Who Should I Start? Cam Akers or Nico Collins

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.

Monday, February 26, 2:07 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins made it known that he'd be open to contract-extension talks if the team approached him. After three seasons in the NFL, Collins is now eligible for an extension. He'll be entering the final year of his four-year, $4.871 million rookie contract in 2024, which includes a $902,990 signing bonus and a base salary of $1.324 million this year. "Oh man, I would love that," Collins said when asked about potentially launching early contract discussions. "That would be great." Coming off a breakthrough 2023 campaign in which he caught 80 passes for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 regular-season games, Collins will be in high demands in fantasy drafts this fall while paired with impressive young quarterback C.J. Stroud. In two playoff games, Collins had 11 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets.