Blake Corum is the running back I want from the Rams backfield this fantasy football draft season, not Kyren Williams. Jason Katz called this one correctly, and the price gap between the two is too wide to ignore.
Why Blake Corum Is a Better Fantasy Football Value Than Kyren Williams
The Rams ran 76 red zone drives last season, the most in the league and the second most in a season since the league moved to 17 games. That’s a massive number and allowed both backs to thrive due to the sheer number of valuable opportunities presented in 2025, but it’s very dangerous to assume that an outlier number like that is approached again this year.
Corum ran for 5.1 yards per carry last season, and the way Los Angeles has used both backs looks like a true committee in terms of taking turns rather than a clear lead-back setup with a change of pace attached. That split usage is exactly why I can’t justify paying a five- or six-round premium for Williams over Corum on draft day. That’s not to say that the RB2 is a better player or set to outproduce the starter outright, but this is a price conversation, and that brings opportunity cost into the equation.
The risk calculation matters here too. If this offense regresses even a little from last season’s red zone pace (almost a certainty), a running back taken in the third round carries a far wider range of outcomes than I think is currently being priced in.
If the offense holds steady, Williams returns fine value at that price, but I don’t think he climbs into the top 10 backs at the position even in a good year. That’s too much downside risk for a ceiling I don’t fully buy.
Blake Corum’s ADP Discount Makes the Risk Easier to Take
Regression risk in this backfield is obviously a lot easier to stomach in the ninth round than the third. If I’m taking a shot on a committee back tied to offensive-environment fall-off risk, I’d rather take that shot on Corum over similarly-priced options like Jonathon Brooks or Kenny Gainwell. Same tier of risk, better offense underneath him.
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Javonte Williams is worth mentioning in the same breath when it comes to Los Angeles’ Williams. He’s in a good offense with less competition for touches, which gives him an elevated floor, and you can get him a handful of picks after Kyren is selected. In my eyes, he offers a narrower range of outcomes, and that is appealing in the first handful of rounds where I’m trying to build a solid foundation.
None of this is a knock on Kyren Williams as a player. It’s a statement on price. Paying a third-round pick for a committee back (even if he projects to be the head of that committee) in an offense that can’t bank on matching their output from a season ago is a bigger swing than I want to take when the ninth-round version of that same backfield is sitting right there.
Draft Corum where his ADP says you can, and let someone else pay the premium for Williams. If the Rams’ offense repeats last season’s red zone pace, both backs profit. If it doesn’t, you’ll be glad you didn’t spend the third-round pick to find out.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.