There will be a changing of the guard at running back for the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. Todd Gurley will be starring for the Atlanta Falcons when football kicks off again. He vacates a position that saw him accumulate 7,494 total yards and 70 touchdowns in five seasons. With such big shoes to fill, which Los Angeles Rams running backs could break out in fantasy football during the 2020 season?
Fantasy Football: Los Angeles Rams Running Backs
Cam Akers
Anytime a team drafts a running back in the first two rounds attention must be paid. Cam Akers, a second round pick, was a standout at Florida State University. He accumulated 3,361 total yards and 34 touchdowns across three seasons in Tallahassee. Obviously, by using their first pick in the 2020 draft on a running back, LA was signaling its intentions. However, the truncated off-season means fewer reps for rookies. Factor in young running backs struggling in pass protection early and you open the door for the Rams returning backs.
Malcolm Brown
Malcolm Brown has been the caddy for Todd Gurley for the last three years. He’s held his own in the role, rushing for 713 yards and six touchdowns in that time. While he isn’t as explosive as Akers and Darrell Henderson, the Rams coaches have shown a level of trust in Brown. The Rams matched his offer sheet to sign with the Detroit Lions in March 2019. They also gave him some goal-line work last season in games with a healthy Gurley. In all, Brown played just at 20 percent of Rams running back snaps last season.
Darrell Henderson
Darrell Henderson’s rookie season could be described as a wash. Highly touted coming out Memphis, many thought he would flash big-play ability in LA. Spoiler alert, he didn’t. Henderson accumulated 184 scoreless yards in 2019. Off-season ankle surgery could point to a reason he wasn’t as advertised last season. If healthy, he could still be the kind of talent who averaged 8.9 yards per carry in his last two seasons in college.
How It’ll Shake Out
The Rams drafted Cam Akers early for a reason. He’s displayed three-down ability in college and has experience in a zone scheme. He’ll be given every opportunity to stake a claim as the team’s RB1. But don’t sign him up for Gurley’s workload just yet. Malcolm Brown could steal early-down and goal-line work, especially early in the season. Again, he has the trust of the coaching staff in those situations. He’s also been vocal about his ability to catch passes, which is something we haven’t seen much of. Henderson is the real wild card here. At worst, he’ll play more this season as a change of pace back. However, he’ll get his chance to show the explosion we were hoping to see last year.
Come draft time, I’d take Akers as a low-end RB2 or a high-end flex. He has a higher ceiling than his draft position but between the competition for carries and shortened off-season, there’s a risk. Henderson has appeal as a flex option. I don’t think he overtakes Akers but he could cut into his workload. Brown is a late-round flier pick. He could turn into a classic short-yardage and touchdown vulture.
