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The Los Angeles Rams have clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs and the NFC west division title. They are guaranteed to host a home playoff game in the first round of the postseason, but the team still has one more game left in the regular season—a Week 18 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks. A win could clinch them the third seed while a loss and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers win could drop them to the fourth seed, making the game not completely worthless.
With that in mind, the question comes up about whether the Rams might rest players for this week's game against the Seahawks. In the past, Sean McVay has rested his starters in the final week of the season before playoffs, but what about this year, and how does that affect the fantasy outlook of Kyren Williams?
Read on for analysis of Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams heading into Week 18.
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Kyren Williams Fantasy Football Outlook
In an interview with the team's website, McVay said that is “probably the direction that we’ll go” when discussing whether he would rest the starters for the playoffs, as he did in 2017 and 2023. He also specifically highlighted quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and running back Blake Corum as players he wanted to give extended playing time.
Sean McVay: Resting starters "probably the direction we'll go" this week. https://t.co/BMd3PtdeHN
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 31, 2024
Based on that interview and McVay's past tendencies for the final week of the season, it seems Williams will not play and Corum will get most of the touches out of the backfield.
Should I Start Kyren Williams in Week 18?
Given McVay's comments and the overall playoff picture, there seems to be no reason to start Williams in any format. The Rams do have the possibility of falling to fourth and facing the fifth seed, which will either be the Detroit Lions or Minnesota Vikings depending on who wins their Week 18 matchup. Those two teams currently sit at a combined 28 wins and four losses.
If the Rams hold on to the third seed, the current standings dictate they would play the 11-5 Washington Commanders. However, McVay seems more concerned about the team's health than their potential first round matchup.
It sounds like #Rams HC Sean McVay will rest his starters on Sunday, even if the Rams are in a position to move up from the #4 seed (in case of a Bucs victory) to the #3 seed with a win
McVay also stated that he’s “excited about watching Blake Corum get a heavy workload” pic.twitter.com/82mAiNele5
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) December 31, 2024
Anyone that was considering Williams in fantasy lineups should be pivoting to Corum. Given he is a rookie third-round pick who hasn't been involved much this season due to the presence of Williams, the Rams will likely lean on him to see if he can be a viable starter in the future, or even contribute more in the playoffs to allow Williams some rest.
With Garoppolo, a veteran who doesn't need extra reps, under center, there seems to be no reason for Corum to not get huge volume in Week 18. If you are looking to start a Rams running back in Week 18, Blake Corum is the guy.
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