The curious case of Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane is one of the more interesting studies from the 2023 NFL season. His three-game stretch of fantasy football excellence flashed a league-winning type of production in an offense that is set up to be among the highest-scoring units for the next couple of seasons.
On the flip side, his drastic drop in efficiency since he returned from injured reserve (IR) has dynasty managers wondering which version of Achane is the one we can expect in the coming years.
Should fantasy managers be looking to buy or sell Achane in dynasty formats?
De’Von Achane’s Dynasty Outlook
Some of you may be old enough to remember when fantasy pundits were ready to crown Achane as the league-winning rookie running back for the 2023 season.
Achane exploded onto the fantasy scene with three straight 100+ rushing-yard, 1+ rushing-score performances. This run of fantasy brilliance in this offense, quite frankly, justified all of the fantasy excitement behind the Achane hype train.
Well, the hype train got a bit derailed when the historic start to his rookie campaign came to a screeching halt when he was placed on IR heading into Week 6.
Unfortunately, Achane simply hasn’t been the same player we saw earlier this season after returning from IR.
Need proof? Achane averaged an absurd 12.1 yards per carry while totaling 460 rushing yards and five scores on just 38 carries through the first few weeks of the 2023 season.
Since his return in Week 11, however, Achane has averaged a modest — but still effective — 4.3 ypc with 177 yards and two scores on 41 carries.
This drop-off in production has dynasty managers wondering if they should try to sell high on Achane’s sky-high fantasy ceiling — which we saw from him earlier this year — before the unknown of the offseason could potentially negatively impact his dynasty value.
I believe Achane is a strong candidate to hold due to his dynamic skill set in a high-powered Miami offense with one of the most innovative play callers in the league. Still, Achane’s inability to stay healthy could force the Dolphins to pursue or draft another running back to pair with Achane heading into next season and beyond.
Should You Trade Achane?
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Should You Trade Achane for D’Andre Swift?
The fantasy value of these two players couldn’t be more opposite, as far as their future fantasy outlook past this season. Achane is paired with a productive quarterback and a brilliant offensive-minded coach and is locked into a rookie contract through 2026.
Philadelphia Eagles RB D’Andre Swift is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, which means his fantasy value for 2024 is virtually unknown at this moment.
Will the Eagles bring him back on another contract, or will another team make him their starter? What is his value on the open market?
These are all questions that Swift shareholders don’t have the answer to right now, which makes him a very unstable fantasy asset. I would not trade Achane for Swift at this time.
Should You Trade Achane for James Cook?
The 2023 campaign from second-year Buffalo RB James Cook has finally proven that the Bills could produce a top-15 fantasy RB to work alongside Josh Allen.
Cook’s 1,471 total yards, 40 receptions, and six total TDs have made him a very reliable fantasy asset at the RB position in one of the league’s most productive offensive units.
MORE: Dynasty Consensus Rankings
Sure, Achane flashed a ton of top-shelf potential earlier this year, but Cook has proven he can still be very efficient with an expanded workload and be able to hold physically while averaging 16 total touches per game.
Seeing that both players are in a great offense, I would be willing to trade Achane for Cook.
Should You Trade Achane for Javonte Williams?
Denver Broncos RB Javonte Williams hasn’t quite lived up to the high expectations that many fantasy managers had for him heading into the 2022 season before suffering a devastating knee injury, but his 869 total yards and four scores certainly make him a viable dynasty asset at the running back position heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
Yet, his fantasy ceiling doesn’t appear to be anywhere near Achane’s at this moment. I would rather have a piece of the Dolphins backfield moving forward than the Broncos backfield, which means I would not trade Achane for Williams.
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