Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay seemingly provided some insight Friday into why running back Cam Akers saw limited playing time.
Cam Akers : Week 1 | Jersey number | Fantasy 2022
Cam Akers (born June 22, 1999) is an American football running back for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL).
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | June 22, 1999 Jackson, Mississippi |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 217 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Clinton (MS) |
| College: | Florida State (2017–2019) |
| NFL Draft: | 2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52 |
He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Rams in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Akers attended Clinton High School in Clinton, Mississippi, where he played quarterback and running back for the football team.
As a senior, he rushed for 2,105 yards and 34 touchdowns, and passed for 3,128 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. For his high school career, he had 13,243 yards and 149 touchdowns.
Akers was named MS Gatorade Player of The Year He also played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and won the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award in 2016.
Cam Akers week 1
Akers had three carries for 0 yards Thursday night. Running back Darrell Henderson Jr. started the game, playing 54 snaps and running for 47 yards on 13 carries.
McVay said he knows what Akers is “capable of,” and because of that, he’s confident that Akers will “be that guy that we’ve all seen at the right moments as this season continues to progress.”
“We’ve all seen how talented and what a special player this guy’s capable of being,” McVay said. “And I want to see him reach his highest potential.
And that’s really all there is to it. It’s not about anything other than when he and Darrell [Henderson] are playing at a high level, I feel really good about those two guys at running back for us.
“And the opportunities were minimal. There were some things that within each of those individual plays that I think that we can be better collectively, starting with me, then to the players around him, but also with Cam.
And so it’s more of a reflection of the confidence that I know what he can be and I’m confident that he’ll be that guy that we’ve all seen at the right moments as this season continues to progress. And that’s our job to help get it out of him.”
McVay was also asked about wide receiver Allen Robinson, who had one catch for 12 yards against Buffalo, but was targeted just twice.
Jersey number
Nonetheless, Akers will wear No. 3 as he spearheads the Rams backfield for head coach Sean Mcvay in 2022.
Akers played five games in 2021, including all four playoff games, after tearing his Achilles in preseason camp.
The confusion between Akers and Beckham Jr regarding the No. 3 jersey might seem of little importance but could hurt the chances of Beckham Jr returning to Los Angeles.
Akers spent his first two years wearing No. 23 but ESPN reporter Adam Schefter announced Akers’ decision to switch to No. 3 in this post.
He wore No. 3 at Florida State from 2017-19, where he accumulated 3361 career scrimmage yards along with 34 touchdowns. Akers still holds the record for single-season rushing yards by a freshman (1,025 yards).
Fantasy 2022
Heading into this season, SN Fantasy has Akers ranked No. 15 among RBs in standard and No. 14 in PPR formats this season. If Akers can play how he did as a rookie in 2020, it will go a long way in validating him as a top-15 running back in fantasy.
During that season, Akers led the Rams with 145 carries for 625 yards and two touchdowns. He also was a factor in the passing game with 11 receptions (14 targets) for 123 yards and a touchdown. Obviously, we’re all projecting much more from Akers as he takes over as the Rams’ lead back.
Last season, we saw Sony Michel have a bounce-back season in Los Angeles with 208 carries for 845 yards and four touchdowns.
He also posted five games with 10 or more fantasy points in standard leagues and had five games with 20-plus carries.
Darrell Henderson chipped in 688 rushing yards, 176 receiving yards, and eight total TDs, and There’s no reason why Akers cannot pick up the bulk of that production, even with Henderson and rookie Kyren Williams also being involved.
Lastly, FantasyPros has Akers’ ADP at No. 28 overall and RB15 this season. As we can see, there’s a lot of hype surrounding Akers in 2022. He has the skills to be a potential top-15 or top-10 RB in fantasy.
However, for Akers to get to that level, he will have to do what Michel did last season but noticeably better. It won’t be easy in an offense that is geared more toward the passing game, but a healthy Akers has the all-around talent to get the job done — we think