Cam Akers was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He is already getting a lot of hype as the potential replacement for former elite back Todd Gurley. Gurley was not only a valuable asset for the Rams for a few years, but he was also the top back in fantasy football for a span of time. Of course, no one believes that Akers is going to be a top back this year, but there are legitimate questions on if he will even be fantasy relevant at all.
Stay Away From Cam Akers in Fantasy Football
College Tape Doesn’t Stand Out
Akers college tape is good, and his highlight reel is about as good as any drafted running back. But it doesn’t scream special. In two of his three college seasons for Florida State, he went over 1,000 yards rushing. But as a sophomore he did not, which is a bit odd. He was held to just 706 yards on the ground.
He redeemed himself the following year, with the highest yardage total of his career, and scored a total of 18 touchdowns.
To his credit, he did not have the best offensive line in the NCAA. Still, one has to wonder if the inconsistency will follow him to the pros. Other question marks for Akers are his pass protection and his pass-catching ability. He looked solid when he was used, but it was not often. He only totaled 69 catches in three years.
A Crowded Backfield
Interestingly enough, this is the second consecutive year there is talk of the Rams drafting Gurley’s replacement. In 2019 they took Darrell Henderson in the third round of the draft. With questions about the health of Gurley and his knee circulating, Henderson was seen by many as a steal in fantasy football drafts.
Unfortunately, that did not work out. Henderson ended the year with under 200 scrimmage yards and no touchdowns. Now, Henderson was banged up a lot of the year and was drafted a whole round later than Akers. Nevertheless, this could be a repeat for the Rams rookie runner this year.
Aside from that, Malcolm Brown is in the mix. Brown is the seasoned veteran, having been with the team since 2015. He has never had more than 255 yards on the ground or 69 carries, but he currently sits at second on the depth chart. And coming back to Henderson, Brown has said that he is “way more comfortable this year.”
Akers is projected to be the starter, but that could just be in name. This is looking like a full-on committee backfield, something to stay away from.
Cam Akers ADP and Value
Admittedly, there is a chance that Akers works on, and takes the lead job. But looking at his ADP, ESPN has him as the RB24. This is right behind fellow rookie D’Andre Swift, and ahead of guys like Kareem Hunt, David Montgomery, and Ronald Jones.
Looking at the other backs near him, it just doesn’t make sense to take Akers over them. While Swift is in a similar situation to Akers, he only has the oft-injured Kerryon Johnson ahead of him, with no competition after that.
But more head-scratching are the rankings of Montgomery and Jones. Both of these runners look to be the unquestioned leaders in their backfield. Montgomery has dropped in rankings recently due to a groin injury, but it won’t keep him out more than a few weeks into the season. After that, he is a lock for the bell cow role. Jones has gotten off to a slow start to his NFL career, but all reports are that he has vastly improved as both a runner and receiver.
Even Hunt is arguably a better option. He averaged 10.6 fantasy points per game when he returned from suspension, even playing behind Nick Chubb. And should Chubb ever go down, Hunt instantly becomes a top-five back.
Akers is still way too unknown to be worthy of where he is being drafted. Look to other running backs instead here.
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