For the past few years, there was no decision to be made when it came to picking a Rams running back to start in fantasy football each week. Todd Gurley was a no-brainer when healthy, but now that he’s no longer in L.A., the Rams have taken to a committee approach in their backfield.
That’s made it difficult to decide which tailback to put in your lineup thus far. In Week 1, Malcolm Brown scored two touchdowns and rewarded fantasy owners who started him – as well as those who rostered him in DFS. In Week 2, Darrell Henderson shined with 121 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, but only after Cam Akers left with a rib injury.
Henderson backed that up with another 100-yard, one-touchdown showing against the Bills, and assuming Akers is once again unable to go on Sunday versus the Giants, Henderson remains an obvious start in fantasy.
Heck, even if Akers is available, Henderson is the clear choice among the Rams’ running backs. Sean McVay said on Monday that he believes Henderson will once again be the starter, pointing out the job he’s done in Akers’ absence.
“These are things that we expect from Darrell and not to be taken for granted, but I mean, you see he’s a slash-type runner, but he’s physical,” McVay told reporters. “The goal-line run to really punch us over the top against an excellent linebacker in Tremaine Edmunds, in the hole where he’s an essence unblocked – it was a big-time run. But you felt him all day. He can contribute in a variety of ways. I think the more that he plays, the more he’s available, the better he’s going to get, the more confidence.”
That last line is important because even with Akers out, Henderson has yet to play more than 49% of the offensive snaps in a game. Brown is still the better pass blocker, but Henderson’s upside is undeniable, which will keep him on the field this weekend.
And considering he’s facing a Giants defense that has faced the fifth-most carries in the league and ranks 20th against the run, Henderson’s one of the better plays in fantasy this week. For reference, the Giants are 24th in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs.
The Rams should have no trouble moving the ball against New York and if they jump out to an early lead, it’ll be another heavy dose of the run game – which means 20-plus carries for Henderson again.
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