Joe Scarnici/Getty Images. Pictured: Rams RB Cam Akers
Cam Akers broke out for both fantasy football managers and the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, but the hype train has come to a stop following Tuesday morning’s news.
Akers suffered a torn Achilles while working out and is expected to miss the entire 2021 season, according to multiple NFL reporters. The injury comes a week before training camp was set to begin.
It’s terrible news for the Rams, who seemingly had an answer in the backfield after Sean McVay churned through multiple options. Darrell Henderson is the likely replacement, although it’s to be determined what a workload looks like for any running back in this offense now.
Akers was being drafted as the 11th running back overall in fantasy football drafts, according to 4for4’s ADP data. Our fantasy football expert Sean Koerner recently ranked Akers 19th overall and 11th for running backs.
As a whole, it’s a ho-hum stat line for Akers’ 2020 season. But his 4.3 yards per carry and 625 yards on the season is misleading — he emerged late, reaching 84 yards rushing for the first time in Week 12. He topped 50 yards rushing only once before then. After that performance, Akers finished the regular season with totals of 72, 171, 63 and 34 yards. Perhaps more importantly, he carried the ball at least 21 ties in three of those four games.
He followed that stretch up with 28 carries for 131 yards in the Wild Card Round against the Seahawks. He rushed 18 times for 90 yards in the Divisional Round loss to the Packers.
Xavier jones and Ramond Calais are two other backs listed behind Henderson on the Rams’ current depth chart.
The Rams, after trading quarterback Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford, are currently +1300 to win the Super Bowl at DraftKings.
