Cam Akers' 2021 season probably didn't go the way he envisioned it would, but his fantasy football outlook for 2022 is bright.
After bursting onto the scene late in 2020, Akers tore his ACL right before the start of training camp last season, and was forced to miss a majority of the season. He made a miraculous return to the field in Week 18 and helped the Rams out on their way to winning Super Bowl LVI.
Even though Akers made it back on the field late last season, he wasn't super effective, and he ended up splitting time with Darrell Henderson Jr. and Sony Michel in the backfield. However, Michel is out of the picture heading into 2022, and Henderson will be backing up Akers moving forward. As a result, Akers could be set for a big 2022 campaign.
From a fantasy football perspective, Akers is a bit of a wild card. He's coming off a serious knee injury, and has Henderson, who has proven to be a starting caliber running back before, lurking behind on the depth chart. But even then, Akers' potential is hard to miss, so let's take a closer look at his fantasy football outlook for the 2022 season.
Cam Akers' 2022 fantasy football outlook
Akers made a name for himself in 2020 when he exploded for 171 yards on 29 carries against the New England Patriots. He would follow that up with another monster performance in the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks in which he picked up 131 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. And just like that, Akers was quickly one of the brightest young running back prospects in the game.
But then Akers tore his ACL over the summer, and was forced to miss most of the 2021 campaign. Now as Akers prepares for the 2022 season, nobody really knows what to expect from him. Will he be the guy racking up 100 yard games whenever he pleases, or will he look like he did against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season? In that game, Akers had 24 carries for 48 yards, and nearly threw the game away for the Rams by coughing up two fumbles as well.
Akers figures to get the brunt of the work out of the backfield for the Rams in 2022, which is a good sign for his fantasy prospects. Getting carries in fantasy means a lot, even if you struggle to pick up solid yardage on those carries as Akers has throughout his career. If you can hit paydirt at any point, that's six easy points, but it's easier to put together good fantasy lines when you have the yardage to back it up too.
The Rams are going to give Akers the chance he needs to succeed in the NFL, and he's shown enough where many folks are convinced he could be one of the better running backs in the league. But Akers is going to have to prove he can live up to that billing, which is why the 2022 season is so important for him.
As previously mentioned, Henderson will be behind Akers on the depth chart, and will take a few touches away from him every game. That takes away from Akers' overall value, as Henderson is an effective running back. Having him right behind Akers, occasionally taking carries away for him, doesn't make him the safest bet from a fantasy perspective either. If Akers struggles, will head coach Sean McVay and the Rams turn things back over to Henderson?
By all accounts, coach McVay plans to use both Akers and Henderson on a running back by committee basis. While there were injury concerns early in the preseason for both backs, by all accounts they're healthy and ready to go one week out from their season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Akers upside should cause him to move up draft boards, even with the question marks surrounding him. He's proven to be a capable threat as a receiver out of the backfield when called upon, although he certainly shouldn't be counted upon for production in that area. There's a lot of unknowns when it comes to Akers, but if everything goes his way, he could be one of the top running back options in most fantasy leagues.
Overall, Akers figures to be trying to establish himself as a top 10 running back this season. He has the potential to do so, but becoming more consistent is going to be the key, and so far Akers hasn't been able to establish any sort of consistency in the NFL. That will have to change this season if he wants to move into that top ten grouping.
Where to draft?
When it comes time to draft, Akers' sweet spot will probably be between the third and fifth rounds. Folks who are high on Akers will be taking him earlier, hoping he can provide RB1 production out of the RB2 slot. There's also a chance he slips on boards given the concerns outlined here, in which case you could get a steal in the late fourth or early fifth round if he's still available. Cam Akers' fantasy outlook might appear risky to some, but if he pans out, fantasy owners who select him will benefit greatly from having him on their teams.
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