Deep League Diving: Is Houston’s Akeem Hunt Worth Stashing?

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

Most people probably didn’t think much of it when the Texans added running back Akeem Hunt off the practice squad.  Then injuries helped to force him into action during Week 10 and he immediately made an impact:

8 carries for 52 yards (6.5 yards/carry)

Undrafted out of Purdue last year, he actually dressed for seven games in ’15 and showed some explosiveness.  While he was given just 17 carries, he turned them into 96 yards (5.6 yards/carry).  Clearly he has explosiveness, as evidenced by his 4.36 second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day and as described by NFL.com prior to the draft:

Saw plenty of toss plays in an effort to get his blazing speed in space on the perimeter. Gets to his top speed quickly and can pull away from defenders who think they have angles on him. Dangerous after the catch.

He also has shown an ability to catch the football, with 86 receptions over his final two years in college.  That’s definitely a role he could help to carve out for himself in the NFL, if he proves that he can hold up as a blocker/third-down back.

Listed at 5’10” and 190 lbs., it is fair to wonder how successful he can be outside of a specialty role.  Sure he has shown something, when given a chance, but he’s not about to leapfrog Lamar Miller or Alfred Blue on the depth chart.  He may be an intriguing name to keep an eye on, but in most formats he can safely be ignored if your focus is on 2016.

Sources – NFL.com, ESPN

*** Pre-Order Rotoprofessor’s 2017 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide for Just $5.50 By Clicking Here!! ***

Make sure to check out all of our Week 11 rankings: