De’Von Achane Fantasy Projection 2026: Is the Dolphins RB Worth the Risk?

De’Von Achane is unquestionably one of the most talented players in the NFL. He can play on all downs and has the type of explosive ability you can’t teach.

He was one of the best picks in fantasy football last season, but now finds himself in one of the worst situations possible. Fading elite talent is always risky, but is it warranted in the case of the Dolphins’ RB1?

Should You Draft Dolphins RB De’Von Achane in Fantasy Football?

The main appeal of Achane is his immense weekly upside. He had three games with 26+ fantasy points last season, including one over 30 and one over 40. But the real story of Achane’s 2025 season was his weekly floor.

Once known for his volatility, Achane was actually the epitome of reliability. He was the only running back in the league to record 12+ fantasy points in every single game. He hit 16 fantasy points in all but two weeks.

This certainly doesn’t sound like the archetype of running back that fantasy managers should be concerned about. However, football is a team game, and we’ve seen team situations greatly influence the fantasy values of even the most talented players. The Dolphins’ team situation couldn’t be more different this year than it was last year.

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Mike McDaniel is gone, replaced by Jeff Hafley. Former Texans OC Bobby Slowik is now calling plays. Will he maintain Achane’s 19.8% target share that was the source of a large portion of his fantasy value? Will he feed Achane a 5’9, 188-pound back a 71% opportunity share? The usage under a new regime is certainly in question.

The next concern is the overall caliber of the offense. Obviously, things weren’t great last year. The Dolphins were 25th in points scored, not exactly the most fantasy-friendly environment. But McDaniel’s fantasy-friendly offensive system incorporated a lot of short passes to Achane and manipulated the defense to get him in space. That allowed Achane to thrive despite the unfavorable circumstances.

This year, the Dolphins are in full rebuild mode. They cut Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill. They traded Jaylen Waddle. Their wide receiver corps is led by Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, and three rookies. It’s abundantly clear this organization has no delusions about contending this season. They are purely in evaluation mode. That’s where Malik Willis comes in.

How the Dolphins plan to truly evaluate Willis in light of the players around him is not the concern of fantasy managers. What is the concern is how different this offense will operate with a mobile quarterback.

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Willis has never attempted more than 23 passes in an NFL game. Obviously, that will change this season, as the Dolphins will be trailing a lot and thus, throwing. But he’s not going to attempt anywhere near as many passes as Tagovailoa did. There’s a very real chance the total passing volume in this offense drops by as many as 100 attempts.

Part of the appeal of Achane this season is that he is the offense. He’s the favorite to lead the team in carries and targets. He should be the goal line back. From an opportunity standpoint, there’s nothing in his way. But how does he score 12 touchdowns again if the Dolphins can’t get in scoring position? How does he see all of the available opportunities if the Dolphins can’t sustain drives? And how valuable is that potential 20% target share if Willis is only attempting 25-28 passes a game?

Achane’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value

The fantasy community understands the unfortunate plight of Achane this season. Based on his performance last season, he should be a surefire mid-first round selection. Instead, he’s going in the early second round. So, we are getting a situation-based discount. But is it enough?

I am very worried about Achane this season. He’s RB9 in our consensus rankings, just one spot below ADP. However, he’s not someone I am particularly excited to draft.

READ MORE: 2026 Controversial Fantasy Football Running Back Depth Charts: Who To Draft In These Confusing Rooms

Mega talents can overcome bad situations. Christian McCaffrey was the best RB in fantasy on those bad Panthers teams. Saquon Barkley was the overall RB1 as a rookie on a bad Giants team. Achane himself outplayed his offensive situation last season. But things could get really bad this year.

We generally want good players on good offenses. The Dolphins could have the worst offense in football. Willis is going to have no choice but to scramble a lot, given the Dolphins’ wide receivers. He is also going to take touchdowns away from Achane.

If anyone can maintain elite RB1 production under the worst conditions, it’s Achane. Unfortunately, it’s not a bet I want to make.

Preseason Fantasy RB Rankings

1. Bijan Robinson | ATL
2. Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
3. James Cook III | BUF
4. Jonathan Taylor | IND
5. Ashton Jeanty | LV
6. Christian McCaffrey | SF
7. Saquon Barkley | PHI
8. Chase Brown | CIN
9. De’Von Achane | MIA
10. Derrick Henry | BAL
11. Kenneth Walker III | KC
12. Jeremiyah Love | ARI
13. Omarion Hampton | LAC
14. Javonte Williams | DAL
15. Breece Hall | NYJ
16. Kyren Williams | LAR
17. D’Andre Swift | CHI
18. Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
19. Josh Jacobs | GB
20. Cam Skattebo | NYG
21. David Montgomery | HOU
22. Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
23. TreVeyon Henderson | NE
24. Quinshon Judkins | CLE
25. Jaylen Warren | PIT
26. Bucky Irving | TB
27. Jadarian Price | SEA
28. Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
29. Chuba Hubbard | CAR
30. Kenny Gainwell | TB
31. Tony Pollard | TEN
32. Jordan Mason | MIN
33. Rico Dowdle | PIT
34. Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
35. Blake Corum | LAR
36. RJ Harvey | DEN
37. Kyle Monangai | CHI
38. Rachaad White | WAS
39. Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
40. Zach Charbonnet | SEA
41. Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
42. Jonathon Brooks | CAR
43. J.K. Dobbins | DEN
44. Tyler Allgeier | ARI
45. Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG
46. Isiah Pacheco | DET
47. Woody Marks | HOU
48. Tyjae Spears | TEN
49. Nick Singleton | TEN
50. Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL