Kyren Williams expected to miss at least one game

A Monday MRI revealed an ankle sprain for Rams RB Kyren Williams that's expected to keep him out for Sunday's game against the Steelers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Backup Ronnie Rivers is also dealing with a PCL sprain that's expected to cost him a few weeks. That leaves Zach Evans and Royce Freeman as the only healthy RBs on the roster. Evans played his first 6 snaps of the season Sunday against the Cardinals, running for 10 yards on 4 carries. Freeman has been on the practice squad and averaged a dynamic 2.9 yards per carry since the start of 2021. We'll watch for specifics on L.A.'s backfield plan for Week 7. But expect a pass-heavy approach for a team that has already leaned that way. Evans and Freeman only appear worth a waiver look if you're in dire need. The Pittsburgh matchup has been slightly positive for RB scoring, according to our adjusted fantasy points allowed.

Rams RB Kyren Williams had surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand, HC Sean McVay said Wednesday. Williams hurt his left hand in the fourth quarter of the Wild Card loss to the Lions. We'll look for more details on the procedure and timeline for return. Williams could miss some of the offseason program, but this injury shouldn't impact his 2024 campaign.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Rams HC Sean McVay has ruled out RB Kyren Williams, WR Cooper Kupp, and DT Aaron Donald for Week 18's contest vs. the 49ers. Once the decision was made that backup QB Carson Wentz would be the Rams' starter on Sunday, it was reasonable to expect we'd see more of these big-name players sit out. Los Angeles gains nothing from playing all their starters in a game that doesn't alter their playoff hopes. This news leaves rookie WR Puka Nacua as the active playmaker of note for season-long managers who play into Week 18 -- although we are not expecting Nacua to play a full slate of snaps. Veteran Demarcus Robinson sits highest among Rams in the Week 18 WR Rankings.

Congratulations if you started Rams RB Kyren Williams in your fantasy championship. The second-year back exploded in Week 17 vs. the Giants, tallying 101 scrimmage yards with 3 rushing TDs on 22 touches. Those who remained patient with Williams in dynasty or picked him up off the waiver wire in season-long leagues were handed a player who ranked second among RBs in PPR points per game (21.2) with a massive average of 23 touches per game in 2023. It’s fair to proclaim him as a true “league winner” this season despite missing four games due to a high ankle sprain. He’ll assuredly be treated as a bonafide RB1 in 2024, regardless of format.

Rams RB Kyren Williams returned from IR in Week 12. You might say he did so with a bang. Handling 16 carries, the Notre Dame product tallied 143 yards – the second-highest mark of his career. He added a 6-61-2 receiving line on an 18.1% target share. A positive matchup with Arizona helped. But it’s clear Williams is back near 100% coming off an ankle injury. Also note: Royce Freeman mixed in for 13 carries, 77 yards, and 1 score. So Williams doesn’t look like a true workhorse as we advance. The next two weeks turn up difficult matchups vs. Cleveland and Baltimore.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero hears that Rams RB Kyren Williams will return as the lead back vs. Arizona today but that RB Royce Freeman will stay involved. "They wanna be careful about not overworking" Williams, Pelissero says. "Look for a roughly 2-to-1 ratio between Williams and Royce Freeman. Game flow is gonna dictate a lot of that." Our current projections have Williams for 16.7 carries to Freeman's 7.5 -- close to that 2-to-1 split. Williams should handle the majority of the passing-down snaps, though, and remains a strong RB2 play today. Freeman is really only in play in non-PPR fantasy leagues.