There was really only one reason to be watching Sunday’s tilt between the Dolphins and the Jets: De’Von Achane.
Whether you owned him in season-long fantasy or DFS — or maybe you were hoping to see the single-game rushing record broken — Achane was the main event going up against a Jets defense that ranks 28th in defensive EPA per opponent rushing attempt (0.04) and 30th in opponent rushing yards per contest (139.5).
Things couldn’t have gotten off to a better start, either. On the third play of the game, Achane ripped off a 37-yard run, setting Miami up for an easy touchdown. On the Dolphins’ next drive, Achane’s first touch was even better, as the former fourth-round pick dodged defenders in a phone booth for a 13-yard scamper to the end zone. By the time Achane registered another lengthy, 29-yard run mid-way through the second quarter, the soon-to-be Pro Bowler had amassed 92 yards on seven carries with a 13-yard reception as the cherry on the sundae. However, that’s when the good times came crashing to a halt.
Achane left the field with a rib injury and immediately went into the dreaded blue tent. In the second-half, Achane was seen on the sidelines in uniform and was officially listed as questionable to return, but he never did. His day was over after eight touches.
Postgame, head coach Mike McDaniel stated that Achane’s X-rays were clean and that the back could have returned to the game, if necessary. Still, while the update was generally positive, McDaniel shied away from guarantees when speaking about Achane’s prospects for Week 15.
That begs the question: How worried should Achane owners be about the back’s availability for next week? For non-Achane owners, there’s also the matter of Jaylen Wright’s potential Week 15 value. Is there a reason to stash the second-year RB? Let’s break it down.
Jaylen Wright Fantasy Outlook
While it was obviously a soft matchup against the lowly Jets, Wright impressed on Sunday. The sophomore had racked up only 18 rushing attempts in 2025 prior to Week 14, as Wright had seemingly lost his spot on the depth chart to rookie Ollie Gordon II. Part of that was some positive flashes from Gordon early on the season, part of that can be traced back to the preseason, when Wright suffered a knee injury that kept him off the field throughout September. Either way, Wright finished with 24 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. He also had three targets, though none equated into a reception.
Beyond the raw results, the fantasy implications were clear: Jaylen Wright is the De’Von Achane handcuff to own. Not only did Wright see 24 rushing attempts to Gordon’s five, but the Tennessee product finished the contest with 34 snaps to his teammate’s 16. This is a good fantasy situation for a running back, too. Though much of Miami’s rushing success can be attributed to Achane’s raw ability, the Dolphins are up to seventh in the NFL in EPA per rush (0.02) and the team has an eye-popping 59.1% rushing rate since the beginning of Week 11 — easily the highest mark in the league.
McDaniel, once the run game coordinator in San Francisco, has been flexing his “offensive guru” muscles in recent weeks, and Miami’s offensive line has really started to gel. In particular, Aaron Brewer has been playing at an All-Pro level, while former second-round picks Patrick Paul and Johan Savaiinaea have stepped up in a big way. Really, the only concern for a backfield headlined by Wright would be Gordon’s continued work as a goal line vulture, as the big-bodied 21-year-old is quite the short-yardage specialist.
The Bottom Line
It is currently unknown if De’Von Achane will be healthy enough to return in Week 15, and to make matters worse, the Dolphins won’t release an official injury report until Thursday, as the team takes on the Steelers in Pittsburgh for Monday Night Football. Still, that makes the thought process for Achane owners about to enter the fantasy football playoffs very simple. You’re going to take all your remaining FAAB money and you’re going to throw it at Jaylen Wright, who is only rostered in 3% of Yahoo! leagues at the moment. Will Wright wholly fill the void of a man that is RB4 in PPR formats? Not likely. Yet he’ll give you a set-in-stone insurance plan if Achane’s status is in doubt on Monday afternoon.
For those without an Achane-sized hole in their lineups, the approach to Wright is a little different and will vary based on roster construct. Still, I’d be aggressive with Wright on the waiver wire, even with the mostly positive reports on Achane’s health following Sunday’s victory. A lot could change between now and next Monday night, and Wright has suddenly emerged as one of the most valuable handcuff RBs in fantasy football. There’s also only three weeks left in the season, if you’re lucky. There’s no point in hanging onto those FAAB bucks any more, right?
The Dolphins have great matchups the next two weeks in the Steelers and the Bengals, with Pittsburgh having conceded over 200 opponent rushing yards in back-to-back games heading into Monday Night Football. If Achane is eventually ruled out, Wright could easily win someone a first-round fantasy tilt.
