Despite the Dolphins, De'Von Achane is top-10 fantasy RB
Yahoo Sports fantasy analysts Josh Norris and Hayden Winks discuss how the Dolphins running back can still deliver for fantasy managers in 2026. Check out the full conversation on "Yahoo Fantasy Football with Josh and Hayden" - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen .
Video Transcript
All right.
So next one is De'Von Achane.
He's our running back eight.
This is mainly because of you.
You have him as the seventh overall back.
I have him as the 10th overall back.
That hurts to say because I freaking love De'Von Achane.
I drafted him relentlessly last summer.
But let me hear it.
Why am I too low here on Achane, who you have ahead of James Cook?
In full PPR, he averaged over 20 fantasy points per game last season.
He was the RB5 on RB5 usage.
In half PPR, he was the RB5 on RB7 usage.
The Dolphins weren't good last year.
Like, they were still a bottom 10 offense, last year.
I think, this year's team could be a little bit worse for sure.
But they did at least add a first round left guard who's just like a huge human who should be very effective on the ground game.
And still, Bobby Slowik, who at least was watching De'Von Achane.
I just think, simply put, he is by far the best player on their team, and they have nobody else to throw the ball to.
So as much as like Malik Willis is gonna scramble and like he's gonna maybe take some sacks and they might not pass the ball as much, I, I do think that De'Von Achane's receptions will come down a little bit.
Most of the receptions De'Von Achane got last year were schemed up touches.
They were not check downs.
I think that's like a big misconception, and there's no way you can look at me and this depth chart and tell me that De'Von Achane is not gonna get a bunch of manufactured receptions this year.
Like, that's impossible, especially with the state of their defense.
They are gonna have to get him the ball.
They've had some really crazy quotes, from the coaching staff saying like they're gonna give him the ball like 40 times per game.
I'm not expecting that to happen, but I, I would not be surprised for as long as he stays healthy, and he's a small cat, that he, he could easily be amongst the highest in touches per game this year.
And I think that the Dolphins are gonna be a bad offense.
I don't think they're gonna be a historically bad offense.
There's at least a chance that Malik Willis could be a, a fine quarterback.
Like if you look at some of the advanced metrics, it suggests that he absolutely can do that.
So, I hear you guys on the concerns, definitely.
But I just think the workload and his skill set, and I think an underrated offensive line is enough for me to break favors in, or, or break ties in favor of him, considering he's been a top five running back multiple times already.
