Who Should I Start? Cam Akers or Justin Fields

Wednesday, March 13, 4:55 PM

The Minnesota Vikings declined to offer a restricted free-agent tender to running back Cam Akers (Achilles), meaning he is a free agent and can negotiate freely with any team. The former second-round pick was an exciting prospect out of Florida State in 2020 but after two Achilles tears in four years in the NFL, his career has struggled to get off the ground. Akers was traded to the Vikings from the Los Angeles Rams early in the 2023 campaign and rushed 38 times for 138 yards and one touchdown before suffering a major Achilles injury. The 24-year-old might get a chance to play elsewhere, but it'll likely be on a cheap, one-year deal. For now, he remains far from the fantasy radar. The majority of skill players do not recover well from an Achilles tear, never mind two.

Wednesday, April 24, 2:16 PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't expected to pick up quarterback Justin Fields' $25 million fifth-year option, according to league sources. The Steelers acquired Fields from the Chicago Bears last month for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick. Fields and Russell Wilson will now both be entering the last year of their contracts in 2024. Wilson is fully expected to open the 2024 campaign as the starter under center for Pittsburgh, but if he falters, Fields will get a shot to prove that he belongs with the Steelers beyond this season. The 25-year-old showed some improvement late last year with Chicago, but it wasn't enough to keep him as the franchise signal-caller in the eyes of Bears brass. Fields' fantasy stock is obviously way down entering next season, but he could become a high-upside waiver-wire pickup if Wilson is benched.