Should I Start Kyren Williams in Week 3? RB Fantasy Football Rankings Analysis

Despite being just two weeks into the 2023 NFL season, there's been enough drama in the Los Angeles Rams backfield to fill multiple episodes of the Real Housewives reality series.

With Cam Akers expected to serve as the Rams lead back in 2023, second-year RB Kyren Williams received a surprisingly large workload in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Williams' rise to prominence in the L.A. backfield continued when Akers was shockingly announced as a healthy scratch ahead of a Week 2 tilt with the San Francisco 49ers. The situation reached a resolution this week, as the Rams sent Akers to the Minnesota Vikings in a trade involving a draft pick exchange.

What is Kyren Williams' fantasy football outlook? Where does he stand in our RotoBaller Rankings? Should I start Kyren Williams in Week 3?

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Kyren Williams Fantasy Football Outlook

Oh, how quickly things can change in the NFL. Second-year Rams running back Kyren Williams opened the season as an afterthought for most fantasy managers, but as we approach Week 3, Williams is now primed to be a pivotal fantasy asset in 2023.

Incumbent Rams starter Cam Akers was expected to lead the L.A. backfield in 2023. However, Williams saw a surprisingly large workload in the season opener against Seattle. He garnered 17 total opportunities in Week 1, amassing 52 rushing yards and a pair of TDs.

Williams' role expanded even more in a Week 2 divisional matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Akers was a shocking healthy scratch against the Niners, leaving Williams with the L.A. backfield all to himself. He answered the call in a big way, playing an eye-popping 95% of the Rams' offensive snaps en route to 100 total yards and a rushing score on 24 total opportunities.

Kyren Williams Running Back Rankings Analysis

Williams comes into Week 3 as the overall RB2 in fantasy points scored. With a Monday matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on tap, he stands as the eighth-ranked RB in our current RotoBaller Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 3.

Our experts have the surprising second-year back ahead of established backs such as Joe Mixon and Rhamondre Stevenson. Williams is currently in our Tier 2 of running backs with players like Travis Etienne, Josh Jacobs, and Derrick Henry.

Should I Start Kyren Williams In Week 3 Fantasy Football?

While his meteoric rise up the fantasy football rankings is still a bit shocking, Williams appears here to stay. His elite 95% snap share in Week 2 is considered off-the-charts in the modern NFL and the type of usage that fantasy managers dream of.

With Akers now off to Minnesota, this Rams backfield will completely belong to Williams going forward. Due to the expected volume he'll earn as L.A.'s unquestioned alpha, the 23-year-old falls on the fantasy RB1 borderline. He's a locked-in fantasy football starter against the Bengals in Week 3, and barring injury, will remain a must-start asset for his fantasy managers over the foreseeable future.

KYREN WILLIAMS RB1 SZN 🚀
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— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) September 17, 2023

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