Skowronek started 11 games last year and played at least 60% of the offensive snaps in 11 of 15 games. That may make him the most likely Rams receiver not named Cooper Kupp to start in 2023. But that distinction does not do much for his Fantasy value. Shockingly, he only scored more than 11 PPR Fantasy points once in the nine games that he played at least 80% of the snaps. His 0.92 yards per route run was one of the worst marks in the league, even trailing Allen Robinson. So, despite the fact that Skowronek looks likely to start, we wouldn't want him anywhere near our Fantasy rosters until he shows some ability to turn playing time into Fantasy points.
Skowronek caught his only target for 10 yards and rushed once for 11 yards during Sunday's 30-23 loss to the 49ers.
Despite having a brief injury scare in the first half, Skowronek returned and played a quarter of the Rams' snaps on offense. The veteran's 11-yard rush late in the third quarter was the longest run the Rams had all game, and coach Sean McVay's trust in Skowronek's versatility should keep him as the primary backup to the current starting trio of Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell and Van Jefferson until Cooper Kupp (hamstring) returns.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Could see additional work
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Skowronek could have an expanded role in the Rams offense while fellow wideout Cooper Kupp (hamstring) is sidelined for at least Sunday's season opener in Seattle, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Atlantic reports.
Skowronek's familiarity with all of the Rams' receiver positions was a key factor in him sticking around with the club for a third season. With two young wideouts in Tutu Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua stepping in behind Van Jefferson, Skowronek could be called upon to spell any of the three players and function in a variety of roles beyond special teams while Kupp is out.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: May not play much on offense
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Skowronek may get most of his playing time on special teams this season, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic.
Skowronek has been with the team for a few years and knows all the receiver positions in Sean McVay's offense, but the Rams prefer to keep him as a depth guy and get more speed/playmaking in the starting lineup. Cooper Kupp's lingering hamstring injury offers a path for Skowronek to play more on offense, though even then he might be just the fourth receiver behind Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Secures two grabs in loss
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Skowronek secured both of his targets for 25 yards during Saturday's 34-17 preseason loss to the Raiders.
The veteran was on the field for only 17 snaps on offense but made a nice 18-yard grab in the second quarter as part of an eight-play drive that led to a Tanner Brown field goal. Skowronek has seemingly fallen down the depth chart, as both Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell were held out Saturday, a sign that the Rams are protecting the duo for significant roles in the regular season. The third-year wideout will be competing with Tyler Johnson, Demarcus Robinson, and Lance McCutcheon for one of the final few wide receiver spots on the Rams' 53-man roster.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Returns with pair of catches
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Skowronek (back) caught two of three targets for seven yards during Saturday's 34-17 preseason loss to the Chargers.
The third-year Rams wideout suffered a few health concerns during the preseason with both back and foot injuries, but he was able to play nearly half of the team's offensive snaps and showed no signs of rust in snaring a pair of passes in the contest. Skowronek's do-it-all role for the Rams appears to be intact, but with Puka Nacua impressing early and often during both training camp and Saturday's contest (3-32-1 on five targets) and Tutu Atwell also seemingly looking at an expanded role, how often the Rams utilize the versatile trio of receivers immediately behind starters Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson will be something to keep an eye on through the rest of the preseason.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Back at practice Thursday
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Skowronek (back) returned to practice Thursday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Skowronek has been banged up from the offseason program and into training camp, first dealing with a foot issue during mandatory minicamp in June before missing practice Tuesday due to a sore back. It's unclear how much activity he'll be able to handle Thursday, but the Rams may ease him back in with the regular season more than a month away.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Held out of practice Tuesday
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Skowronek (back) didn't practice Tuesday due to back soreness, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
Skowronek managed a foot injury earlier in camp and is now dealing with a back issue. It's not yet clear how long the new injury will keep him out of practice. Skowronek is competing with a host of others for positioning behind Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Van Jefferson on an unsettled Rams wide receiver depth chart.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Managing foot issue
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Skowronek missed time during the Rams' recent minicamp while "working through some foot stuff," per coach Sean McVay, Cameron DaSilva of the USA Today reports.
Skowronek has moved past the calf strain that he dealt with at the end of last season, but he's now tending to a foot issue in advance of training camp. Assuming it's nothing that lingers, Skowronek will look to cement a steady role in a Rams' wide receiver corps that will be led by Cooper Kupp and also includes Van Jefferson, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua. In 14 games during the 2022 campaign, the 2021 seventh-rounder logged 39 catches on 61 targets for 376 yards and no touchdowns.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Out for season
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Coach Sean McVay said Tuesday that Skowronek will miss the rest of the campaign due to a calf strain, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Per Cameron DaSilva of USA Today, Skowronek appeared to get banged up following a reception in the first half of Monday's game at Green Bay, but his eventual snap share (67 percent) indicates he gutted through what was bothering him. McVay now has clarified that the issue won't allow Skowronek to play again this season, meaning the second-year pro will end the year with 39 catches on 61 targets for 376 yards and no touchdowns in 14 appearances. He will join four other Rams wide receivers on the sidelines, leaving the team down to Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Brandon Powell, Austin Trammell and Lance McCutcheon on the active roster.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Nets just three yards
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Skowronek caught one of three targets for three yards during Monday's 24-12 loss to the Packers.
Fantasy managers hoping for another standout performance from Skowronek after he erupted for a 7-89-0 line in Week 14 were greeted with a floor game fromthe second-year wideout, his second-worst performance of the season after a zero-catch day against the Buccaneers in Week 9. Baker Mayfield was under duress all night, taking a total of five sacks and throwing a bad pick that was targeted to Skowronek, and the chemistry the duo showed against the Raiders evaporated against a stout Green Bay defense. Mayfield faces an even more imposing defense in Week 16 when Denver comes to town, which makes gambling on Skowronek to bounce back a tall order.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Week 15 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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A week of surprises around the NFL started with the Rams' 17-16 win over the Raiders Thursday, and Skowronek was a big part of that. He led the team in catches and yards, while finishing with one fewer target than Tutu Atwell for the team lead. Skowronek hasn't done much in Cooper Kupp's absence this season overall, but maybe Baker Mayfield at QB can help him finish the season strong. In PPR leagues with deeper lineups, he's worth a look.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Paces pass catchers in win
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Skowronek brought in seven of eight targets for 89 yards in the Rams' 17-16 win over the Raiders on Thursday night.
The second-year wideout finished as the team leader in receptions and receiving yards while checking in second in targets. Skowronek's ability to develop quick chemistry with new quarterback Baker Mayfield -- his catch and yardage tallies were both career highs -- certainly seems to bode well for the receiver's prospects down the stretch, especially with Mayfield seemingly having locked in a Week 15 starting opportunity on the road versus the Packers on Monday night, Dec. 19.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Ready for Thursday night
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Skowronek (shoulder) doesn't have a designation for Thursday's game versus the Raiders, Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee reports.
Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed Monday that Skowronek was tending to a shoulder injury, which resulted in limited listings on Monday's estimated practice report and for Tuesday's walk-through session. On Wednesday, Skowronek was labeled a full participant at the Rams' jog-through session and now is ready to roll Week 14. With both Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Allen Robinson (foot) sidelined this past Sunday against the Seahawks, Skowronek earned his second-highest snap share of the season (97 percent) but turned the elevated workload into just two catches (on three targets) for 30 yards.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Listed as limited again
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Skowronek (shoulder) is officially listed as a limited participant on Tuesday's practice estimate, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Skowronek's limited listing is just an estimate, as the Rams held a walk-through instead of an actual practice ahead of Thursday's game against the Raiders. Along with two receptions for 30 yards in the Rams' Week 13 loss to Seattle he also picked up a shoulder injury, but if he's able to suit up Thursday there could be opportunities for him in a passing game missing Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Allen Robinson (foot).
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Listed as limited participant
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Skowronek (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant on Monday's injury report, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reprots.
The Rams didn't practice Monday, so the report was merely an estimate. Head coach Sean McVay said earlier in the day that he felt good about Skowronek's chances of playing Thursday against the Raiders, despite picking up a shoulder injury during Sunday's loss to Seattle. The wideout caught two passes for 30 yards Week 13, marking his highest receiving output since Week 6. Skowronek will have two more chance to log a full session before the team needs to make a decision on his status for Week 14, but he appears to be trending in the right direction.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Two catches in loss
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Skowronek secured two of three targets for 30 yards in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Seahawks.
The Rams' first drive of the day was highlighted by a toe-tap catch from Skowronek for 22 yards, which helped set up a one-yard Cam Akers rushing touchdown. Beyond that, however, Skowronek only made one more catch despite being on the field for all but two snaps on offense. Both John Wolford and Bryce Perkins have struggled under center for the Rams in place of Matthew Stafford (neck), making it difficult to rely on Skowronek for consistent production, even with a tantalizing matchup against the Raiders on tap for Week 14.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Little production in defeat
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Skowronek secured two of four targets for five yards in Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Chiefs.
Despite finishing second on the team in targets, Skowronek had another quiet performance in what has become a recurring theme for the second-year wideout. With Allen Robinson (foot) now out for the season and Cooper Kupp (ankle) unlikely to return with the Rams essentially out of playoff contention, Skowronek now slots in as the Rams' No. 2 wide receiver. However, given the state of the offense with Bryce Perkins at the helm with Matthew Stafford (neck) week-to-week, it's hard to see a path to fantasy relevance for Skowronek in the short term.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Just one catch in loss
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Skowronek secured one of four targets for four yards in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Saints.
It was another disappointing performance from the second-year wideout, who has just four receptions for 28 yards since the Week 7 bye. Despite playing the most snaps of any Rams wide receiver, Skowronek actually finished fourth on the team in targets and a distant seventh in receiving yardage. With Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson leading the team at wideout during the absence of Cooper Kupp (ankle), Skowronek's stock is trending down heading into a tough Week 12 matchup with the Chiefs.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Should retain starting role
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Skowronek is expected to hold down a regular role in three-receiver sets for the Rams with No. 1 wideout Cooper Kupp (ankle) projected to miss 6-to-8 weeks after undergoing surgery Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Skowronek has already seen steady involvement for the Rams in 2022, lining up primarily as a receiver and occasionally as a fullback this season while playing no fewer than 61 percent of the snaps on offense in any of his nine appearances. Van Jefferson's absence from the Rams' first six games of the season had a hand in freeing up some playing time for Skowronek, and now Kupp's upcoming absence likely ensures that trend continues, perhaps for the remainder of the season. Perhaps more significantly, the absence of Kupp and the 10.8 targets per game he had averaged this season creates more looks for all of the Rams' key pass catchers, with all of Skowronek, Jefferson, Allen Robinson and Tyler Higbee likely to benefit to varying degrees. Robinson and Higbee will presumably serve as the preferred targets for quarterback Matthew Stafford heading into Sunday's matchup with the Saints, but Skowronek could carve out some utility in deeper leagues as a No. 3 or 4 option in the passing game.
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Rams' Ben Skowronek: Seven targets Sunday
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Skowronek caught two of seven targets for 14 yards in Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Cardinals.
Skowronek was on the field for nearly every play on offense for the Rams, and he was peppered with seven targets from John Wolford. One of those targets bounced off of the hybrid wide receiver/fullback's hands, however, and was intercepted by Budda Baker in the fourth quarter to essentially end any hope of a comeback for the Rams. With Cooper Kupp (ankle) looking like he may miss some time, Skowronek will be looked upon as one of the top receiving options for the Rams, along with Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson, heading into a Week 11 tilt against the Saints.
