Sony Play Station: The Dynasty Impact of Sony Michel’s Move to the Rams

Every pebble tossed in a pond creates ripples that can reach the surrounding banks. As calm water is disrupted by a thrown stone, a backfield also can feel the ripples of someone being tossed into their midst.  Thus far, the NFL preseason has been a rough one for one of the most physical skill position roles available – running backs. The subject of this particular trade and its far-reaching ripple effect began with Cam Akers and a season-ending Achilles injury.  Just recently, the Los Angeles Rams traded with the New England Patriots in a deal that sent Sony Michel out west. Here, we are going to explore the dynasty impact of this trade for both teams.

LOS ANGELES RAMS 

Let’s start with the Rams.

Darrell Henderson received an immediate boost in value once the news broke of Akers’ injury. The general consensus was that Henderson would tote the rock as the locked-in bell cow for this offense. However, there has been enough smoke to suggest Sean McVay and the coaching staff are avidly trying to avoid having to place that kind of workload on him. Prior to the start of the 2020 season, McVay talked about taking a page from Kyle Shanahan’s playbook in reference to how he would handle his running back room.

To be clear, this acquisition of Michel does not seem to be an indictment on Henderson’s ability to produce, but his ability to stay healthy and avoid injury instead. McVay went so far as to declare that in an effort to keep him fresh, Henderson would not be participating in preseason games…to which Henderson promptly injured his thumb, which quite possibly led to the immediate pursuit of Michel.

So here’s how it shakes out, Henderson is simply not built, from a durability standpoint, for the role of a work-horse back – this was part of the reason the Rams selected Akers in the 2020 draft, despite having very little draft capital to work with. In two seasons, Henderson has seen more than 15 carries on only one occasion. That particular occasion? Akers was hurt. Otherwise, Henderson has seen 12 or more carries only six times, including zero during his rookie season. He has earned the right to lead the starting charge come opening day, but it honestly wouldn’t surprise me to see Sony Michel be annoyingly involved with an increase in workload as the season progresses.

Michel has cleared 900-plus rushing yards in two of three seasons. In those three seasons, including playing in only nine games during 2020, he averaged 14.07 rush attempts per game, while Henderson is averaging 6.32 in his two seasons. That being said, Henderson did lead the Rams backfield in carries inside the five with 11 such opportunities last season, a role he could retain despite how the carry count pans out. Regardless, the ADP of both players is likely on the rise after the injury to Akers, even if they could have just some short-term boosted value. As for Akers, his ADP is surely going to suffer, so watch the next few months very closely.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON RAMS BACKFIELD

Both Xavier Jones and Jake Funk are still listed on the depth chart and should be thought of as depth pieces. The Rams backfield could be maddening as the season progresses but look for Henderson to lead the charge early.

I can see the path for Michel to take on a larger role as the season progresses. For that reason, this is a backfield I am actively trying to limit my exposure to. If the workload ends up being more evenly split, managers are hoping for a touchdown to salvage anything more than spotty flex value on a week-to-week basis. Savvy managers may want to try and cash out on Henderson if he performs well in the first few weeks. While conversely, Michel managers may need to wait a little further into the season if they want to trade out at any kind of a value. As for Jones and Funk, the trade for Michel throws some cold water on their sleeper values.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 

From a fantasy football perspective, the clear winner here is Damien Harris. This trade un-muddies his path to a stable floor of week to week carries. Cam Newton operated as the de-facto goal-line back last season and will continue to gobble them up as long as he remains under center. However, with Mac Jones looming and looking impressive through the preseason, that transition might occur sooner as opposed to later. The moment Jones takes over as the starter, Harris’ goal-line opportunities increase significantly.

Preseason sonnets have been composed about Rhamondre Stevenson and he may have earned himself some opportunities with his solid play. However, the leader of that backfield is Harris. James White retains his third-down role with J.J. Taylor as his immediate backup, assuming he makes the 53-man roster.

The Patriots backfield is often one to avoid for assured fantasy production. Heading into the 2021 season, it appears to be locked in with Damien Harris as the clear front-runner for opportunities thanks to the Rams. Managers should have been acquiring Harris as a potential breakout back for when the quarterback transition occurs anyway, but there’s a little more incentive to do that now as well.