Cam Akers has been drawing the eyes of fantasy managers recently, and with good reason. His backfield-mate, and the fiddle to whom he plays second, Aaron Jones, has had his share of fumbling issues in recent days. Jones’ Week 13 legacy will be remembered for his game-winning touchdown as the acute redemption for his slippery hands. And, yes, that matters from a team perspective; Jones is a leader, and this franchise won’t give up on him.
Having said that, the two fumbles hung there on the stat sheet to begin film sessions and practice this week, and one wonders if Jones is one fumble away from some role-diminishment.
Which means Cam Akers might be one heartbeat away from the presidency. So to speak.
Analysis
It’s entirely possible that Jones’s two fumbles (only one lost) on Sunday are a suggestion of the larger problem: the Vikings’ run game hasn’t been the same since Christian Darrisaw suffered a season-ending injury in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings have also been a’shufflin’ at the front: they benched Ed Ingram, even though he’s the best run-blocking guard they had. Risner as his replacement hasn’t been great. And Josh Oliver, their primary blocking tight end, has been out for a while, and won’t return this week.
It’s, at best, a patchwork offensive line. But it can’t be that much different from the David Bakhtiari-less Packers’ fronts Jones was used to in his last few seasons in Green Bay. PPR Fantasy’s RB17, however, came into the year with low-end RB1 hype. And while he’s been relatively consistent (14.6 PPR fantasy ppg), especially as a passing threat out of the backfield, he’s lacked a degree of explosiveness he’s had in the past.
And then came Sunday’s temporary benching. Which didn’t mean a whole lot for Akers, other than some yards per carry efficiency. He toted four carries for 22 yards, clocking in at a decent-but-often-deceptive 5.5 YPC. The game script was such that the Vikings had to throw, and subsequent drives included a few Sam Darnold scrambles. But what was clear is this: Cam Akers is the clear-cut number-two option to Aaron Jones over RB3 Ty Chandler.
Akers’s rostership is only 16.4%, which feels too low. The Vikings are a legitimate playoff team who, despite an offensive line that looks like a cruddy hand of poker cards, will remain committed to running under head coach Kevin O’Connell. Note, too, that when Akers has gotten usage before, he’s been used in the passing game. Between Weeks 9 and 12, Akers caught six passes for 33 yards.
Bottom Line
Insofar as one might have a roster spot open for a high-value handcuff on a run-committed playoff-bound NFL team, Akers feels under-rostered to me. As far as Jones’s fumble troubles—I’m not overly concerned, and neither are the Vikings. But that’s strictly a perspective on things as they are now, hot off a comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Should it come to pass that Jones somehow can’t access his veteran iron grip and continue exhibiting regulation issues holding onto the football, however—or, honestly, should Jones find himself plagued by another lower-body injury—Akers would become an immediate RB2.
He’s well worth an add ahead of NFL Week 14 with the fantasy football playoffs in mind.
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