De’Von Achane is unquestionably one of the most talented players in the NFL. He can play on all downs and has the type of explosive ability you can’t teach. He was one of the best picks in fantasy football last season, but now finds himself in one of the worst situations possible. Fading elite talent is always risky, but is it warranted in the case of the Dolphins’ RB1?
Should You Draft Dolphins RB De’Von Achane in Fantasy Football?
The main appeal of Achane is his immense weekly upside. He had three games with 26+ fantasy points last season, including one over 30 and one over 40. But the real story of Achane’s 2025 season was his weekly floor.
Once known for his volatility, Achane was actually the epitome of reliability. He was the only running back in the league to record 12+ fantasy points in every single game. He hit 16 fantasy points in all but two weeks.
This certainly doesn’t sound like the archetype of running back that fantasy managers should be concerned about. However, football is a team game, and we’ve seen team situations greatly influence the fantasy values of even the most talented players. The Dolphins’ team situation couldn’t be more different this year than it was last year.
Mike McDaniel is gone, replaced by Jeff Hafley. Former Texans OC Bobby Slowik is now calling plays. Will he maintain Achane’s 19.8% target share that was the source of a large portion of his fantasy value? Will he feed Achane a 5’9, 188-pound back a 71% opportunity share? The usage under a new regime is certainly in question.
The next concern is the overall caliber of the offense. Obviously, things weren’t great last year. The Dolphins were 25th in points scored, not exactly the most fantasy-friendly environment. But McDaniel’s fantasy-friendly offensive system incorporated a lot of short passes to Achane and manipulated the defense to get him in space. That allowed Achane to thrive despite the unfavorable circumstances.
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This year, the Dolphins are in full rebuild mode. They cut Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill. They traded Jaylen Waddle. Their wide receiver corps is led by Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, and three rookies. It’s abundantly clear this organization has no delusions about contending this season. They are purely in evaluation mode. That’s where Malik Willis comes in.
How the Dolphins plan to truly evaluate Willis in light of the players around him is not the concern of fantasy managers. What is the concern is how different this offense will operate with a mobile quarterback.
Willis has never attempted more than 23 passes in an NFL game. Obviously, that will change this season, as the Dolphins will be trailing a lot and thus, throwing. But he’s not going to attempt anywhere near as many passes as Tagovailoa did. There’s a very real chance the total passing volume in this offense drops by as many as 100 attempts.
Part of the appeal of Achane this season is that he is the offense. He’s the favorite to lead the team in carries and targets. He should be the goal line back. From an opportunity standpoint, there’s nothing in his way. But how does he score 12 touchdowns again if the Dolphins can’t get in scoring position? How does he see all of the available opportunities if the Dolphins can’t sustain drives? And how valuable is that potential 20% target share if Willis is only attempting 25-28 passes a game?
Achane’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
The fantasy community understands the unfortunate plight of Achane this season. Based on his performance last season, he should be a surefire mid-first round selection. Instead, he’s going in the early second round. So, we are getting a situation-based discount. But is it enough?
I am very worried about Achane this season. He’s RB9 in our consensus rankings, which is only one spot below ADP. However, he’s not someone I am particularly excited to draft.
Mega talents can overcome bad situations. Christian McCaffrey was the best RB in fantasy on those bad Panthers teams. Saquon Barkley was the overall RB1 as a rookie on a bad Giants team. Achane himself outplayed his offensive situation last season. But things could get really bad this year.
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We generally want good players on good offenses. The Dolphins could have the worst offense in football. Willis is going to have no choice but to scramble a lot given the Dolphins’ wide receivers. He is also going to take touchdowns away from Achane.
If anyone can maintain elite RB1 production under the worst conditions, it’s Achane. Unfortunately, it’s not a bet I want to make.
Achane’s Dynasty Fantasy Football Value
While Achane’s redraft value is very much a concern, the same is not the case in dynasty. This is a player who has averaged at least 17 PPG in each of his first three seasons. One potential down year should not negatively impact his long-term value. The Dolphins are very likely to have a high pick next season and could turn their fortunes around rather quickly.
Achane will be just 25 years old in October. He has at least four elite years in front of him. In a best-case scenario, he could have another five or six. Plus, receiving ability tends to age better, so even after Achane’s explosiveness wanes, he can maintain some fantasy value in his older age. He remains a cornerstone dynasty asset.
It’s understandable if a contending team wants to part with him for a player that carries less risk for this season, but any rebuilding team should jump at the chance to acquire him. We have Achane as the dynasty RB4 with no concerns about his long-term outlook.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.