Cam Akers injury: Fantasy football fallout for dynasty, redraft and more

Cam Akers going down with a torn Achilles takes him out for the 2021 NFL season, so what does that mean for your fantasy football league?

We are gutted for second-year running back Cam Akers, who tore his Achilles tendon on Tuesday while working out in preparation for the Los Angeles Rams’ upcoming training camp. The Florida State product broke out after claiming the lead back role over the last four games of the 2020 regular season before compiling 272 total yards in two playoff games and finding paydirt in each.

Akers was expected to serve as the lead running back for the Rams, and most fantasy football enthusiasts had penciled him in as an RB1 (top-12 running back) as the fantasy football season kicks off.

With keeper and dynasty league fantasy football managers in mind, we’ve compiled a quick FAQ to help navigate the turbulent waters left behind in the wake of Akers’ injury.

Should those in dynasty and keeper fantasy football leagues cut Cam Akers?

It depends. In leagues where only a few players are kept, it makes no sense to continue to roster Akers at this point. One exception: if your keeper league has an IR slot and your team is otherwise completely barren of talent, you have nothing to lose by stashing Akers with the future in mind.

Those in dynasty leagues should definitely hold on to Akers, who is only 22 years old. However, while age is on his side and recent advancements in rehabilitation treatments and strategies offer hope for a successful recovery in 2022 and beyond, be sure to temper expectations accordingly, as the track record of running backs with this particular injury is extremely poor.

That doesn’t breed a lot of optimism but, hey, perhaps Akers is the outlier given medical advancements.