Fantasy outlook: Analyzing Cam Akers’ value in dynasty leagues

Cam Akers was one of the best stories in the 2021 season for the Los Angeles Rams. After tearing his Achilles in July of last year, Akers was able to miraculously return for the Rams near the end of the regular season, reclaiming his role in the team’s Super Bowl run.

Following his impressive return from injury a season ago, Akers is expected to sit atop the depth chart in the Rams’ backfield in 2022. The former second-round pick out of Florida State will be entering his third season and is looking to remain healthy.

Akers is going to be featured in an offense led by Matthew Stafford that should be one of the best units in the NFL. With dynasty leagues and drafts becoming more active ahead of training camp, what does Akers’ value in dynasty leagues look like in 2022?

Draft projection

Amid draft season in dynasty leagues, Akers currently sports an ADP of 29, according to FantasyPros. Many people are high on Akers due to him playing in a high-octane offense and he plays for a coach in Sean McVay who once featured an RB1 in his offense when Todd Gurley was with the franchise.

It’s somewhat hard to evaluate Akers in 2022 due to us needing to go back to 2020 to get an extended sample size of him on the field for the Rams. Even with a talented wide receiver room that deploys Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson, Akers should see decent usage in the passing game, which is part of the reason why many are high on him.

Injuries are a concern for most running backs in the NFL, so it can be somewhat lazy to point to that as a reason to avoid a player with Akers’ talent. How is Akers being viewed among his running back peers in dynasty leagues?

Position ranking

At the running back position, Akers is drawing a ton of attention from the dynasty community. Akers is the 14th running back taken in dynasty drafts right now ahead of guys like Aaron Jones, David Montgomery, Antonio Gibson, and J.K. Dobbins.

The 13 running backs that are being taken before Akers are Jonathan Taylor, Najee Harris, Christian McCaffrey, D’Andre Swift, Javonte Williams, Austin Ekeler, Breece Hall, Joe Mixon, Dalvin Cook, Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, Nick Chubb, and Saquon Barkley. Targeting Akers as your RB2 in dynasty leagues could be a viable strategy.

Of course, for Akers to achieve his ceiling in 2022, he’ll need to fend off Darrell Henderson Jr. and rookie Kyren Williams for touches. Also, he’ll need to remain healthy for the majority of the season.

Long-term value

In dynasty leagues, it’s wise to consider each player’s long-term value before selecting them or trading for them. For Akers, his long-term value is entirely dependent on his health and what Henderson’s future with the franchise looks like as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023.

The good news for Akers is that he won’t turn 23 years old until later this month and he should get the first opportunity to be lead back for the Rams in 2022. Meanwhile, Henderson could demand snaps in the backfield, which could limit his ceiling this season.

It’s tough not to like the long-term outlook on Akers as he’s part of a high-scoring offense and he could have an even larger role in 2023. The sky is the limit for Akers in 2022, and if he delivers a productive campaign, then his value could skyrocket even further next offseason.

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