The last time that we saw Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane on a football field, it was Week 5, and he had just torched the New York Giants’ run defense. Despite that extended absence, Achane is still the RB9 overall in half-PPR scoring formats through eight weeks.
Achane is still a couple of weeks away from returning from injured reserve, but is now the time to strike and steal him away from another fantasy football roster in your league?
De’Von Achane’s Rest-of-Season Outlook
There’s no denying what Achane can do when he’s on the field and fully healthy. From a fantasy points-per-game standpoint, Achane is the RB1 in all of fantasy football with 24.3! The next closest is San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey with 23.1.
The concern with Achane comes down to durability. Even coming into the NFL out of Texas A&M, there were concerns about the type of workload that Achane would be able to shoulder at sub-200 pounds.
While it’s certainly way too early to make a sweeping judgment on whether or not Achane is injury-prone, there’s a conversation to be had about how much volume the young RB can handle and still stay on the field.
This conversation is important because it drastically alters the trade value for Achane. If he’s going to see 15+ touches each and every week, he’s a top-five fantasy asset with his big play ability. For context, he’s still tied for the second-most 15-plus-yard runs this season at the RB position despite playing in just four games.
However, if he’s only going to see 8-10 touches each and every week, that lowers the predictability of his production and the reliability that fantasy managers can have in him. He can still certainly make big-time plays, but the opportunity to make those plays becomes less frequent as the volume decreases.
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As the Miami Dolphins will have RB Jeff Wilson Jr., RB Raheem Mostert, and Achane all — presumably — healthy later this season, the need to give Achane a substantial workload will not be there. This will allow Miami to keep his volume lighter and reduce the risk of reinjury for the explosive playmaker.
We need to keep this in mind as we debate the cost it’ll take to acquire Achane in our fantasy football leagues and whether or not it will be worth it.
Should You Trade for Achane?
Are you considering trading for Achane? Our PFN Trade Analyzer allows you to find the best trades to make in seconds. It also allows us to see trending searches. We’ve compiled a few of the most popular below.
Should You Trade Zack Moss for De’Von Achane?
Achane’s trade value needs to be balanced by the reality that he won’t be back on the field until at least Week 11 because Miami is on a bye in Week 10. With this in mind, the value of someone who’s going to miss the next three games is drastically diminished versus someone who projects to be playing.
Indianapolis Colts RB Zack Moss has been productive this year, but if you’re a contending fantasy team that looks to be making a deep playoff push, trading away Moss to another manager who’s trying to string together a couple of wins over the next few weeks to keep their season alive isn’t a bad trade. It just depends on where you’re at as a roster.
Should You Trade Rachaad White for De’Von Achane?
While the production for Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Rachaad White and Achane is insanely different when they’re both healthy and on the field, Achane missing the next couple of weeks is enough to make me side with White in this trade.
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His consistent volume cannot be overlooked for fantasy rosters that are looking to stay afloat and survive bye weeks. Additionally, White’s had his bye week already, and that’s a big advantage over another RB that won’t be available.
If you have the depth to where you’re not consistently starting White, though, Achane’s upside is worth chasing for a deep playoff push.
Should You Trade Jahmyr Gibbs for De’Von Achane?
Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs is coming off of a monstrous performance in Week 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but questions remain over what his workload will be like when teammate David Montgomery returns to the lineup in Week 10.
Even with those concerns, Gibbs is absolutely worth holding onto over trading for Achane at this point. His upside is just as high as Achane’s, and he looks to have solidified a more expansive role in this Detroit offense. Achane still has to compete with Mostert and Wilson when he returns to the field.
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