De’Von Achane has established himself as one of the most talented backs in the NFL, but fantasy football championships aren’t always won on raw talent. Is this situation so bad that an elite talent sees his numbers check in below expectations?
Draft De’Von Achane Without Hesitation in Fantasy Football 2026
Mega-talents overcome bad situations, and De’Von Achane just proved it in the ugliest offense he’s played in. I’m happy to draft him with confidence in 2026, and I don’t think you have to be overly bullish on this unit as a whole to get there.
Achane turns 25 in October, still young for a lead back entering his fourth year. He posted his first 1,000-yard rushing season in 2025 and has back-to-back campaigns north of 65 receptions, giving him a real receiving floor to go with the big-play juice.
The career numbers hold up better than most. Across 544 career carries, Achane is averaging 5.6 yards per attempt and 15.3% of those carries have gone for 10-plus yards.
That’s impressive regardless of situation, but when you acknowledge that Miami hasn’t fielded a top-15 offensive line in any of those seasons per out Impact grading, it’s become clear that this kid is simply special, not the product of an advantageous situation.
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He’s also cleared a PPR point per touch in each of his three seasons, a rate that’s stayed stable while the offense around him has not. His spot atop this depth chart is not in question, and until we see otherwise, I’m more than happy to stick my neck out at this price for a player that brings this sort of upside to the table, trusting the team to at least give him a chance to be the dynamic producer that we’ve seen from Day 1.
The ADP reflects some hesitation. Achane’s going in the late first or early second round, one slot behind James Cook. I’d still take Cook first in that range, but Achane sits in the same tier as Ashton Jeanty, Saquon Barkley and Omarion Hampton, and I’d put him at the front of that group. Miami owned the 25th-scoring offense in the league last season and it didn’t slow him down, so while this is a new-look system with Malik Willis at the controls, it really can only trend in a positive direction.
The Passing-Game Fear Is Overblown
The real objection to Achane in 2026 isn’t talent. It’s Willis replacing Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, with Jeff Hafley and Bobby Slowik running a scheme that leans on Willis’s legs instead of checkdowns. The number of “easy button” receptions could decline in a meaningful way, and if the rushing efficiency struggles to sustain, that’s where the bottom could fall out.
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That’s a fair worry, but I think it’s already priced in. Achane’s rushing workload is the foundation of his value, not the accessory. Even in a stripped-down passing game, a back averaging 5.6 yards a carry for his career doesn’t need 85 targets to hit RB1 numbers. The rushing efficiency is the part of his profile that travels regardless of who’s throwing the ball, and it’s the part that held up through three different quarterback situations already.
He’s the focal point of an offense that is working in a rather green quarterback and every ounce of motivation to shorten games. If I thought the Dolphins could post top 10 offensive numbers this season, I’d be tempted to rank Achane as a Tier 1 running back with Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson. That’s not the case, but at his current cost, I’m fine with taking the plunge.
