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We are proud to be among the first, if not the first, to publish full projections for the upcoming season, going live just days after the Super Bowl. Publishing detailed projections in early February comes with trade-offs, not the least of which is a near-total lack of clarity on how free agency, cap transactions, and the NFL draft will reshape rosters.
We've been updating our projections in near real time, including during the recent onslaught of free-agent transactions. This version will remain largely stable until we can layer in the April NFL draft, but stable projections don't mean settled debates.
We have a staff of sharp analysts with sharp takes of their own, so I thought it would be worthwhile to solicit their views on the key coin-toss situations that will shape each team's outlook in the coming months. These are important questions where reasonable, informed people can credibly land in very different places. I asked my colleagues to weigh in with one assumption: they were answering strictly through the lens of a standard 0.5-PPR redraft league.
Los Angeles Rams Coin-Toss Questions:
- Do you expect a more even snap share between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum?
- How do you rank Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, and Colby Parkinson?
- Do you expect Davante Adams to remain a Ram this year?
Q: Do you expect a more even snap share between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum this year? (It was roughly 2-to-1 last year.)
Meng Song: Yes, Corum continues to look more explosive on his touches. The key will be goal-line usage splits, which seemed to favor Corum as last season progressed. With their current ADPs in best ball over 60 picks apart, I expect I'll have a lot more rosters with Corum than Williams this year if this ADP gap doesn't shrink.
Maurile Tremblay: I'd still view Williams as the lead back, coming off his third straight 1,000-yard season, while Corum is a productive complement. Corum's efficiency (5.1 yards per carry) could theoretically earn him more touches, but just as easily, Jarquez Hunter's development could pull a few snaps away from Corum. On the whole, I'd expect the split between Williams and Corum to remain similar by default.
Andy Hicks: My first instinct was to assume a similar split to last season, but Corum developed well in his second season. He had seven games with between 11 and 14 carries over the final 11 games of the regular season. The other four games recorded between six and eight carries. Interestingly, Kyren Williams never had fewer than 12 carries, but had between 12 and 15 carries in 12 games — similar to Corum. Williams did have 103 carries in the other five. I'm confident the coaching staff will be consistent in their usage and deliberate in their planning. I would expect a 60/40 split in favor of Williams, with Williams dominating the touchdowns and receptions.
VERDICT: Kyren Williams remains the RB1, but the workload split will tighten.
I'm right in line with Andy on this one, projecting Williams and Corum for 235 and 155 carries respectively — a roughly 60/40 split. Corum looked better in many ways last year, and the coaches kept rewarding him with more responsibility. Williams' contract, veteran status, and general effectiveness make him the logical bet to remain the No. 1, but the team should push for more balanced usage this year if both are healthy.