Zach Evans "likely" to start Week 7

ESPN's Sarah Barshop writes that Rams RB Zach Evans is "likely" to start Sunday's game vs. the Steelers. RBs Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee) will miss that one. The Rams' only other RBs are Evans and Royce Freeman, who's on the practice squad. "Obviously you saw Zach Evans get the first carries," HC McVay said Monday. "We've got Royce Freeman on our practice squad, and there'll be some different things that we're in the midst of working through right now." We'll look for further hints on what the backfield will look like this week. But we're expecting Evans and Freeman to be involved -- and for the Rams to go pass-heavy. Evans is the better fantasy option but shouldn't be considered more than a RB3 or flex play for now.

Rams RB Zach Evans is a healthy scratch for today's game vs. the Cowboys. Not a big surprise after he played zero snaps last week. RB Myles Gaskin is active for Los Angeles, but we're expecting RBs Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman to again handle the majority of the work.

Asked Wednesday if rookie RB Zach Evans is on track to start Sunday against the Steelers, Rams HC Sean McVay said: "I wouldn't say that. All four of those guys are possibilities, and we're truly navigating through that." The other three, of course, are Royce Freeman, Myles Gaskin, and Darrell Henderson. McVay added that Evans has improved and said, "I'm looking forward to seeing how he handles this week." QB Matthew Stafford separately told The Athletic's Jordan Rodrigue that this is a "compete for carries" week. We'll see how the week finishes out, but you should bet on no single player controlling backfield work the way Kyren Williams has to this point. All L.A. RBs will make for risky Week 7 plays, barring word from McVay that someone has emerged as the clear leader.

Rams QB Matt Stafford said Wednesday that it's a "compete for carries" week, per The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. RBs Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee) will miss Sunday's game vs. the Steelers, leaving RBs Zach Evans, Darrell Henderson, Myles Gaskin, and Royce Freeman to battle for snaps and touches. HC Sean McVay echoed Stafford's sentiment. "We've got the week to be able to evaluate," McVay said. "I would say all four of those guys are possibilities, and we're truly navigating through that." McVay added that he was "pleased" with how RB Zach Evans played in his first six offensive snaps of the season last week. We'll continue to look for clues on what Los Angeles' backfield will look like on Sunday, but we probably won't have a great idea until the game is underway.

The Rams traded up to grab Ole Miss RB Zach Evans late in Round 6 of the NFL Draft. Our guy C.H. Herms is a big fan of Evans' film and has liked Evans' dynasty value all along. And he's far from the only Evans film fan. Evans bounced from TCU to Ole Miss and dealt with multiple injuries. He finished with just 290 carries and 30 catches through three seasons. But he also averaged 6.9 yards per rush and 10.8 per catch for his career. That included 6.5 yards per carry and 9.9 per reception in his lone SEC campaign. Going to the Rams likely puts him in competition with 2022 rookie Kyren Williams for the No. 2 spot behind Cam Akers. The situation presents opportunity, with neither Akers nor Williams having proved much as a pro to date. We'll be watching this backfield competition through training camp. He's worth a look late in your dynasty rookie draft. See where he lands in our dynasty RB rankings.

Ole Miss RB Zach Evans (hamstring) didn’t participate in any drills at the NFL Combine on Sunday. We did confirm his measurements at 5’11 and 202 pounds, though we won’t see the former TCU transfer run drills until the Rebels' pro day scheduled for March 29th in Oxford, Mississippi. A quality pro day performance could see the former top high school recruit work his way into Day 2 draft capital. Check back on Evans as the month unfolds.