De'Von

Achane

McDaniel said on Sunday that it was his decision to hold out Achane after he exited in the second quarter with his rib injury. Speaking on Monday, McDaniel again reiterated that Achane could have re-entered the game if needed, but that moment never came. Achane is hoping to play in Week 15’s game against the Steelers, but this situation is setting up to be a headache for fantasy managers. With the Dolphins not playing until Monday night, fantasy managers may need to figure out a backup plan for Achane if he isn’t cleared or ruled out before the weekend. Achane’s status will be one to monitor throughout the week, but it sounds like he’ll at least have a chance to suit up.

McDaniel said Achane would have been available to return in the event of an emergency after the star running back exited in the second quarter. When asked if Achane would be available to play in Week 15 against the Steelers, McDaniel offered a not-so-reassuring, “I promise you, he’ll be in there if he’s ready,” as his response. He did, however, note that initial X-rays did not reveal a fracture of any kind. It doesn’t sound like this is a major injury, but the proof will be in the practice report. With the Dolphins not playing until Monday, we’ll keep our eyes out for Thursday’s practice report, assuming we don’t hear anything before then.

Achane got off to a fast start with the Dolphins offense. He ripped off a 39-yard rush on the first possession and was tackled at the three-yard line. Achane was able to punch in a score on the Dolphins’ second possession with a 13-yard run and continues to be a shifty playmaker in space. However, fantasy managers got a scare with Achane leaving the game in the second quarter with a rib injury. He was initially questionable to return and did return to stand on the sidelines, though he did not play a snap afterwards. It’s possible the Dolphins held him out with a large lead out of caution, but the rib injury is one to monitor with the fantasy playoffs on the horizon. Achane is a fantasy RB1 if he plays in Week 15 against the Steelers, otherwise Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon will carry the load.

Fantasy managers get a major scare ahead of the fantasy playoffs as Achane got up gingerly after getting tackled at the end of a 29-yard rush in the second quarter. He went to the medical tent in pain and walked to the locker room prior to halftime. Achane is questionable to return with a rib injury; Jaylen Wright is getting the majority of backfield touches while he is out against the Jets.

Achane was held without a catch for the first time this year. He nearly got in the end zone on his only target of the day. Tua Tagovailoa had him open near the goal line with blockers to lead Achane into the paint, but Tagovailoa threw a bullet above his head and Achane failed to corral the pass. Still, Achane found the end zone on the ground for the sixth time this year. He also topped 20 carries for the third week in a row. Achane had never even hit 20 carries in back-to-back games before his current streak. With the Jets on tap for Week 14, Achane will remain near the top of the RB1 ranks for the fantasy regular season finale.

Achane was once again the engine of Miami’s offense. He carried the ball more than 20 times for the second week in a row. This is the first time Miami has given him 20 carries in back-to-back games in his entire career. Achane also led the Dolphins in receptions and came up just seven yards shy of Jaylen Waddle for a team-high in yards. Achane got shaken up on his final touch of the fourth quarter but came back for three game-sealing carries in overtime. A Week 12 bye should help him recover ahead of a great matchup versus the Saints. He will remain a high-end RB1 in Week 13.

Achane hadn’t done much going into the final eight minutes of the game. He then broke off a 59-yard score, putting the final nail in the coffin of Miami’s upset over the Bills. Not content with one home run, Achane broke free for a 35-yard score on the Dolphins’ very next drive. The second long score turned a great day into Achane’s best rushing performance since his famous 203-yard outing in his second career game. Achane has at least 91 yards from scrimmage in four straight games. He is firmly entrenched in the RB1 ranks for Week 11 against the Commanders.

Continuing to operate with efficiency on the ground and volume through the air, Achane lost a seventh catch to a questionable second half review overturn. Achane looked smooth and explosive vs. the Ravens’ shaky defense, but Tua Tagovailoa couldn’t sustain drives long enough for Achane to get enough handles on the ground. Fantasy managers will still take the 100-plus yards and six receptions. Operating as a high-floor RB1, Achane gets the Bills’ awful run defense in Week 10.

Achane caught his fourth receiving touchdown of the year in the first quarter. He came across the formation, got lost in the crowd, and was left wide open for a three-yard score. The Falcons couldn’t mount any offense to speak of in this game and the Dolphins moved the ball at will. Miami, in turn, finally got to establish their ground game. Achane’s 18 carries go down as his second-most of the year. Backup Ollie Gordon also rushed 10 times for 46 yards. The Dolphins will likely rack up even more carries against the Ravens in Week 9 if Lamar Jackson isn’t ready for Thursday’s game. Even if he is ready, Achane’s role through the air makes him largely immune to negative game script. He is firmly planted in the RB1 ranks for Week 9.

When asked about De’Vone Achane’s massive workload — Achane has 212 touches through seven games — McDaniel said he would like to see Ollie Gordon more involved in the rushing attack. Game script for the lowly Dolphins often doesn’t allow such a distribution, however, as Achane remains the team’s primary pass-catching option. McDaniel mentioned the Dolphins’ Week 3 game against Buffalo as an ideal backfield distribution, with Achane seeing 12 carries to nine for Gordon. Achane had seven catches in that game, and remains one of the most reliable running backs in fantasy. Gordon should be stashed on benches for now in case Achane misses time.