Why Kyren Williams Is An RB1 In PPR And Standard Fantasy Football Leagues

Kyren Williams enters 2025 fantasy football drafts as a volume-driven RB1 with consistency and touchdown upside, though Blake Corum’s arrival could trim his workload.

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) rushes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Rams drafted Williams in the fifth round in 2022 after two productive years at Notre Dame. He gained 2,799 combined yards with 31 touchdowns and 77 catches while averaging 20.5 touches. The Fighting Irish gave him an active role catching the ball in 2020 (35/313/1) and 2021 (42/359/3) while gaining 8.7 yards per catch.

He came to the NFL with below-par running back speed (4.65 40-yard dash), and Williams was undersized (5’9” and 195 lbs.) for the running back position. Surprisingly, his game stands tall in pass protection with the vision to make the winning reads in blitz pickups. Williams excels with subtle movements in tight quarters, offering more quickness than long speed.

An ankle injury in Week 1 led to Williams's missing seven games in his rookie season. He had minimal opportunity over his final nine matchups (35/139 and 9/76). His top output came in Week 12 (60 yards and three catches).

In 2023, Williams stole the RB1 role for Los Angeles in Week 1 when the Rams had him on the field for 65% of their plays. His snap count was even better over the following five games (95%, 100%, 72%, 84%, and 82%). Over this span, he gained 561 combined yards with seven touchdowns and 13 catches on 110 touches (18.52 FPPG in PPR formats). Williams posted three impact fantasy days (28.00, 27.70, and 21.80). 

An ankle injury knocked him out of action for four weeks. From Week 12 to Week 17, LA gave Williams 25 touches a game, leading to 689 combined yards with eight touchdowns and 19 catches (24.31 FPPG). His ceiling rose even higher in two games (38.40 and 30.10 fantasy points) while also adding two more 20.00+ fantasy days (20.20 and 26.20). The Rams gave him the final game of the season off to get ready for the postseason.

Williams settled into a volume grinder role last season, highlighted by his weakness in yards per rush (4.1), yards per catch (5.4), and only three of his 350 touches gained at least 20 yards. The Rams gave him 20 touches or more in 11 games while scoring a touchdown in 11 matchups. Williams rushed for over 100 yards in four contests (22/102/1, 15/104/1, 29/108, and 23/122/1) while delivering one impact showing in fantasy points (31.60). 

Kyren Williams 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook, Projections, Ranking

The Rams’ coaching staff loves what Williams brings to the table. He offers a consistency factor due to his high number of touches, but his scoring ability drives his success in many games. Last year, Williams scored 275.10 fantasy points (7th) in PPR formats while ranking 12th this draft season in early July. Blake Corum should be more of a factor this season, so I’m lowering his outlook to about 275 touches, leading to about 1,200 yards with a dozen scores and about 30 catches.

Williams is currently the RB12 in our 2025 PPR Rankings and the RB11 in our Non-PPR Rankings.