The 2022 fantasy football season is truly underway as drafts fire off across the nation, meaning now is the time to dive into Los Angeles Rams RB Cam Akers’ ADP to determine whether or not fantasy managers are receiving a value on draft day. Can Akers become one of the best values in fantasy football drafts, or is there a need to be concerned about his upside in 2022?
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Cam Akers ADP | Is he worth his current price in fantasy drafts?
As we draw closer to the prime draft season for fantasy football, Akers currently has an ADP of 38, coming off the board as the RB18. For comparison, Darrell Henderson (RB43) is going around 93 picks later than Akers (ADP 131).
In PFN’s 2022 fantasy football redraft rankings, Akers is currently the RB23 with an ADP of 52. While they are a consensus, I have Akers as my RB17 and ranked 36th overall. However, be sure to check back as rankings will fluctuate between now and the start of the season.
I’ve been higher on Akers than most this offseason. At one point, he was a high RB2. I’ve dropped him just a touch, but it’s not due to talent. It’s due to recent comments from Akers’ head coach, which have shed a little light on the current RB situation in Los Angeles.
Per the Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, Rams HC Sean McVay said, “I look at it as we’ve got two starting backs. … They need to be on the field. I think it’s healthy for them to be able to supplement one another.”
It would be somewhat out of McVay’s M.O. to split carries and turn this into a committee. Therefore, I still lean on Akers as the RB1. But if he’s giving us an insight into his plans, a more cautious approach is warranted. I’ll still take Akers on any roster as my RB2 for fantasy football this year.
Cam Akers’ projected fantasy value in 2022
In 2020, Akers took over the Rams’ backfield starting in Week 13, surpassing both Henderson and Malcolm Brown. Over the final five weeks (four games), Akers rushed 86 times for 340 yards and a touchdown. He also caught eight passes on 11 targets for 96 yards.
Over this stretch, Akers was the RB23 (13.9 PPR), and the only fault was the lack of touchdowns. If you include his two playoff games, Akers averaged 24.3 opportunities per game (0.67 pts/opp) and 118 total yards after becoming the lead back.
Then, just two weeks from the start of the 2021 training camp, Akers tore his Achilles. His season looked to be over. Yet, Akers managed to make it back in just six months, appearing in the Rams’ Week 18 game.
After a five-carry “tune-up,” the Rams threw Akers into the deep end. In four playoff games, Akers rushed 67 times for 172 yards and caught eight of 10 targets for 76 yards. That’s 19.25 opp/game with no ramp-up outside what he did during rehab. Ninety-five percent of Akers’ rushing yards came after contact, meaning he was able to generate power at the point of contact.
All that has been mentioned is his paltry 2.4 yards per carry and that Akers lost his juice. But no one is mentioning the fact Akers faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the No. 1 rush defense last year, and the San Francisco 49ers (twice) in three of the five games.
Assuming there’s not a drastic shift in role, the RB1 in his offense carries a 20-touch upside any given week. You can use one hand to count the number of players who can see that every week and have fingers to spare. Akers and Henderson have been dealing with some injuries this preseason, but it shouldn’t scare fantasy managers who want a piece of this powerhouse offense and upside.