It’s a tough world we live in. It’s a tough league we watch. And for a lot of guys, it’s been a tough season. Arguably none tougher than the year Cam Akers has had himself so far.
Think back to yourself two off-seasons ago: Akers is coming off a six-game stretch (including two playoff games) where he averaged 110 total yards on 22 carries (not touches, carries) per game, as well as scoring five TDs. My favorite of these games came against New England when he gashed the 2020 Patriots for 171 yards on 5.9 yards per carry. Watching him glide effortlessly on well-blocked inside and outside zone runs, making defenders miss at the second level and falling forward sometimes seven or eight yards with DBs trying to bring him down. Then his playoff run, where he put up what would’ve been 21.1 PPR points per game against the Seahawks and Packers- nearly willing the Goff-era Rams to another Conference Championship.
I was excited. We all were. It appeared as though Akers had arrived: he was receiving a high volume of carries, was involved in the passing game, had solid efficiency on the ground, and appeared to have some solid touchdown upside in what was a well-coached offense. I had him as high as the RB3 in my dynasty rankings that off-season. He became a consensus top-8 back. The Rams did promos of him with Eric Dickerson. Cam had arrived. Owners’ patience during the season while he dealt with a rib issue had paid off, it seemed, and they would have a high-upside RB1 lock for years to come.
Then disaster struck. Cam tore his Achilles tendon in training camp in July of 2021. We all remember that. Obviously, his value took a huge hit, and he became an afterthought to most football fans throughout the 21-22 season. The Rams signed Sony Michel and implemented a three-headed kitten of an RBBC room with Darrel Henderson, Sony Michel, and Malcolm Brown. Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp took the league by storm, and the Rams looked like one of the elite teams in the NFL, without their projected starter toting the rock.
I had become a huge Cam Akers fan at this point and thought he was the future of my dynasty team, so I monitored his status closely. Reports began to come out in October that he was progressing fast in his rehab. We saw clips on his social media doing ladder drills just a few months after the Achilles tear. The excitement began to brew around the idea of him returning for a playoff run.
And then exactly that happened. The Rams made the postseason but weren’t huge favorites to go all the way. Akers’ return in the final week of the season was nothing notable, but he quickly was given the workhorse role we all saw during the end of the previous season. During the Rams’ super bowl run, Akers was given roughly 17 carries a game. An unprecedented feat achieved by any player- to tear an Achilles and return that same season to a workhorse role for the eventual super bowl champions.
That’s about where the good news and green flags end. Akers averaged a miserable 2.6 yards per carry during this playoff run. Granted, it was against some of the best-run defenses in football, including the 49ers and Bucs who both boasted ridiculous front sevens that season. A lack of burst was attributed to him almost certainly being at around 80% from the injury. There were enough excuses to not be concerned.
So I, along with many others, entered this season with hope for Cam Akers. Possibly a return to form to that elite dynasty running back we all saw during the end of the 2020-2021 season. An efficient, smooth runner with an elite role in a top-tier offense. What could go wrong?
Apparently, everything. Akers opened this season in Sean McVay’s doghouse. The offensive line is one of the worst units we’ve seen in years. Stafford looks horrid. McVay can’t scheme anything due to the lack of protection in the passing game and lack of push in the run game. Nothing, I repeat nothing is working for the Rams right now. Akers has been the least efficient running back in football- and it’s not all his fault, but he’s not above blame either. Akers has missed his fair share of holes this season. Anyone who’s watched him during a Rams game can attest to him being one of the most awful pass-protecting running backs in the league. The Rams have completely stopped using him in the passing game, and they sure as hell can’t get anything moving on the ground. Which has left everyone from fantasy managers to Sean McVay, to Rams fans, and Cam himself, utterly and completely frustrated. To the point where Akers is possibly days away from being released, and the Rams are getting ready to ride Darrell Henderson and Kyren Williams behind the worst line in football for the rest of the year. This whole situation is a disaster. The Rams might be the ugliest 3-3 team in the league today.
So what’s to make of this situation? What can possibly be salvaged here? What are the implications of fantasy football for the guys involved?
For one, Akers’ landing spot is a huge question. You can keep on the lookout for an article in the next few days considering the best and worst places we could see Cam end up. Obviously, this has huge indications for his dynasty value. We could see Cam end up somewhere that vaults him into flex consideration this season, or he could be a free-agent candidate both in the NFL and in your dynasty league. He is, without a doubt, one of the most volatile assets in fantasy right now. As an owner, you’re holding and praying.
Darrell Henderson’s value takes a boost. Kyren Williams is worth an add in most leagues. But despite the increased role for both guys, they’re far from reliable plays. This is still a terrible offensive line and a bottom-tier offense overall.
The Rams additionally are a legit candidate next year to throw a 2nd or 3rd round pick at one of the many talented running backs coming into the league. But again, unless other big changes are made this offseason, that might be a player to avoid.
The other thing we can take away here is a lesson learned. A lesson on the risk of running backs returning from a major injury, a lesson on the risk of teams at risk of potential super bowl hangovers. A lesson in avoiding running backs behind bad offensive lines. A lesson in not listening to ADP and trusting your gut. Always have a backup plan in dynasty, and never put all your eggs into one basket- very rarely can you put 100% faith in a player to pan out. Additionally, another lesson is that it’s probably smart to avoid Sean McVay’s running backs in dynasty. The growing trend of careers gone wrong is massively concerning by itself, but the now increased likelihood of committees in L.A. makes that team no longer a desirable landing spot for any back.
Cam Akers’ story truly does bring me incredible sadness. It always hurts to see a promising young player positioned for a huge season have their career path altered forever by an injury. We all saw the gem that Cam appeared to be, but what seemed like the perfect storm turned out to be quite the disaster. The situation, efficiency, and role for Akers went from perfect to massively unfavorable in what seems like an instant. I still maintain that Cam is a good football player, but it’s hard to justify why the Rams should keep him on their roster given everything about the current situation. He’s unhappy with his role, but he can’t pass protect, can’t create anything behind this line- it’s just all bad.
While saying it’s been a tough season is a massive understatement, I have hopes that a fresh start can give Akers a chance to be at least a fraction of the back many of us believe he could have been. At the young age of 23, Cam hopefully still has a long career ahead of him, and even if he doesn’t ever fully reach the potential we saw that he had, perhaps Akers can find a role somewhere in this league.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Shoot me a follow on Twitter @bensprinkler for more content like this and be sure to check out more recent articles on @DFF_Dynasty to learn the game and dominate your leagues!
