The Los Angeles Rams backfield presents one of the most intriguing storylines heading into the 2025 fantasy football season, with established workhorse Kyren Williams facing new challenges to his dominance. Despite consecutive RB7 finishes, Williams finds himself slipping in draft rankings while concerns mount about his declining efficiency and the team’s evolving offensive approach.
Meanwhile, backup Blake Corum lurks as both a valuable handcuff and potential threat to Williams’ workload in Sean McVay’s notoriously unpredictable system. Understanding the dynamics between these two running backs could be the difference between championship glory and playoff disappointment for fantasy football managers this season.
Kyren Williams Fantasy Outlook
Williams is being taken as the RB11 in drafts this year, despite putting up his second straight RB7 season in fantasy. That’s perhaps because he finished in the same place despite playing four more games in 2024, with 88 more carries than in 2023.
Despite the extra games, Williams’ targets dipped last season, dropping from 48 to 40. That’s unlikely to improve this year, given that his targets dropped from 3.44 per game from Weeks 1-10, to 1.29 per game over the rest of the season.
KYREN WILLIAMS FRONT FLIPS FOR THE TD 🔥
📺: #SFvsLAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/B3woypwrfY— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
The arrival of veteran WR Davante Adams increases the likelihood of the Rams leaning on their passing game more this coming season, with two elite receivers now on the roster. Also, backup RB Corum saw more — though still minimal — work in the second half of the year, suggesting he had gained some trust.
Williams still projects as the Rams’ clear RB1, but Sean McVay can be unpredictable and ruthless about his RB usage. Corum was a highly rated player coming into the league, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him challenge for more work in 2025.
Still only 24, there’s no reason why Williams can’t bounce back this year. However, after his average yards per carry dropped from 5.02 to 4.11 last year, there are reasons for concern. The player is still a solid value in the early third round, but taking Corum later on would be wise.
— Cameron Sheath, Fantasy Football Analyst
Blake Corum Fantasy Outlook
Statistically, there was an argument to be made for Corum potentially usurping Williams at some point this season. Williams’s efficiency dropped as both a rusher and a receiver in 2024, and his 4.1 yards per attempt ranked 18th (tied) out of 23 backs with at least 200 carries.
Rams HC Sean McVay has been known to swing the axe ruthlessly when it comes to running backs, and Corum was a third-round pick from a National Title-winning Michigan team. On the contrary, Williams’s new three-year, $33 million contract extension would suggest that his job is perfectly safe heading into 2025.
That puts Corum right back where he was last season, as an all-or-nothing handcuff, with massive injury upside, but almost no value while Williams is healthy. Williams carried the ball 316 times in 2024, the third most attempts in the NFL, and things are unlikely to change in 2025.
The Rams drafted Jarquez Hunter out of Auburn in the fourth round of April’s draft, providing Corum with competition for the RB2 role in Los Angeles. The former Michigan man should still be the favorite for the job, making him a sensible late pickup for those who take Williams early.
— Cameron Sheath, Fantasy Football Analyst
