Wright working ahead of Gordon in pre-game warmups

The best thing we can say about Wright’s day is that he got the start. The Dolphins kept him out there for the first drive, giving him a chance to keep his position, but he was unable to do so. Ollie Gordon outplayed him as the game progressed, rushing nine times for 100 yards and one touchdown, while Wright was relegated to unproductive offensive snaps and five kick returns for 97 yards. Wright is a zero-floor FLEX against the Bengals next week.

Gordon entered the game on the Dolphins’ second drive, generating one yard and two receptions on three touches during that possession. Things improved from there. After letting nominal starting RB Jaylen Wright and Gordon each play their own drives, the Dolphins eventually began rotating them in and out until Gordon separated on the first drive after halftime. Gordon notched three carries in a row, breaking off a 53-yarder on the second one by navigating traffic and making his way to the left sideline, shedding a jersey grab along the way. On the seventh drive, he had what could have been a breakaway touchdown run blown dead by officials, who thought Gordon was down by contact as he stumbled through the box. It was a close call. He then touched the ball on two-of-four plays on the ensuing drive, including a touchdown run up the middle from 12 yards out, in which Gordon acrobatically vaulted over a downed lineman. Tentatively expect Gordon to be the Dolphins’ starter in Week 5 against the Bengals and treat him as an RB2/FLEX.

Wright sits atop the Dolphins’ depth chart with De’Von Achane (knee) done for the year. He will likely split touches with new No. 2 running back Ollie Gordon in a very difficult matchup against the Vikings this week. Both players are worth rostering, but they are shaky FLEX starters this week.

Wright was a full participant in Thursday’s and Friday’s practices, which is a good sign for his Week 4 availability. If he doesn’t draw a questionable tag later in the day, we’ll go ahead and assume that the third-year back will be on the field when the Dolphins visit the Vikings. Wright should be in line for a decent day as far as volume is concerned, but it’s hard to invest much hope in him or Ollie Gordon, who will split work with De’Von Achane (knee) out for the remainder of the season. It’s hard to know how the touches could be distributed here, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be rushing to put either back in their lineups against a stout Vikings defense.

Wright should be rostered in 12-team leagues. He is now on track to play in Week 4 against the Vikings and is still listed ahead of RB Ollie Gordon on the Dolphins’ depth chart. The Vikings’ defense could bottle up this running back, but things might get a tad easier in Week 5 against the Bengals.

Wright and RB Ollie Gordon are expected to split backfield touches moving forward, though this could be a fluid situation if one running back simply outplays the other. Gordon profiles as a burly grinder, while Wright may offer more big-play potential. It sounds like Wright has a strong chance of playing in Week 4 against the Vikings.

Wright was inactive with his foot injury last week against Kansas City. De’Von Achane went down with a season-ending ACL injury and Ollie Gordon took over as the team’s workhorse with no other running back on the active roster. Dolphins coaches have implied that both Gordon and Wright will get work in the Miami backfield with Achane out. An even backfield split would make both Wright and Gordon nothing more than deep-league flex plays.

In other words, expect a committee. Ollie Gordon remains the most likely back to chair the committee in the short-term as he’s actually healthy while Jaylen Wright missed last week’s game and has just seven snaps this year in two games while active to Gordon’s 15 in the first two weeks. This all feels a little desperate given how poor the Dolphins have looked, but volume at running back is volume at running back in a year where many RB2 stabs have disappointed early.

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.

Gordon entered this afternoon with only three touches all season, but was pressed into every-down duty after De’Von Achane suffered a potentially serious knee injury on the game’s opening series. Fellow backup Jaylen Wright was inactive with a foot issue. Gordon mostly held up well, though he himself briefly went into the locker room with cramping issues. He returned after getting an IV. With Achane evidently staring at a long absence, Gordon is a priority waivers add, though he and Wright will undoubtedly form a committee for this undermanned offense. The question is who gets the strong side. It wouldn’t be surprising if Wright assumed primary early-down status with Gordon changing the pace. That would require Wright being healthy, of course. We will keep you updated.