Road to RB1: Kyren Williams

Kyren Williams has yet to play a full season in the NFL but, in his limited performances, has given reasons to believe that he can potentially be one of the best running backs in fantasy football under the right circumstances.

In a successful 12-game 2023 season, Williams put up 1,144 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns with 32 receptions for 206 receiving yards and another three scores. In the games he was active, Williams never recorded less than a 60 percent snap share while playing over 80 percent of the offensive snaps nine times.

Royce Freeman, who was second on the team with 77 carries in 2023, is no longer on the roster after signing with Dallas in the offseason. Ronnie Rivers was a distant third with 32 carries and will return for a third season in Los Angeles, though listed as fourth on the depth chart. Rookie Blake Corum is expected to serve as Williams' primary handcuff with change-of-pace back Boston Scott completing the group.

Despite entering his third year, Williams is still just 23 years old and is set to play behind an improved offensive line on paper with the addition of Jonah Jackson in free agency.

How Kyren Williams can become the fantasy RB1

When Williams is healthy, he receives one of the largest workloads in the NFL. That level of volume will be the cornerstone of his fantasy value in 2024 as his 5.0 yards per carry is almost guaranteed to lower.

As long as he stays on the field, Williams should be a locked-in RB1 nearly every week. The faith Sean McVay and the front office feel in him as their future was evident once former second-round pick Cam Akers was relegated to irrelevancy early in the year.

However, to become the top overall fantasy back, Williams will need to improve as a receiver, catching 32 passes in 2023 for just 206 yards. Through 12 games, that averages out to just 17 yards per contest, a measly contribution from an overall RB1 hopeful. His growth as a pass-catcher will also be key to holding onto a three-down role, as the team clearly brought in Boston Scott to aid in that department.

Williams will also need to hold off third-round rookie Blake Corum, a two-time consensus All-American in college. As arguably the best running back in Michigan school history, Corum theoretically poses the biggest threat as a goal-line back after posting a record 27 rushing touchdowns in 2023 but has caused little stir of potentially cutting into Williams' playing time.

The road to overall RB1 is steeper for Williams than some of his competitors but given the advanced ages of many other top running backs in the league, a fully healthy campaign could be enough to put him over the top.