Achane: Dolphins want to be run heavy

It felt like things were trending in this direction when head coach Jeff Hafley said after the game that he was not “optimistic” about Achane’s injury, but now the worst has confirmed. The 0-3 Dolphins will now be without their best playmaker for the remainder of the season, creating yet another challenge for an offense that ranks 31st in points per game (12.0 PPG) and 26th in yards per game (290.7 YPG) through the first three weeks of the season. Ollie Gordon will become a priority add off of waivers this week after he rushed for 17-41-1 in place of Achane, but his upside will be limited in what is one of the worst offenses in the league. Third-year vet Jaylen Wright could also be worth a stash. Wright missed Week 3’s game with a stringer/foot injury.

The team is still gathering information on Achane’s knee injury, but the early indications are not good. The Dolphins’ star player seemingly twisted his left knee while having his jersey pulled from behind by a Chiefs defender. Achane may be out for an extended period. Dolphins backup RB Jaylen Wright (foot/stinger) was inactive today, and fellow backup RB Ollie Gordon missed time in-game due to cramping.

Deemed questionable in the first quarter, Achane was officially ruled out to begin the second half. Obviously terrible news, though Achane did remain on the sideline in uniform, albeit sans his shoulder pads. Still, a player dealing with a long-term injury would typically remain in the locker room. Perhaps there is hope for Achane to suit up in Week 4 against the Vikings. But for now, fantasy managers need to consider second-year pro Ollie Gordon a must add. Jaylen Wright could also end up in the mix, but he’s inactive for Week 3 with a foot issue.

Achane planted awkwardly after a first series catch-and-run. He remained down on the field for an eternity before walking extremely slowly to the sideline. He then headed to the blue tent before slowly making his way to the locker room. Achane seemed to be trying to “walk it off,” but he also seemed to not be succeeding. He did not have the looks of a player likely to return, but he wasn’t really limping and did not require the assistance of a cart. Ollie Gordon is the only other Dolphins back dressed for Week 3. Stay tuned.

Achane is the Dolphins’ entire offense, but, unfortunately, opponents know as well. He still looks explosive when he has the ball in his hands and has enough wiggle to make a few defenders miss, but there are defenders cramped in the box every time he touches the ball. The Dolphins try to get him the ball sometimes in the passing game, but he caught just three of six targets from Malik Willis, and those two are not on the same page yet. The positive news is that Achane played on 45 of the team’s 56 snaps and ran a route on 18 of the team’s 30 dropbacks, so he is going to be on the field a lot. It’s hard to envision him finding more running room next week against the Chiefs though.

Willis stood in the pocket, holding onto the ball too long when trailing the Raiders in the second half last week. He is currently nursing a toe injury, though scrambling faster, or at least throwing on the run, might help him achieve his new goal. Checking down to explosive RB De’Von Achane would also be smart, but the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s David Furones instead highlighted Willis’ strong connection with rookie WR Caleb Douglas in his article on the subject. Getting the ball out of his hands quickly to either player would be a smart move. Willis’ Dolphins will likely be trailing often in the second half. Developing go-to responses to this situation would help out all involved for fantasy purposes.

Aside from QB Malik Willis, Achane was the only Dolphins player who touched the ball throughout the entire first quarter, totaling 25 scrimmage yards on three carries and two receptions. Unfortunately, the Raiders jumped out to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter, forcing the Dolphins into a pass-heavy game script. Willis focused on aggressive downfield throws as the game progressed, which in turn limited Achane to 15 touches on the day, and only Willis entered the end zone. Achane looked like his normal speedy self, but unfavorable game scripts could be an issue for him all year. He is an RB2 against the 49ers in Week 2.

Spring and summer reports indicated that the Dolphins’ new coaching staff wanted to operate a run-heavy offense. Those reports weren’t lying. Achane took run after run up the middle until he punched one in from one yard out. Questions remain as to how efficient this offense might be, but Achane is seemingly set to handle a large workload again this season. Backup RB Jaylen Wright was the RB2 tonight, taking his first carry for 13 yards up the middle.

Asked if the big-bodied Gordon would function as a short-yardage banger in 2026, Hafley said he would rather see Gordon “compete” to be an “every-down back.” “I think he’s capable of doing it,” Hafley added. “Ollie has flashed and knows what he’s doing. He has great speed, he has great size, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield too.” Hafley also complimented Gordon’s pass blocking. Gordon is coming off a disastrous rookie campaign in which he totaled 199 yards and three touchdowns on 70 carries, good for 2.8 yards per rush. Gordon ranked 56th out of 65 qualifying backs in rushing success rate last year. He ranked 58th in missed tackles forced per rush. Gordon, an extremely productive college rusher, will compete with Jaylen Wright for RB2 duties behind De’Von Achane this month.

Achane’s recovery from a clean-up procedure on his shoulder has progressed well, paving the way for him to be active for the first day of camp on Wednesday while avoiding PUP. Fresh off a four-year extension, Achane enters the 2026 season as a volume-based RB1 in fantasy circles, although there are legitimate concerns considering the plentiful changes up and down Miami’s roster. The Dolphins currently project to be a bottom five offense in the new season, something that could significantly limit Achane’s weekly upside.