Cam Akers is not Todd Gurley, but can he repeat a similar level of success in a Sean McVay ran offense?
Cam Akers played 3 years at Florida State University. As a freshman, Akers saw a big workload. He ran the ball 194 times with an average of 5.3 yards. He didn’t get a a lot of receiving work in his freshman year, but did have 16 catches for 116 yards. In just 13 games, Akers made a name for himself as a Seminole.
Heading into his sophomore year, it seemed Akers had earned the job of lead back. While only playing in 12 games his 2nd year, we saw Akers touch the ball less than the year prior. He struggled mightily in games against Clemson, Louisville, and Northern Illinois.
Florida State had seemed to go away from their run game in quite a few times in 2018, seemingly due to the fact their offensive line was one of the worst in the country for run blocking. While he didn’t succeed in a few matchups in 2018, he saw virtually no pass work either – but it did rise from 2017; just something to mention.
Heading into his junior year, the reins were handed to Cam. He saw the most amount of touches in the offense, carrying the rock 231 times while breaking the 1,000 yard threshold for the 2nd time in his three year stint at Florida State. His receiving work gained more traction, and his rushing average jumped back up over 5 YPC; despite the poor offensive line play once again.
Cam Akers really impressed NFL Scouts in his tenure at FSU and had impressed the Rams enough to spend 2nd-round draft capital on him in the 2020 draft.
Heading into his rookie year, the biggest worry among fantasy football owners had to be Darrell Henderson. The Rams moved up in the NFL Draft just the year prior to select Henderson. With Akers having a better collegiate career than Henderson and the Rams using 2nd-round draft capital to get him, it seemed Akers would be their guy moving forward.
2020 was a weird year for the L.A. offense, as they saw inconsistency from top to bottom; whether it was Jared Goff struggling to get the offense moving, or the three-headed monster that was their RB room. We saw weeks with Malcolm Brown as the guy, then Henderson, and even Akers.
Having said all that, it seemed the Rams eventually figured everything out. Akers showed us that ‘flash in the pan’ player the Rams once had in Todd Gurley, but also had weeks where he couldn’t manage more than three yards per carry. Everyone knows what Akers can do, but the question that remains is his consistency. If Cam Akers can keep his legs churning and pound through those tough games, we will see that running back room become all his.
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This offseason, the Rams offense saw a massive boost. The team traded away Jared Goff (and some draft selections) for Matthew Stafford. Matthew Stafford is without a doubt a QB upgrade for an offense that seemed to be lacking that next step. With Stafford, the Rams’ offense should see a huge jump in red zone trips, total yards, and touchdowns.
Having this boost to the offense will give Akers more chances to score. The problem Akers will face is that Stafford hasn’t supported a top fantasy football running back in his many years in Detroit. Whether it was Kerryon Johnson to LeGarrette Blount, the Lions offense was always throwing the ball. Having such an inept run game in Detroit didn’t help, as Stafford was consistently asked to put the game in his hands.
I do not think this will be the same in Los Angeles. I believe Sean McVay likes to get creative and involve all his play makers, one being Cam Akers. Stafford has what it takes to lead a team, even with his one playoff appearance in his career. Stafford has an uber-talented arm, and with play makers all around, he should be able to lead this team into another playoff run.
I think Cam Akers will get his fair share of touches, and with how creative McVay can be, I think this offense can make some real noise in the NFC. To go along with that, they have a top defense. A top defense should also open up this offense for Akers, as they should see a handful of games where the team is ahead going into the 4th quarter. A fire offense, with a stout defense, should allow for good game scripts and offensive touches for Akers.
WIth Akers level of talent, and a newly improvised offense, we should see a more consistent season from Akers in terms of fantasy production. As much as it hurts to say, the Rams could make real noise in the NFC and should be considered Super Bowl contenders.
