This one hurts a bit. I was really rooting for Akers to be come back player of the year and have a great season after a devastating achilles injury in July 2020. He looked good in the limited action in 2021 and even got some work in the Super Bowl victory following that season. Going as an RB2 in the late third round, Akers certainly left much to be desired. To his defense, the Rams team fell apart after going all in to win now, while sacrificing their depth. No other team had more offensive line combinations in the league, which benefits nobody.
On top of all of that, Akers had ended up missing a few games due to unspecified personal reasons. There was also a coaching modification made in early November. Thomas Brown, who was focusing on tight ends primarily, but then was asked by Sean McVay to help fix the running back situation. Shortly after that, the running game began to pick up. In weeks 13-18, his stat line average rushing was 17 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. Looking forward, Akers is a prime bounce-back candidate in 2023 based on how the team finished the season with a starting lineup full of second or third-string players. The downside is, Thomas Brown now is the offensive coordinator in Carolina.
Cam Akers Fantasy Stats
Akers got drafted as the RB18 and managed to finish as the RB33 in half PPR scoring formats. In weeks 13-18, his stat line average rushing was 17 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. This included a three-game 100-yard rushing streak to close out the final weeks. Akers dominated the backfield touches in those last weeks of the lost season with an impressive 64% share, and this includes any QB rushes or wide receiver sweeps or reverses.
Looking forward post achilles tear, Akers looked awesome as he continued to get more touches. There are not many sample cases to compare him to, because this is a bit of a rare injury for a running back. I found a great example to compare him to. It is D’Onta Foreman, who most recently played for Carolina and performed well once Christian McCaffrey was traded. He was 21 at the time of his injury, and Akers was 22. Both have shown a full recovery might be possible after all.
D’Onta Foreman:
Injury Date: November 2017
Re-emergence: November 2021
Cam Akers:
Injury Date: July 2021
Re-emergence: About November 2022
Akers technically returned late in 2021 for the Rams’ playoff run, which is incredible. He was not as effective as he could have been averaging a weak 2.9 yards per carry. Once he came back to the team in the back half of the season in 2022, he looked better than before. These injuries are serious and can jeopardize a running back’s career, just ask Marlon Mack. I am hopeful to say will see a new version of Akers this season in 2023. It is a contract year for him, so it’s time to ball out.
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