Is Cam Akers the Los Angeles Rams RB1?
Cam Akers is back in fantasy football relevance after the running back took 17 of the team's 27 rushes and accounted for one of the two RB targets in Week 13. Akers would go on to finish as fantasy's RB6 against the Seattle Seahawks, and now has accrued 158 yards on the ground over the last three weeks, after spending much of the season as a healthy scratch.
What Does This Mean for Fantasy?
The Los Angeles Rams made a shocking decision to cut Darrell Henderson, one of their most promising running backs, just two weeks ago. The decision was a surprise to many fans, especially given that Henderson was drafted by the team in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft and had shown signs of being an effective player through batches of the 2022 season. This opened the door for Kyren Williams to lead the team with a season-high 70% snap rate in Week 12 and fantasy players thought we had the roster solved.
Cue Week 13, when Akers rushed for Sunday's backfield leading 60 yards just a month after we all figured he was potentially done for the season. Though he only had one target from John Wolford (who is currently replacing the injured Matthew Stafford at quarterback), the 60 yards and two touchdowns were plenty of counting stats to provide a resurgent fantasy game.
Looking forward, it's going to be difficult to trust that Sean McVay is going to keep Akers in the lead role in the Rams backfield, especially considering you are looking for consistent production on fantasy teams heading to the playoffs. There have now been four different running backs to lead the team in RB touches, and the same running back has only done it in back-to-back weeks twice on the season.
Rams' Fantasy Playoff Pieces
Running back Cam Akers may not be the only question mark as we head into the last month of the season, as the team continues to make due in life after Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, and Matthew Stafford. This week they will take on a Raiders team that has allowed the second-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and the third-most points to opposing running backs. The Los Angeles offense should be able to open it up in Week 14, but they have proven to have a limited ceiling for fantasy purposes, with most of their star power unable to suit up.
Things will get more difficult through the stretch run, even if you feel like the team won't return to rookie Kyren Williams. After the "easy" matchup against the Raiders, they still have the Broncos on the docket, who allow the second-fewest points and third-fewest yards to opposing offenses. Akers and Williams will join Brandon Powell, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, and Van Jefferson as pieces of the Rams offense that should be better suited riding your league's waiver wire. Even if Akers is truly on the verge of taking back the RB1 job, the weekly ceiling on his rushing yards makes him a difficult play in the most important weeks of the season.
