Beat: Rams need more from Blake Corum

Corum was employed as a pure breather back this afternoon, as he got out-touched 26-6 by Kyren Williams. Four of Corum’s handles came on one first quarter series. With the 1-2 Rams staring down the barrel of 1-3 as they trailed by two scores for several quarters, they circled the wagons around their most established players, and that does not yet include Corum. The third-year pro will undoubtedly pop up for more 10-12 carry afternoons, but he’s fading from FLEX relevance as Williams gets re-established in the low-end RB1 mix.

Williams’ 10 receptions were a new career high, while his 26 touches were tied for his seventh most. This, as Blake Corum handled the ball only six times. With Matthew Stafford having trouble against a stout Eagles defense in the rain, he focused on Williams checkdowns, and the strategy actually paid off as the Rams erased a 20-10 halftime deficit. Williams now has 47 touches over the past two weeks after that number was 28 for Weeks 1 and 2. With the Rams off to a shaky start, it’s not surprising they’ve started concentrating touches on their most established weapons. Corum is going to hang around as a nuisance, but Williams has returned himself to the low-end RB1 mix ahead of a likely Week 5 shootout with the Bills.

Williams’ 70 yards through the air were a career-high mark in receiving for a single game, returning yet another RB1 fantasy performance despite sharing backfield work with Blake Corum. Corum managed only 15 yards on six carries and caught two passes for zero additional yards. Furthermore, Corum has still not seen a carry inside the red zone through three games of the 2026 season. Williams remains a surefire RB1 ahead of a difficult matchup against the Eagles in Week 4.

Corum was kept out of the end zone for the second straight game to open the 2026 season but continues to display elite per-touch efficiency. The scoring woes could persist considering the robust red zone role of cohort Kyren Williams, the latter of whom found pay dirt for the second consecutive game to open the season. Corum continues to be a difficult weekly start outside of deeper leagues for as long as he is taken off the field where it matters most to fantasy production, and will remain a borderline FLEX start when the Rams face the Broncos in Week 3.

Williams has opened the season with touchdowns in consecutive games after hitting pay dirt 15 times or more the previous two seasons. The difference this season is that he’s doing it while Blake Corum has been much more involved in the weekly game plan. Williams continues forward with an elevated weekly floor due to his robust red zone role, albeit with a shakier ceiling than in recent years due to the presence of Corum. He remains a back-end RB2 when the Rams travel to Colorado to face the Bronco in Week 3.

Corum was unable to find the end zone while Kyren Williams did, but Corum was the more efficient tailback between the 20s with Williams only tallying 41 yards. He was also a non-factor in the passing game, but the Rams were basically a non-factor in the passing game with Matthew Stafford struggling to figure out the 49ers’ defense. Corum could see more touches in Week 2 against the Giants, but there’s no guarantee.

Williams’ day was salvaged with a short-yardage score. He finished with one more rushing attempt than Blake Corum, but Corum did look spryer with 54 yards on those attempts. The Rams’ offense just didn’t have it in the Australian showdown, and Williams should see a better box score in Week 2 against the Giants; even if Corum remains a fantasy adversary.

“I would say he’s a lot leaner for sure, he looks a lot more explosive,” was Williams’ exact quote. The Rams’ in-house reporters claim “that explosiveness has been on display all camp.” A disappointing 2024 rookie, Corum successfully earned a 1B role as a sophomore and is pushing for more. It’s still difficult to believe he could crack the top 24 at running back in fantasy, but it is possible he continues to cut into Williams’ top-18 value. Williams and Corum’s workload split will be one of September’s most intriguing early-season storylines.

Corum took a nice leap in his second season as a pro, posting a 145-746-6 rushing line over 17 games while competing with Kyren Williams for touches every step of the way. Like Corum, Williams was also healthy for 17 games, but that didn’t stop Corum from popping up for a few top-24 PPR finishes last season. Corum’s 9.4 opportunities per game weren’t enough to make him a reliable option in start/sit leagues, as he managed only one double-digit PPR performance from Weeks 1-12, but his production could pave the way for a more even split with Williams this season. It may take some time to determine whether or not we can view Corum as a player who has standalone value this season, but he remains one of the best handcuffs in fantasy playing in an elite offense that could feature him in a high-volume role should Williams ever miss time.

Back on May 1st, Atkins predicted Rams coach Sean McVay would deploy starting RB Kyren Williams and Corum in a 50-50 split, with Williams operating as the “primary third-down back and between-the-tackles runner,” while Corum functions as “a change-of-pace option with explosive capabilities.” With spring workouts complete, Atkins is doubling down with minor clarifications. Corum has made strides as a pass protector and receiver, and could “earn more playing time in an offense that wants to blur the run and the pass,” but Williams still remains the superior passing game player and should out-snap Corum because of this. Williams’ “consistency and short-yardage skills” could also keep him on the field in goal-line situations. Williams posted a 259/1,252/10 rushing line while Corum went for 145/746/6. Atkins thinks the two backs could split carries almost 50-50, which would seemingly make a 1,000-yard season doable for Corum. However, Corum’s ceiling outcome is limited if Williams indeed remains the primary player on passing downs and in goal-line situations.