Cam Akers' Fantasy Outlook as Todd Gurley's Replacement with Rams

After releasing Todd Gurley earlier this offseason, the Los Angeles Rams replaced him on the roster by selecting running back Cam Akers with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. 

It was the team's first pick of the draft after trading its first-round pick for cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

This urgency should tell you a lot about the Rams' mindset regarding both Akers and the rest of the running backs on the roster.

Even after moving on from Gurley, Los Angeles seemingly could've gotten by with Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson. There was especially a lot of excitement surrounding Henderson last year as a third-round pick in the 2019 draft, but his limited action with just 43 touches showed the team doesn't trust him as a go-to option.

Akers could fill that role after a productive career at Florida State.

The 5'10", 217-pound runner didn't have a lot of talent around him in college but still managed to rush for 1,144 yards on 5.0 per carry, adding 14 touchdowns in 2019. He also caught 30 passes last season to showcase his versatility.

This helped him become the No. 5 overall running back in the 2020 class, according to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller.

While he's not as good as Gurley in his prime, Sean McVay showed a willingness to feed his running back the ball in both running and passing plays. There are also 54 touchdowns the Rams need to replace from the past three seasons.

Akers has enormous upside as a fantasy player if he can take over the starting job in 2020 and could be an RB2 all year long.