The NFL playoffs won’t begin for another four weeks, but fantasy playoffs are underway in leagues across the internet. Whether playing for fun or big money, fantasy owners are aiming to put forth their best possible lineup for Week 15 in order to advance to the next (and likely final) round of the playoffs.
One of the biggest questions fantasy players are asking is whether Cam Akers should be in their lineup. After seeing him erupt for 171 yards rushing and two catches for 23 yards – a season-high 21.4 fantasy points in PRR leagues – it’s hard to fathom taking him out of the starting lineup.
But Sean McVay gave everyone some pause after the Rams’ win over the Patriots when he declined to say that Akers will be the workhorse moving forward, making it clear that he still wants to get Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown involved.
“I think we know Cam is capable of that, but to say that we would commit to that approach, I don’t necessarily think that’s the exact thing that we’re thinking,” he said. “I think we’re really pleased with Cam and not surprised though.”
ESPN has Akers ranked as the No. 9 running back in fantasy this week, with a high ranking of No. 7 from Field Yates and a low of 15 from Mike Clay. It’s hard not to like what Akers was able to do against the Patriots, rushing a career-high 29 times and playing 79% of the offensive snaps compared to 11% and 10% for Henderson and Brown, respectively.
It’s reasonable to expect that split – or at least something close to it – to continue in Week 15, especially against the winless Jets. The Rams should have no trouble getting by New York, and if it turns into a blowout, there could be a heavy dose of the ground game.
But we do have to mention the Jets’ performance against the run this season. Although they rank near the bottom of the league in just about every offensive and defensive category, they have had some success against the run.
New York allows the fourth-fewest yards per carry and has given up just the 12th-most rushing yards despite facing the sixth-most rush attempts in the NFL. The Jets have allowed more than 130 yards rushing just three times this season, most recently with Seattle gaining 174 yards in Week 14; the 49ers rushed for 182 yards in Week 2, and the Patriots gained 159 in Week 9.
From a fantasy perspective, the Jets have still allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season, an average of 23.7 points per game. Akers shouldn’t have much trouble finding running room against the Jets, but that’s not the biggest hurdle in his way of a big game.
It’s his snap share and touches in the backfield with Henderson and Brown still present. Both players’ snaps have decreased in the last three weeks, which is a good sign. In the last two weeks, Henderson has played 24 snaps and touched the ball seven times, while Brown has played 19 snaps and touched it just four times for minus-2 yards.
Akers, on the other hand, has played 102 total snaps and touched the ball 53 times for 288 yards from scrimmage. The discrepancy between Akers and the other two backs has been huge, which should give fantasy owners confidence to start the rookie on Sunday against the Jets.
And after scoring a touchdown in three straight games from Week 11-13, he could be due for another score in Week 15.
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