Dolphins Place Jeff Wilson On IR, Cement De'Von Achane As Fantasy Football Draft Target

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With most fantasy football drafts taking place this week and next, players are looking to gain advantages on the competition. That means paying attention to transactions leading up to Week 1. Miami Dolphins third-round draft pick, running back De'Von Achane out of Texas A&M, received high praise from the team all preseason. With Jeff Wilson out, the path to fantasy relevance is clear.

Achane is a player that many fantasy analysts had on their radars. But the Miami Dolphins consistently flirted with veteran running backs like Dalvin Cook and Jonathan Taylor. However, Cook signed with the Jets and the Colts elected to keep Taylor -- at least for now.

Miami did not add another running back and, in fact, released Myles Gaskin who led the team in rushing in 2021. On Thursday, they placed Jeff Wilson -- who was expected to serve as Raheem Mostert's primary backup -- on injured reserve. That means Wilson in ineligible to return to the active roster until Week 5 at the earliest.

With Jeff Wilson hitting IR, DeVon Achane has an opportunity to be a big producer for the Miami Dolphins and is a valuable commodity in fantasy football drafts.

With Jeff Wilson hitting IR, DeVon Achane has an opportunity to be a big producer for the Miami Dolphins and is a valuable commodity in fantasy football drafts. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

And who knows if he returns then? According to head coach Mike McDaniel, Wilson is dealing with several different injuries and is out indefinitely.

"It's a midsection injury compounded by some finger issues," McDaniel said, according to ESPN. "We made the assessment he couldn't protect himself and couldn't be himself the way we know him to be. I wouldn't be surprised if he would make a return this season. We will let his body tell us."

By then, Achane has an opportunity to cement himself as a weapon for the Miami Dolphins. The only player in front of him on the depth chart is Mostert.

Mostert played 16 games last season, just the third time in his eight-year career that he played in at least 10 games. He missed eight games in 2020 and virtually the entire 2021 season (played just one game).

Even if Mostert stays healthy, Miami is going to try to protect him. He set a career-high with 181 carries last season. His previous best was just 137.

De'Von Achane is going to see the field for the Miami Dolphins this season. And, more than likely, he's going to see the field a lot in an offense with the potential to score some points.

That makes him a very valuable fantasy football asset and one worth taking during your draft.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.