce Freeman and Ronnie Rivers opportunities to log exhibition carries as they compete for depth slotting in the team's backfield. Jourdan Rodrigue of the Athletic previously noted that Williams, who dealt with injuries as a rookie last season, look good in both the run and pass game in training camp. Based on the team's current roster composition, the 2022 fifth-rounder looks poised to approach the coming season in a position to handle complementary work as Akers' understudy.
