The Los Angeles Rams‘ offense has surprisingly produced a top-10 fantasy football running back through the first six games of the 2023 NFL season. However, they were absolutely decimated by injuries in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals. If both Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers are unavailable against the Pittsburgh Steelers, how aggressively should you go after RB Royce Freeman on your waiver wire in Week 7?
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Should Royce Freeman Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 7?
Analysis last updated at 10:38am EST on Wednesday, October 18.
One could make a compelling argument that Williams has been the biggest surprise of the 2023 fantasy football season.
Editor’s Note: Williams is now expected to miss multiple weeks and should be back after the team’s Week 10 bye.
Williams’ 110 total touches for 561 total yards and seven TDs have been nothing short of fantasy gold for managers who spent a late-round dart throw on him during the draft or aggressively went after him on the waiver wire after Week 1.
MORE: Fantasy Injury Update — Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers Impacting Week 7 Rankings
Unfortunately, reports suggest Williams is set to get an MRI on his ankle to get a better idea of the severity of his ankle injury. To make matters worse, backup running back (Rivers) is potentially dealing with a PCL sprain of his own.
With Williams and Rivers both dealing with injuries and uncertain timetables for a return to the field (as of this moment), there will be a running back that could see an expanded role in Week 7.
Some believe that player will be the talented rookie from Ole Miss, Zach Evans.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Evans, he was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and produced 1,055 total yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 as a member of the Rebels. He managed to see his first NFL action against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6 but only produced 10 yards on four carries.
Some reports suggest Evans could work as the option for Week 7, but perhaps another Rams running back should be on your waiver wire radar.
His name is Royce Freeman.
The former Oregon Duck hasn’t been active over the last three seasons, failing to see over 100 total touches in a season the last three years. But he still has had productive moments as a running back in the NFL.
Could the talented rookie be the leading man in this backfield? Sure.
Could Sean McVay decide he would rather rely on a veteran running back with a team that is still in the playoff picture through the first six games of the season? Sure.
The point is, both players are worth a waiver wire add and stash on your fantasy bench to see how this backfield shakes out if Williams and Rivers are both unavailable in Week 7.
Freeman would only be a Flex option in deeper leagues in the best-case scenario.