The Los Angeles Rams face an unexpected dilemma heading into Week 7: an injury-plagued running back situation. Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers, two key running backs, have both been placed on injured reserve, keeping them ineligible until at least Week 12.
However, Rams head coach Sean McVay has remained tight-lipped about how he intends to deal with this situation. When questioned about the running back rotation for Week 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McVay just said, “I have a sense, yes,” and refused to elaborate.
Zach Evans, Darrell Henderson Jr., Royce Freeman, and Myles Gaskin are among the Rams’ candidates to replace Williams and Rivers. In practice, the running backs have been assigned in the following order: Freeman, Evans, Henderson, and Gaskin.
This running back situation is pretty murky, and fantasy football managers should avoid it if at all possible. However, with many teams on bye weeks and the normal running back problems, some teams may require assistance at the position.
Evans, a sixth-round rookie from Ole Miss, is a potential sleeper to seize the lead, but he has only four carries for 10 yards in the NFL. Freeman has primarily played on special teams and had his best season with the Denver Broncos in 2019, with 8.9 PPR points per game.
Henderson, who was waived by the Rams last year, is back, and McVay praised him, but his role is yet unknown. Gaskin, who was most recently with the Minnesota Vikings, may not play much for the Rams, but he might adjust fast to the offensive system.
There is still uncertainty, and the best replacement for Williams is unknown. The Steelers have allowed running backs to score well in every game this season, thus the potential for the Rams’ running back to perform is there. In all fantasy leagues, whoever takes the lead until Williams returns might be a flex option.
More Week 7 sleepers and DFS plays can be found in the original post, which can also be found here.
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