Sources – Rams to lean on Royce Freeman, Darrell Henderson vs. Steelers

With Kyren Williams on injured reserve and out the next four games, the Los Angeles Rams‘ leading running backs Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to be Royce Freeman and Darrell Henderson, sources told ESPN.

Both running backs were promoted off the Rams’ practice squad this week.

Freeman and Henderson are expected to get, in the words of one source, “the majority of the workload” against the Steelers. Freeman is the likely starter, but that could change depending on how the Steelers line up. How Freeman and Henderson perform Sunday will help dictate who gets the work in the weeks ahead, with Williams out until Week 12 at Arizona.

Rams rookie running back Zach Evans — one of the most added players in fantasy football this past week — is expected to back up both Freeman and Henderson against the Steelers as he is still learning the offense and acclimating to the NFL game.

Additionally, while recently signed running back Myles Gaskin is likely to be inactive Sunday, he is expected to be active against the Dallas Cowboys next week as he continues to pick up the offense.

But whether Freeman, Henderson, Evans or Gaskin seizes control of the backfield, none is expected to dominate the workload the way Williams did before he suffered a high ankle sprain during last week’s win over the Cardinals. The Rams now want to make a concerted effort to distribute the football more evenly, and that might be the case even once Williams returns as the team aims to preserve his longevity.

But for now, Freeman and Henderson are expected to receive the heaviest workloads in Sunday’s game, with Evans sprinkled in, before Gaskin joins the mix next week.