Fantasy football managers have been eagerly awaiting for sensational Miami Dolphins rookie RB De’Von Achane to return from injured reserve (IR). Even though it will be tempting to insert Achane right back into your starting lineup, should fantasy managers be a little concerned about his workload in his first game back from injury?
Latest Injury Update on De’Von Achane
According to a recent report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Dolphins have decided to open Achane’s 21-day practice window for potential from IR. He went on to add that there is a chance Achane could play in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Will Achane Play This Week?
Will he or won’t he? That is truly the question.
The Dolphins are set to face off against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, which means fantasy managers will need to closely monitor his participation in practice throughout the week.
While fantasy enthusiasts always envision their stud players immediately returning to the starting lineup after the minimum four-week hiatus on IR, players like Justin Jefferson and Khalil Herbert just proved that sometimes the player needs an extra week before returning to the field.
Editor’s note: Achane has returned to practice on Wednesday.
What Does This Mean for Raheem Mostert’s Fantasy Ranking?
It’s hard to get a gauge on just how dominant this Miami rushing attack truly is in 2023. On one hand, some of their production and efficiency earlier this season felt like it was on a historic pace. On the other hand, the Dolphins have been held under 100 yards rushing as a team in two of the four games Achane has been out of the lineup.
Which brings us along to the current starting RB of the Dolphins, Raheem Mostert. While Achane has been phenomenal when on the field this season, Mostert is currently the RB2 overall with 756 total yards and 13 total touchdowns through nine games this season. His efficiency has been great at 5.55 yards per carry, and really his only issue has been ball security with four fumbles this season.
However, as great as Mostert has been, one could certainly make the argument that Achane has been far better. His 460 rushing yards on just 38 carries — for those of you keeping track, that is 12.11 yards per carry — is something you would have trouble finding in high school football, much less on a pro football field.
In other words, scoring seven TDs while generating 527 total yards on just 47 touches is completely unheard of. Can he pick up where he left off prior to his knee injury in Week 5?
History would certainly suggest the answer is no, but those who doubted Achane’s 203 rushing yards against the Broncos back in Week 3 certainly got burned the next two weeks if they kept him out of their fantasy lineups.
For me, Achane returns and is immediately a top-15 RB option this week, with Mostert falling around 25. However, if Achane can’t go this week, Mostert feels like a top-12 play against a susceptible Raiders defense.
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