Don't Drop Blake Corum in Fantasy Football Despite Kyren Williams' Week 1 Usage

Blake Corum's NFL debut was a total dud, and Kyren Williams is still a workhorse. But that doesn't mean it's time to give up on the rookie.

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) is wrapped up by Detroit Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III (23) during the first half of the Detroit Lions season opener against the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field in Detroit, on Sunday, Sept. 8. 2024. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Los Angeles Rams backfield was a hot conversation in fantasy football this offseason. Kyren Williams was being drafted in the early or mid-second round in most leagues after his 2023 breakout, but he was also labeled by many as a regression candidate. The Rams drafted Blake Corum, they listed Williams as the punt returner, and Williams' 2023 breakout was largely volume-dependent.

But in Week 1, Williams was a total workhorse again. He racked up 18 carries and 3 receptions, playing a whopping 91% of the Rams' offensive snaps (for context, he played 82% in games when active last year). As for Corum? The popular 2024 breakout pick played 9 snaps in the game — and every single one of those was on special teams.

He had more tackles than rush attempts.

But this game shouldn't change anything in how you view this situation in fantasy football.

If you were drafting Corum expecting him to be a Week 1 producer, you got way too caught up in the hype. His value was tied to his long-term outlook.

Would it have been better if he played a serious role in Week 1? Of course. But keep in mind Williams averaged just 2.8 yards per carry and turned his 3 receptions into just 4 yards in the air. The Rams' offensive line injuries did Kyren no favors, but that performance doesn't exactly scream to coaches that they need to make him a workhorse all year.

Something we see every year is fantasy football managers loving rookies in the offseason, getting worried after a disappointing first couple of weeks, and then rookies starting to perform down the stretch.

That isn't to say Corum is a sure thing by any stretch. Admittedly, I wasn't especially high on him in fantasy drafts this year, and I'm still not particularly high on him right now. But plenty of smart people in the fantasy football universe were. And at the end of the day, whether you like him or not, Week 1 shouldn't have done anything to cause a major shift in that opinion for the remainder of the season.

If injuries or other busts mean you desperately need to free up a roster spot in Week 1 you're probably fine dropping Corum. But if you thought he was worth drafting then you should continue stashing him on your bench for now.