Fantasy Impact: Rams Replace Gurley With Florida State RB

The Rams have found their replacement for Todd Gurley in the form of Cam Akers.

In retrospect, the loss of Todd Gurley hurts the Rams less than it seems and they have made up for it in the 2020 draft. Florida State running back Cam Akers is the newest member of the Rams’ offense.

Akers had a well-rounded college career at Florida State. He rushed for over 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns and added almost 500 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in his three years there.

Rushing & Receiving Table
						Rushing				Receiving				Scrimmage
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Plays	Yds	Avg	TD
*2017	Florida State	ACC	FR	RB	13	194	1025	5.3	7	16	116	7.3	1	210	1141	5.4	8
2018	Florida State	ACC	SO	RB	12	161	706	4.4	6	23	145	6.3	2	184	851	4.6	8
*2019	Florida State	ACC	JR	RB	11	231	1144	5.0	14	30	225	7.5	4	261	1369	5.2	18
Career	Florida State					586	2875	4.9	27	69	486	7.0	7	655	3361	5.1	34

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 4/24/2020.

He should take on a fairly significant role in the Los Angeles offensive scheme and should be in line for a bulk load of the snaps. The Rams are about to rebuild their offense after losing both Gurley and Brandin Cooks, and a fresh running back to build around could be the perfect jumping-off point from which to start.

Where to draft him in fantasy football?

This is another strategic pick. If you’re in a deeper league, then he should absolutely be taken no earlier than the fourth round. However, if you’re in a league where those early picks mean much more, then you can find better value elsewhere.

If we’re plugging him into a PPR format, then he might lose even more value. He only had 69 receptions in his three years at Florida State and it’s unclear how the Rams might use him in that aspect.

The Bottom Line?

Take him as your RB2. He should not be the player you build your team around like Christian McCaffrey, but he has a high ceiling for anyone willing to take the risk.