It’s the worst outcome for a fantasy football manager — draft a star running back early, then see him go down with a season-ending injury.
That’s what has happened to Miami Dolphins superstar De’Von Achane. His season is over due to a torn ACL sustained in Sunday’s Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
For the Dolphins, it continues what is a brutal 0-3 start to a season that might not get a whole lot better.
In the fantasy realm, it will have managers scrambling to fill Achane’s spot with another running back.
There aren’t often great options available on the wire, but there should be a few at least worth considering.
De’Von Achane’s Backup RBs
The first place to look, if for no other reason than they almost certainly are available, is to Achane’s backups.
Ollie Gordon replaced Achane on Sunday, and he’s a bruising running back who, if given goal-line opportunities, should score some touchdowns this season — he got a 3-yard score on Sunday.
Gordon’s value is complicated by the fact that Jaylen Wright is still in Miami, too. If Wright was healthy, he’d be a decent pickup, but he was inactive on Sunday due to a foot injury.
As far as immediate help, Gordon probably has a better chance of being useful in Week 4 than Wright, but Wright wouldn’t be a bad stash.
Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups for De’Von Achane
Not all of these players will be available in all leagues, but these are some ideas.
We’d first look at Woody Marks of the Texans. Their offense has struggled with David Montgomery, and Marks got a short-yardage touchdown on Sunday. As the younger player, a breakout could still be coming for Marks in Houston. He’s rostered in 53% of Sleeper leagues.
Kaelon Black of the 49ers is interesting. He’s RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey, but he’s available in about half of leagues, and he’s getting some opportunities while being one moment away from a huge role.
Keaton Mitchell had his best game of the season for the Chargers on Sunday, with eight runs for 52 yards as well as three catches that included a touchdown. He’s rostered in only 26% of Sleeper leagues, and he’s played at least 25% of the snaps in each week this season.
Kaleb Johnson, rostered in 14% of Sleeper leagues, is another consideration. He joined the Packers from the Steelers, and his role seems like it could increase as the season goes on, if Josh Jacobs remains out.
And one stab in PPR leagues — Ty Johnson of the Buffalo Bills. He just returned from injury and had four catches for 50 yards in Week 3 — and he would’ve had a touchdown if not for a holding penalty that didn’t affect the play. Johnson’s ceiling isn’t high, but he’s got a better floor than a traditional backup running back.
Replacing Achane is far from easy, both in real life and in fantasy football. It’s the kind of injury that could be tough to overcome.
De’Von Achane Fantasy Replacements: Waiver Wire Pickups For Injured RB