Fantasy Alert: Rams RB Zach Evans Rumored to Backup Freeman, Henderson vs. Steelers

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Fantasy football players who picked up Los Angeles Rams rookie running back Zach Evans off waivers after Kyren Williams was placed on injured reserve may be disappointed Sunday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the expectation is Evans will be behind both Royce Freeman and Darrell Henderson on the depth chart against the Pittsburgh Steelers because he is “still learning the offense and acclimating to the NFL game.”

Henderson and Freeman were both promoted off the practice squad this week going into the game against Pittsburgh.

Things could get even more crowded in the Rams’ backfield in the coming weeks, as Schefter noted Myles Gaskin is expected to be activated for the upcoming game against the Dallas Cowboys.

That isn’t what those who picked up Evans want to hear, especially if he was an injury replacement for Williams.

After all, Williams was one of the season’s early revelations when it came to fantasy production. He ran for 456 yards and six touchdowns while adding 105 yards and a score through the air in the first six games.

The Notre Dame product seemed to be rounding into form with 158 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Week 6 game against the Arizona Cardinals but suffered a high ankle sprain that will keep him sidelined until at least Week 12.

Henderson and Freeman are uninspiring options from a fantasy perspective, so Evans seemed to be the high-ceiling play for those who hit the waiver wire following Williams’ injury.

Yet Schefter’s report suggests the Rams will look to split carries moving forward and may even do so when Williams returns. That is the recipe for inconsistent and frustrating fantasy production, limiting Evans’ ceiling in his first year in the league.

He was a sixth-round pick out of Ole Miss who accounted for 1,055 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns in his final collegiate season. However, it doesn’t seem like he will be putting up numbers like that in the NFL as a rookie with limited opportunities expected during Sunday’s game against the Steelers and moving forward.