{"id":99066,"date":"2020-12-03T09:17:06","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T14:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=99066"},"modified":"2021-03-17T16:31:52","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T20:31:52","slug":"fantasy-football-week-13-running-back-rankings-cam-akers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/03\/fantasy-football-week-13-running-back-rankings-cam-akers\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football Week 13 Running Back Rankings: Can You Trust Cam Akers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Week 13 of the NFL is here, as fantasy football owners everywhere are working on making the final push for the playoffs. Going through the rankings and picking the right running back for your fantasy football lineup is never easy, especially at this critical juncture of the season. Cam Akers<\/a><\/strong> finally had his breakout performance in Week 12, but can he carry over that success into Week 13?<\/p>\n

Note that these rankings are for PPR scoring formats. Obviously, if you\u2019re using a different scoring format, there will be some minor changes to these rankings.<\/p>\n

Cam Akers, Snell Not Worth Trusting in Fantasy Football Week 13 Running Back Rankings<\/h2>\n

Tier 1: Best of the Best<\/h4>\n

1. Dalvin Cook<\/a>
\n2. Derrick Henry<\/a>
\n3. Austin Ekeler<\/a>
\n4. James Robinson<\/a>
\n5. Nick Chubb<\/a><\/p>\n

To nobody\u2019s surprise, Dalvin Cook is the RB1 in the Week 13 Running Back Rankings. His combination of talent and opportunity is rare, and the matchup against Jacksonville puts him over the top. Derrick Henry is right behind him, as these two are probably the most reliable running backs in fantasy football.<\/p>\n

Austin Ekeler came back from injury and recorded 14 carries and a staggering 16 targets. That workload isn\u2019t going away, especially against a New England Patriots defense that doesn\u2019t have an answer for pass-catching running backs. James Robinson quietly has one of the most secure workloads in the league and should have another great outing against Minnesota. Nick Chubb rounds out the bunch, as the elite runner is a safe bet to hit 20 carries and find the endzone.<\/p>\n

Tier 2: RB1 Ceiling<\/h4>\n

6. Aaron Jones<\/a>
\n7. Kareem Hunt<\/a>
\n8. Chris Carson<\/a>
\n9. Josh Jacobs<\/a>
\n10. D\u2019Andre Swift<\/a>
\n11. Antonio Gibson<\/a>
\n12. Miles Sanders<\/a>
\n13. David Montgomery<\/a>
\n14. Alvin Kamara<\/a><\/p>\n

Aaron Jones might not have the largest workload in the league, but he\u2019s so talented and Green Bay\u2019s offense is so good that it doesn\u2019t really matter. Ditto for Kareem Hunt, as the pass-catching specialist should have another great week. Seattle limited Chris Carson\u2019s snaps last week, but the former seventh-round pick should have his usual ~65% snap share now that he\u2019s fully healthy.<\/p>\n

Josh Jacobs needs a positive game script to be a worthwhile start, but he should have that against an atrocious New York Jets team. D\u2019Andre Swift finally got the workload he deserved before suffering a concussion. Now that he\u2019s back, look for him to keep that three-down workload. After working almost exclusively as a runner early in the season, Antonio Gibson finally received some targets last week. If that trend continues, he\u2019s an RB1 the rest of the way.<\/p>\n

Miles Sanders only received six carries last week, but he still played in 61% of the offensive snaps. He has a favorable matchup against the Packers, but Philadelphia\u2019s terrible offense and the questionable workload makes him a relatively risky play. David Montgomery will still have his reliable workload, but he probably won\u2019t have the same efficiency from a week ago.<\/p>\n

Taysom Hill<\/a><\/strong> is the worst thing that could have possibly happened to Alvin Kamara. The superstar running back is one of the best pass-catching weapons in the league, but Hill just doesn\u2019t throw to the running backs. Without the receiving work, Kamara is nothing more than a sensational runner splitting carries with Hill and Latavius Murray<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Tier 3: Solid RB2<\/h4>\n

15. Wayne Gallman<\/a>
\n16. Raheem Mostert<\/a>
\n17. Ezekiel Elliott<\/a>
\n18. Clyde Edwards-Helaire<\/a>
\n19. Nyheim Hines<\/a>*
\n20. Myles Gaskin<\/a>
\n21. Kenyan Drake<\/a>
\n22. Duke Johnson<\/a>
\n23. Latavius Murray
\n24. Giovani Bernard<\/a><\/p>\n

Wayne Gallman has been the RB6 since the start of Week 7. Losing Daniel Jones<\/a><\/strong> will hurt his standing in the fantasy football running back rankings, but Colt McCoy<\/a><\/strong> is good enough to keep Gallman relevant. Kyle Shanahan<\/strong> loves to switch up his running back usage on the fly, but Raheem Mostert should be the primary starter this week. Ezekiel Elliott is no longer a special talent, and Dallas\u2019 offense isn\u2019t nearly as good with Andy Dalton<\/a><\/strong>. That said, the workload alone ensures a relatively safe floor.<\/p>\n

The Kansas City Chiefs do not like to run the ball, which is bad news for Clyde Edwards-Helaire. However, the lack of volume is easily offset by the scoring upside. Nyheim Hines is probably the Indianapolis running back to own if Jonathan Taylor<\/a><\/strong> cannot play in Week 13. Myles Gaskin had one of the best workloads in the league at the time of his injury and should pick up right where he left off, as there\u2019s no real competition for work.<\/p>\n

Kenyan Drake is starting to look like his old self, but Kyler Murray<\/a><\/strong> isn\u2019t. The quarterback suffered a shoulder injury two weeks back and doesn\u2019t quite look 100%. This limits Drake\u2019s ceiling, as does the timeshare with Chase Edmonds<\/a><\/strong>. Duke Johnson is one of the least efficient runners in football, but he has no other competition for work as long as David Johnson<\/a><\/strong> remains sidelined.<\/p>\n

As previously mentioned, Latavius Murray is getting a good amount of the work in New Orleans, including a high percentage of the goal line touches. Giovani Bernard is a low-ceiling, medium-floor option with Brandon Allen<\/a><\/strong> operating what should be an anemic offense.<\/p>\n

Tier 4: Flex Play<\/h4>\n

25. J.K. Dobbins<\/a>
\n26. Melvin Gordon<\/a>
\n27. Zack Moss<\/a>
\n28. Damien Harris<\/a>
\n29. Chase Edmonds
\n30. Benny Snell<\/a>*
\n31. Frank Gore<\/a>
\n32. Devin Singletary<\/a>
\n33. Cam Akers
\n34. Brian Hill<\/a>*
\n35. Jordan Wilkins<\/a><\/p>\n

J.K. Dobbins should return in Week 13, along with Mark Ingram<\/a><\/strong>. This means that Baltimore is going back to their three-headed committee at running back, which is bad news for everyone involved. Melvin Gordon will split snaps with Phillip Lindsay<\/a><\/strong>, and the offense probably won\u2019t get too much done even with Drew Lock<\/a><\/strong> back on the field.<\/p>\n

Zack Moss is the best Buffalo running back to play, but you\u2019re probably better off avoiding the entire backfield. Josh Allen<\/a><\/strong> doesn\u2019t throw to running backs and he vultures far too many scoring opportunities. Damien Harris remains a great running back that doesn\u2019t do much in the passing game and loses too many touchdowns to Cam Newton<\/a><\/strong>. Ultimately, it\u2019s a bad formula for reaching his fantasy football potential.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh\u2019s rushing offense is one of the worst in the league, and Benny Snell is not a talented runner. Frank Gore is living proof that volume alone isn\u2019t enough for fantasy relevance. Even without Lamical Perine<\/strong><\/a>, this offense is so terrible that Gore won\u2019t be able to do much.<\/p>\n

Devin Singletary is a good running back, but there is a limit to how good you can be without goal-line touches or receiving work. Cam Akers would be a lot higher on this list if you knew for a fact that he\u2019d be the starting running back. However, despite his great performance, he only received nine carries and recorded a 27% snap share in Week 12. He’s far from a safe bet to receive a safe workload, and you should probably look somewhere else.<\/p>\n

If Todd Gurley<\/a><\/strong> misses another week, Brian Hill should be Atlanta\u2019s primary starter. However, he won\u2019t get a full workload with Ito Smith<\/a><\/strong> around. It\u2019s ultimately a backfield you\u2019ll want to avoid, but if you had to pick a running back, Hill is the better option. Jordan Wilkins closes out these running back rankings, as he will get carries, but Nyheim Hines will receive the valuable touches.<\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>