The Los Angeles Rams are having a lot of issues in their backfield, as Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers both missed Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This forced the Rams to bring in some new guys, and one of those players was former Oregon star Royce Freeman. Freeman was signed in the middle of last week, ended up not only playing, and had some success in the loss to the Steelers.
If that was his first game, could fantasy football managers expect even more from Freeman moving forward?
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Should Royce Freeman Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 8?
Freeman carried the ball 12 times in the game, rushing for 66 yards. That is a pretty good game when you take into account he hasn’t been on the team long at all. The Rams’ entire rushing game was actually good. Besides Freeman, LA brought Darrell Henderson Jr. back to Los Angeles, and he was able to run the ball 18 times for 61 yards.
Henderson has been on the Rams since 2019 but was currently out of the league before the injuries started piling up for Los Angeles. Bringing a running back in emergency situations who has been a part of the team for the previous four seasons is a huge advantage.
With that in mind, what is Freeman’s ceiling in Los Angeles, and should he be on your team?
Right now, no, Freeman isn’t worth the waiver wire addition. While he rushed for 61 yards, he had zero touchdowns and catches. So, despite a solid yardage output, he had only 6.1 PPR points. That just isn’t worth spending money on when there are other guys, including Henderson, who may have a higher ceiling than him.
Guys like Williams and Rivers could be back as soon as next week, too, and once they’re back, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Freeman relieved. Williams has been as surprising of a player as there is in the league, as he has been outstanding the first four weeks.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
Next week, the Rams are in action against the Dallas Cowboys, who have one of the best defenses in the NFL. That is not a matchup you want for a running back who is still learning the playbook. Freeman came in and did his job on Sunday against the Steelers, trying to help his team get the win.
In the end, there are better options to pick up off the waiver wire than Freeman, and his role in Los Angeles could be gone as soon as next week.
