Rookie Report Card: Cam Akers and Gabriel Davis
Each week throughout the season, I’ll cover at least two rookies in the Rookie Report Card and try to always include the biggest performers from that particular week. On top of reviewing my expectations for each player coming into the league and how well he’s lived up to those expectations at the NFL level to this point, I’ll grade the player in three categories. Those categories are performance to date, rookie season potential, and long-term upside.
The series continues with a dive into Cam Akers and Gabriel Davis.
Cam Akers, RB LAR
Week 12 Stats: nine carries, 84 rushing yards, one touchdown
After an incredible college career at Florida State that included 2,875 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground along with 69 catches for 486 yards and three receiving scores, Akers entered the draft process as a top-five tailback according to nearly everybody studying draft prospects. Ideally built (5’-10”, 220 pounds) for the position, he possesses prototypical size and his 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the combine confirmed what his college tape suggested – which is the potential for him to be a three-down featured back on Sundays.
A powerful runner between the tackles, Akers is at his best when running downhill – breaking tackles at the first and second level and punishing defensive backs when finishing runs down the field. Very instinctive when changing direction either in the backfield or down the field, his vision and quick decision-making regularly put defenders in the bad tackling position and a strong stiff arm and solid spin move makes him difficult to wrap up.
Perhaps the most underrated part of Akers’ game is his value as a pass-catcher. Smooth as a route runner, he glides effortlessly out of the backfield into the flat. Soft hands and excellent burst make him a solid option in the passing game and a threat to turn a check down into a big play from anywhere on the field. While there have certainly been more dynamic big-play pass catchers at the position, few have entered the league in recent years as dependable.
When Akers was selected by the Rams in the middle of the second round as the fourth running back taken, he was cemented in as a top-six pick in dynasty rookie drafts as many managers were convinced he’d be an impact rookie – taking the lion’s share of the workload that Todd Gurley left behind – but that hasn’t been the case.
Although there have been flashes of the upside that he entered the season with, Akers has struggled to overtake Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown on the depth chart when he hasn’t been missing time due to rib and thigh injuries. Active for nine games, he’s led Rams’ running backs in opportunities (rushes plus targets) just once and most importantly has just three total targets on the season while Henderson and Brown have 20 and 27 respectively.
Although his rookie production has been frustrating to this point, Akers’ performance in week 12 against San Francisco’s tough defense offers a very thin silver lining as he carried nine times for 84 yards. 72% of that production came on a 61-yard blast up the middle at the end of the third quarter where he accelerated through a hole and went untouched until he was caught from behind at the seven-yard line. He finished the drive with a six-yard run and one-yard plunge for the score on the next two plays.
At this point in the season, Akers might be the most disappointing rookie running back (which is saying something considering Jonathan Taylor, JK Dobbins and Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s poor showings). Clearly not the player most expected him to be (yet) despite being on a dynamic offense, Akers managers will continue to hope it’s only the injuries that have slowed him down and that more time and experience will infuse him into a more consistent role as a runner and into ANY amount of pass-catching work.
While I still believe in Akers’ RB1 upside, it’s difficult not to wonder why Sean McVay – one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL – hasn’t incorporated him into the game plan more. If this usage continues for the rest of 2020, Akers is sure to be one of the most talked-about dynasty assets over the coming off-season.
Gabriel Davis, WR BUF
Week 12 Stats: Three receptions, 79 yards, one touchdown (four targets)
One of my favorite late-round dynasty rookie draft targets, Davis went under the radar for many because he played at UCF but those that watched him dominate as a junior with the Bulls to the tune of 72 catches for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns saw a deep threat dripping with raw upside.
Although Davis was regularly knocked during the draft process for a lack of quickness and unpolished route running, I saw the complete opposite when I watched his college tape. A savvy route runner, knowing when to look back at the quarterback on an out-and-up in order to get a defensive back to commit early, he uses head and shoulder fakes to uncover and excellent explosion out of those fakes to gain separation.
Davis’ knack for using subtle push-offs both at the line of scrimmage against a jam and at the catch point to create space to work is something you usually don’t see in a college receiver. Needing just a half-step to be open, his soft hands and leaping ability create an expanded catch radius to turn inaccurate passes into completions and 50/50 balls into touchdowns.
After being selected by the Bills in the fourth round, many dynasty managers saw a crowded depth chart that included Stefon Diggs, John Brown, and Cole Beasley as enough of a reason to overlook Davis but glowing reviews in training camp moved him up late off-season rookie draft boards.
Although his production has been limited and he has yet to crack most fantasy starting lineups, Davis has quietly added his name to the list of young wide receivers with long-term upside. So far as a rookie he’s hauled in 22 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns. While those numbers pale in comparison to Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, or Tee Higgins (among other rookies), he’s shown flashes of the kind of player many expect him to become – particularly in games that Brown has missed due to injury.
One of those games came in week 12 against the Chargers when he filled in for Brown, catching three of four targets for 79 yards and a score. While Davis’ touchdown likely got the most attention from those looking at the box score or watching highlights, it was his 44-yard reception in the fourth quarter that should be getting a majority of the attention from dynasty managers.
Covered stride for stride down the sideline by Los Angeles cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, Davis skied above him, catching the ball at the highest possible point for the big play and showing exactly what excited so many dynasty players when we drafted him over the summer.
All things told, there are positives and negatives when it comes to rostering Davis. The positives include his fringe WR2 upside due to his big-play ability and potential as a red zone threat and being attached to a good deep-ball thrower in Josh Allen. However, the negatives include being buried on the depth chart behind three receivers signed through at least next season.
In the short-term Davis has crept into flex consideration due to Brown being on IR with an ankle injury so he’ll have an opportunity to build on his strong showing against the Chargers for at least the next couple of weeks. His real value will come in the long-term if he can establish himself as Allen’s go-to deep threat – which he could be on his way to becoming.
- League Tycoon: Dynasty Salary Cap Fantasy Football - December 15, 2023
- Final Dynasty Rookie Report Card: Wide Receivers, Part Two - March 22, 2023
- 2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Offensive Player Dynasty Review - March 10, 2023
