The Vikings made RB Cam Akers inactive for his first game with the team. So RB Alexander Mattison continued to dominate backfield usage. He took 20 carries for 93 yards and added a 5-32 receiving line on 7 targets. Mattison benefited from facing a weak Chargers D and from Minnesota running 83 offensive plays. But we'll have to assume he retains the clear backfield lead until/unless something changes. Week 4 holds a high-upside matchup with a Panthers D that has been run over so far this season.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said RB Cam Akers "more than likely" won't play vs. the Chargers on Sunday. O'Connell does expect Akers to be ready for Week 4. But RB Alexander Mattison will get at least one more game as Minnesota's feature back.
On Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Rams are trading RB Cam Akers to the Vikings in exchange for a swap of 2026 NFL Draft picks. Akers was a surprise inactive on Sunday vs. the 49ers, and HC Sean McVay reiterated to the media on Monday that the team was trying to deal away the former second-round pick. This news brings the "will they, won't they" saga dating back to the 2022 season to a close and also muddies the outlook for incumbent Vikings RB Alexander Mattison. Fantasy managers who roster Mattison will now have to worry about Akers, who has connections to HC Kevin O'Connell and OC Wes Phillips dating back to their days in Los Angeles, coming in and taking away some work. This could be merely a depth move, though Mattison has not been particularly effective this season, averaging just 31.0 rushing yards per game. Stay tuned for more updates regarding the fantasy fallout of this trade.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski called Jerome Ford the team's "featured back" with Nick Chubb out for the rest of the season, according to insider Mary Kay Cabot. We'll see exactly what that means for Ford's snap rate and volume, but it's clear that he'll get the first crack at lead duties. He got off to a strong start in relief of Chubb on Monday night, ripping off 106 yards on 16 carries and catching three of four targets for 25 yards and a score. Kareem Hunt and Cam Akers are among the RBs the Browns are considering adding to the backfield, Cabot reports.
On Monday, ESPN's Sarah Barshop tweeted that Rams HC Sean McVay told reporters that GM Les Snead has spoken with "a handful of teams" regarding a trade for RB Cam Akers and "that's the direction" the Rams are headed. This would seem to indicate that RB Kyren Williams will remain the most fantasy-relevant back in Los Angeles for the time being. Even so, there's nothing stopping the Rams from adding another back to the depth chart at some point down the line. We'll keep an eye on how this situation continues unfolding in the coming days.
Rams RB Cam Akers is a healthy scratch for today's game vs. the 49ers, as Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported would be the case a few minutes before 1 pm ET this afternoon. RBs Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers, and Royce Freeman are active for Los Angeles. Williams figures to handle the majority of the backfield work.
Rams RB Cam Akers will be a healthy scratch for this afternoon's game vs. the 49ers, according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer. Glazer adds that some teams believe Akers is on the trade block. Hopefully you weren't counting on him in Week 2 fantasy lineups. The news makes RB Kyren Williams easier to trust in fantasy lineups, despite the negative matchup.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler confirms that the Rams view Kyren Williams as their No. 2 RB. Fowler adds that the Rams "like Williams a little bit more as a pass protector than they do [Cam] Akers." That suggests that Williams will steal passing-down work from Akers, which we've been projecting all along. Williams is unlikely to have fantasy value behind a healthy Akers, but an Akers injury would turn him into a volume-based fantasy play.
Rams RB Sony Michel informed HC Sean McVay that he intends to retire, The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrique reports. Michel turned just 28 in February but has endured a litany of injuries. With Michel out of the picture, the Rams are back to Cam Akers, Kyren Williams, and Zach Evans as their top three RBs.
Rams RB Cam Akers closed the 2022 season strongly, scoring as a top-4 fantasy RB over the final six games. He's rolled that momentum over into 2023, HC Sean McVay said from minicamp. “He’s really capitalized on a lot of the momentum he built up toward the latter part of the year," McVay said. "And he’s going to be a huge part of what we’re doing moving forward. He’s had a great offseason. I love the rapport that he’s established with Ron Gould, our new running backs coach. Cam is going to be a central figure in this offense. I think he’s priming himself to have a great year." Akers has had a rollercoaster first three NFL seasons. But he's flashed workhorse ability in stretches, is still only 24, and has a chance to dominate backfield work this season. He has plenty of profit potential at a RB24 ADP.
The Rams traded up to grab Ole Miss RB Zach Evans late in Round 6 of the NFL Draft. Our guy C.H. Herms is a big fan of Evans' film and has liked Evans' dynasty value all along. And he's far from the only Evans film fan. Evans bounced from TCU to Ole Miss and dealt with multiple injuries. He finished with just 290 carries and 30 catches through three seasons. But he also averaged 6.9 yards per rush and 10.8 per catch for his career. That included 6.5 yards per carry and 9.9 per reception in his lone SEC campaign. Going to the Rams likely puts him in competition with 2022 rookie Kyren Williams for the No. 2 spot behind Cam Akers. The situation presents opportunity, with neither Akers nor Williams having proved much as a pro to date. We'll be watching this backfield competition through training camp. He's worth a look late in your dynasty rookie draft. See where he lands in our dynasty RB rankings.
The Rams are hiring Mike LaFleur as their new OC, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. LaFleur replaces Liam Coen, who left Los Angeles after just 1 season to return to his previous post as Kentucky's OC. LaFleur struggled as Jets OC the past 2 years, with both of those teams finishing bottom 8 in both total yards and points. Like Rams HC Sean McVay, LaFleur comes from the Shanahan coaching tree, so there should be plenty of synergy here. McVay will still be running the show, though, so don't expect a big change to the Rams' play calling.
Rams RB Cam Akers ran for 123 yards on 19 carries in Sunday's loss to the Chargers. That marked his 2nd straight game of more than 100 yards rushing but just the 2nd time all season that a Rams RB has exceeded 65 rushing yards. Unfortunately, RB Malcolm Brown claimed the team's lone TD. Akers closes out the season with a Seattle defense that hit Week 17 as the 2nd-best scoring matchup for RBs by adjusted fantasy points allowed.
Rams RB Cam Akers racked up 118 yards and 3 TDs on 23 carries in Sunday's beatdown of the Broncos. The numbers mark big jumps over his previous season highs. Akers has scored 6 rushing TDs over his past 4 games, though, and topped 5.0 yards per carry in 2 straight games. He now looks much more attractive as a Week 17 fantasy football option at the Chargers than we would have expected even heading into Week 16. RB Malcolm Brown added 19 yards on 2 carries. RB Kyren Williams rushed 6 times for 18 yards.
Rams RB Cam Akers led the team in both rushing and receiving in Sunday's loss vs. the Packers. The third-year back posted 12 carries for 65 yards on the ground in addition to reeling in all 3 of his targets for 35 yards in the receiving game. The only other Ram of note from this game is TE Tyler Higbee, a player who found the end zone on top of his 4 catches on 5 targets for 27 yards. At this stage of the fantasy season, it is tough to trust any Rams player (RB, WR, TE, or otherwise) with playoff hopes on the line in Week 16. The Broncos' defense ranks in the bottom 12 in adjusted fantasy points allowed to both RBs and WRs this season. Akers might be a decent flex option at best, but that's about it as far as the Rams are concerned.
Rams RB Cam Akers easily led Sunday's backfield in the loss to the Seahawk, rushing for 60 yards and 2 TDs on 17 attempts. Kyren Williams handled the only 3 other RB carries for the team. He watched his lone target fall incomplete. Akers added a catch for no gain as he beat Williams 19-11 in routes, according to Pro Football Focus. This backfield remains wildly inconsistent and near-impossible to predict for fantasy use. The Rams do get an upside matchup, though, with the Raiders on Thursday night.
Rams rookie RB Kyren Williams more than doubled RB Cam Akers' snap count in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. Williams led the backfield with 11 carries, 3 more than Akers, and drew all 3 RB targets for the game. He caught all 3 for 25 yards but managed just 35 yards on his 11 rushes (3.2 per carry). That trailed Akers' rushing production (37 yards on 8 attempts), but the playing time is noteworthy. Ideally, you're not playing any Rams RB the rest of the way. But if you need to, Williams looks (for now, at least) like the guy.
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