Who Should I Start? Matt Breida or Cam Akers

Friday, December 22, 1:40 AM

New York Giants running back Matt Breida (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring injury in Week 16 and was listed as limited on the team's first practice report on Thursday. The good news is Breida has an extra day to recover this week with the G-Men not playing until Christmas Day against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, but his status bears watching as the backup to starting RB Saquon Barkley. The 28-year-old should be available in Week 16, barring a setback the next couple of days. Breida doesn't have any standalone fantasy value with limited volume behind a bell-cow back in an offense that doesn't put up many points. He has only 55 rushing attempts all year for 151 yards (2.75 yards per carry) and one touchdown in 14 total contests. If Breida is limited or out on Monday, rookie Eric Gray would be Barkley's direct backup.

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.