Ben Gretch said his new Miami projection has De'Von Achane lapping every other running back by 24 targets—an unheard-of gap at the position. He highlighted Achane’s 6.0 receptions per game with Tua versus 1.8 when Tua sat, noting Tua is healthy and Mike McDaniel’s quick-hitting game remains intact. The post-draft trade of Jonnu Smith removes the only non-RB quick-game option Miami leaned on late last season, and Gretch does not expect newcomer Darren Waller to earn those looks because Waller is a down-field, not catch-and-run, tight end. Tyreek could siphon a handful of perimeter screens, but Jaylen Waddle has never been used that way and rookie Malik Washington will be more of a rotational piece. Gretch argued that receiving edge plus Achane’s documented explosive-play rate makes him one of just a handful of backs capable of a 350-point season; he is comfortable taking Achane as early as the 1.02 and called locking him in at the 2.04 “stealing.”

Ben Gretch said De'Von Achane owns the single-highest ceiling in 2024 drafts, even above Christian McCaffrey and Ja'Marr Chase. In his view Achane could realistically pace the league in both receptions and total TDs because Miami funnels passing work to backs and Tua offers almost zero goal-line rushing competition. Gretch called Achane’s 99th-percentile range "pretty nutty," noting the Dolphins’ league-leading red-zone efficiency and track-meet pace give him multi-score weekly upside. That combination makes Achane an ideal 2.04 "anchor RB" in FFPC Best Ball builds despite volume concerns elsewhere.

Hayden Winks placed De'Von Achane inside his top-10 overall rankings and called him the perfect second-round pick after grabbing an elite Round-1 wide receiver. Winks noted Miami will break in three new offensive-line starters, giving Achane a realistic chance to pair last year’s screen-game volume with a rejuvenated between-the-tackles attack. If that happens, drafters get the "best of both worlds": explosive chunk runs against light boxes plus high-percentage catches that punish two-high looks. Winks believes that combo could produce weekly 30-point spikes, making an Achane + alpha-WR opening the most powerful 1-2 punch available in half-PPR Best Ball formats.

Ryan Heath said De'Von Achane is once again the easiest player for him to hammer in drafts because every plausible 2025 game script points to a top-five finish. In the nine 2024 games he played with Tua Tagovailoa, Achane averaged 22.6 PPR points and more than 20 expected points per game—both would have led all running backs. He also set the all-time rookie record for yards per carry while spearheading what was, by Fantasy Points Data, the league’s most valuable backfield. Heath argued that if defenses keep living in two-high shells, Mike McDaniel will feed Achane endless screens; if the re-tooled offensive line finally unlocks the inside run, his breakaway speed will blow games open. Either way you get a high-end RB1 being drafted a full round after players with similar ceilings. Heath is making Achane a core pick for both Season-Long leagues and Best Ball tournaments.

Best Ball Guy said De'Von Achane should go "religiously" at picks 12-13 in Best Ball Mania drafts. His reasoning is portfolio-based: the wide-receiver cluster that usually fills the second round—Drake London, Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey, AJ Brown, and others—are all in the same projection tier, so drafters can still grab one of them at the 2/3 turn. Taking Achane first gives back-end drafters a unique roster build the Jefferson and Chase managers cannot replicate while still securing comparable WR talent a few spots later. In his view Achane’s early-second price tag creates both structural leverage and ceiling diversity, making him the preferred pick at 1.12 or 2.01 whenever he slips past 11 overall.

Jagger May said De'Von Achane offers Christian McCaffrey-level production at a sizable discount. He reminded listeners that McCaffrey’s lingering Achilles tendinitis stems from age and extreme usage, while Achane is still on his rookie deal and has logged far fewer touches. Achane commanded “almost 15 percent” of Miami’s targets as a rookie and posted RB1 fantasy numbers on hyper-efficient per-touch production. With Jonnu Smith gone, May expects more underneath volume for both Jaylen Waddle and Achane. He dismissed concern over rookies Jaylen Wright and Audric Estime, calling one a mere change-of-pace option and the other a backup. As long as Achane stays healthy, Mike McDaniel will design touches for him, giving managers a cheaper path to the same reception-heavy profile that makes McCaffrey so valuable.

Michael Leone said De'Von Achane is his favorite ADP-crusher. Leone reminded listeners that Achane averaged nearly six yards per carry as a rookie, proving he is one of the league’s few true home-run hitters. In 2023 the offensive line and quarterback injuries tanked Miami’s efficiency, yet Achane still logged "full work-horse" usage, posting a spike in targets that Ben Gretsch has documented whenever Tua Tagovailoa is under center. Leone noted the 2024 draft board is so deep that Achane’s price has slipped into the late first/early-second round despite that ideal usage and almost no backfield competition. If you simply marry last season’s volume with even 80-90 % of his rookie-year explosiveness, Leone believes Achane is "easily a top-five pick next year," making him a must-draft at current ADP in best-ball and season-long formats.

Ryan Heath said De'Von Achane is "the best value through the entire first few rounds" of Best Ball Mania drafts and should be auto-clicked whenever he reaches the early-second. Heath argued the sophomore back is virtually game-script proof. With "Janu" gone, Miami’s fast-paced attack will pepper Achane with even more short-area targets, something he already "gobbled up" last year. At the same time, Mike McDaniel used a second-round pick on an interior lineman and added multiple free-agent guards, signaling a return to the efficient 2023 ground game that produced the league’s most valuable backfield. Achane is "by far their best runner" and "maybe the most dangerous weapon on that team," so Heath believes he hits whether the offense stays pass-heavy underneath or successfully pivots back to a run-centric approach.

Josh Norris argued that De'Von Achane can finish as fantasy’s RB1 if the Dolphins’ revamped guard play turns last year’s stagnant run game back into the 2023 juggernaut that produced two top-4 backs. Norris pointed out Achane lined up in the slot or out wide for 34 receptions—15 more than Alvin Kamara—and called him the closest thing we have to a running-back/receiver hybrid. Pairing that usage floor with the rookie season’s 7.8 yards per carry and league-leading explosive-run rate gives Achane a path to both chunk plays and steady targets. Norris added that Raheem Mostert’s red-zone dominance two seasons ago shows the system can sustain elite touchdown production if the interior line gels. Thread the needle between 2023’s efficiency and 2024’s receiving spike, Norris said, and Achane’s weekly combination of long runs plus 5-7 catches makes a 20-plus PPG season squarely in play even without 100-catch gimmick volume.

Ron Stewart said De'Von Achane is the purest upside swing on the board because everything in his profile screams league-winner yet he is still available in the early second round of home-league drafts. In 11 games with Tua Tagovailoa last season Achane averaged 22.5 PPR points, out-scoring Saquon Barkley on a per-game basis while pacing for more than 100 receptions. Stewart highlighted Achane’s 12.6% explosive-run rate—better than 2023 leader Jahmyr Gibbs—and his record 7.8 yards per carry as proof the rookie-year efficiency can return if the Dolphins’ rebuilt interior line holds up. Even if the receiving volume regresses, Stewart projects 70-plus catches thanks to Mike McDaniel’s heavy pony looks and Achane’s wide-receiver-like usage. Stewart is not fading the back because of Tua’s concussion history, noting the quarterback has missed the same number of games over the last three years as Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence and that risk is already baked into Achane’s ADP. If the blocking improves and Miami’s offense rebounds, Stewart believes Achane owns true RB1-overall upside at a non-first-round cost.

Rich Rebar said De'Von Achane should be drafted in the first round of Best Ball contests because the sophomore back owns legitimate overall RB1 upside. Rebar pointed out that Achane doubled his explosive-run rate when right tackle Austin Jackson was on the field last season and expects that efficiency to hold with Jackson healthy and upgraded guard play in 2024. Miami’s acquisition of Jonnu Smith and the likelihood that Darren Waller runs deeper routes opens up short-area targets that Achane can vacuum up if Tua Tagovailoa stays healthy. Raymond Summerland added that pairing last year's workload with anything close to Achane’s rookie efficiency would put him squarely in the conversation for the top fantasy scorer at the position. Combining a potential top-five target share among running backs with breakaway-run ability in an offense that finished top-five in yards per play gives Achane a ceiling high enough for Rebar to click him as early as the 1.09-1.12 range, even for drafters who normally start WR-heavy.

Greg Brainos said De'Von Achane “looks even better” after the recent Jonnu-Smith trade, arguing the move further condenses Miami’s offense around Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Achane. Brainos noted that Smith had been used on many of the same manufactured touches the Dolphins now figure to funnel to Achane. With Terron Armstead’s departure leaving the offensive line shaky, Brainos expects Mike McDaniel to lean on quick-hitting plays and short passing—areas where Achane’s 4.32 speed and pass-game chops shine. A narrow target/touch distribution plus a scheme designed to get the ball out fast sets Achane up for weekly spike weeks in Best Ball formats.

Pete Overzet endorsed pairing De'Von Achane with Tua Tagovailoa, arguing the correlation is super-charged for Best Ball Mania. If Achane’s trademark efficiency returns—think 60-yard screen passes—the same game environment almost certainly means Tua and the entire Dolphins offense are bouncing back to their 2023 heights. That ‘double whammy’ raises the lineup’s combinatorial ceiling, similar to a Justin Fields–Garrett Wilson bet. Overzet likes the stack because it captures both player-level upside and team-level positive regression in a single click.

Ian Hartitz ranked De'Von Achane fourth overall and in the same tier as Jahmyr Gibbs, arguing the Miami back has delivered back-to-back top-5 PPR seasons despite never topping 250 touches. Achane owns an elite receiving role (19% target share last year) and averaged a ridiculous 1.40 fantasy points per touch, the best mark among RBs who handled at least 150 touches. Hartitz loves his "one-hitter quitter" speed inside Mike McDaniel’s motion-heavy offense that finished first in yards per play in 2024. Even if workload plateaus around 16–18 touches per game, Hartitz projects another top-5 finish thanks to explosive plays and league-winning spike weeks that are perfect for best-ball and tournament formats.

Jason Moore said he is "very bullish" on De'Von Achane because the role is already screaming RB1 if you just look at the numbers. In the 10 games Tua Tagovailoa played last season, Achane was peppered with 7, 7, 8, 8, 5, 4, 4, 9, 7, and 7 targets – essentially a 7-per-game pace that Moore called “outrageous” for a running back. Achane was targeted on 29 % of his routes, and Moore reminded listeners that a target is worth roughly 2.5 carries in PPR scoring. Even if you bake in the obvious injury worries that come with heavier usage, Moore thinks the post-Jonnu Smith trade only consolidates touches further because Miami lost a pass-catcher without replacing him. The coaching staff has never given a single back all the work when an injury hits, so Moore is comfortable drafting Achane as a locked-in RB1 and ignoring the uncertain backup picture entirely.

Best Ball Guy said Devon Achane is a “clear riser” and expects the Miami back to jump from the mid-2nd into the late-1st round once training-camp hype hits. He tied the forthcoming ADP climb to nonstop buzz around the Dolphins offense and what he called the “Johnnu thing,” noting that drafters chase explosive half-PPR backs. He also thinks a late-summer surge for Christian McCaffrey will pull every running back up a slot and “flip Genti,” leaving Achane in the first. Because half-PPR rewards long TDs, he is comfortable treating Achane as an anchor RB and drafting him now for pure closing-line value before the market adjusts.

Hayden Winks selected Devon Achane at pick 1.12 and framed him as a legitimate RB1. With Tua Tagovailoa healthy, Achane has averaged roughly 20 half-PPR points per game. Miami spent draft capital on the offensive line, giving Winks confidence the run game will no longer rank near the bottom of the league. Add in Achane’s heavy receiving usage and Winks believes the second-year back owns both floor and ceiling worthy of a late-first selection in half-PPR Best Ball leagues.

Mattek drafted De'Von Achane over names like Drake London, A.J. Brown, and Derrick Henry because Achane has already flashed a 99th-percentile ceiling: 8.0 yards per carry as a rookie, league-leading rushing yards over expectation, plus an 87-catch season on his collegiate resume. Combining that explosive rushing profile with his elite passing-game touchdown rate gives Achane a realistic path to a ‘prime Jamal Charles’ season, which Mattek argues few backs available in Round 2 can match.

Jason Moore countered that he would keep De'Von Achane at 2.10 instead of Rashee Rice. Moore wants difference-making talent at his lone keeper spot and stressed that running backs are historically hoarded in keeper leagues, pushing positional scarcity to the forefront. Achane sits on the edge of the first RB tier and owns week-winning explosiveness—7.8 yards per touch as a rookie and multiple 20-mph rushes—traits you cannot replace later. Moore is unconvinced Rice will even be available (or trouble-free) when drafts roll around, so securing Achane’s every-week ceiling is worth paying near market price.

Billy Jones called De'Von Achane “one of the better clicks in the second round.” He pointed out that Miami’s decision to move away from a two-tight-end rotation further concentrates touches among Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Achane. The explosive back already owns league-best 7.8 yards per touch, and Billy believes an every-down bump is realistic after Raheem Mostert’s age-32 season. With 14.5 % personal exposure, Billy is betting Achane’s 22-touch ceiling shows up in spike-week formats and thinks current ADP still lags the likely workload.

Andy Holloway called Devon Achane one of the biggest winners from the Jonnu Smith trade. With Miami losing a tight end who commanded 20 % of Tua’s throws—many of them underneath—Achane inherits even more of those quick-hitting looks he already feasted on as a rookie. Holloway expects Achane’s reception total to climb while Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle stretch the field, projecting a spike in PPR value that will push his ADP into the late 2nd/early 3rd round. Holloway is buying before the market fully adjusts, especially in season-long and best-ball formats where explosive plays matter.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound said he is actively boosting his De'Von Achane exposure now that the second-round price bakes in a full-workhorse projection. Pat expects Miami to hand Achane roughly 250-275 touches – nearly matching the 281 he logged last season – because the depth chart behind him is paper thin. Raheem Mostert is gone, rookie Ollie Gordon was a late-round flyer, and Alexander Mattison ("one of my least-favorite backs ever") is unlikely to siphon meaningful work. With Tyreek Hill nursing an injury and contract noise swirling around Jonnu Smith, Pat believes Mike McDaniel will lean on Achane’s pass-catching ability, creating a dump-off floor that insulates him from game script. If Achane stays healthy, Pat sees a clear path to an every-week RB1 who can bury underweight drafter portfolios, so he is happily clicking him near the 2/3 turn in Best Ball Mania 6 drafts.

Steph Miller said rostering both ancillary Miami running backs behind De'Von Achane can pay off because Achane’s slight frame (5'9", 188 lbs) and track-style usage raise legitimate durability concerns. Miami produced two top-18 weeks from multiple backs last season, and Mike McDaniel’s wide-zone scheme has finished top-five in EPA per rush since he arrived. If Achane misses time, Steph expects the backfield to consolidate around Raheem Mostert and rookie Jaylen Wright, each capable of ripping long runs against the league’s light boxes that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle force. She views the double-tap as a low-cost Week 17 leverage play in BBM6 tournaments, especially because Miami closes the fantasy playoffs in a potential shootout against Kansas City.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound said De'Von Achane is the perfect second-round target in Underdog’s Superflex Greyhound contests once you have already locked up an elite quarterback. Because drafters must start two running backs every week and the Round-3 quarterback tier is “super flat” with names like Drake May, Justin Herbert and Jared Goff still on the board, Pat prefers to grab Achane at pick 20 instead of reaching for Justin Fields. The move lets you fill a scarce roster slot with a player whose Olympic-level speed can deliver week-winning splash plays, while still circling back for a high-ceiling QB2 on the next turn. Pat framed it as a structural hack that converts positional scarcity and ADP inefficiency into advance-rate equity.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound told drafters to smash De'Von Achane at the two-three turn in Underdog’s SuperFlex rooms now that the quarterback pool after the elite names has flattened out. He said the Caleb Williams–Brock Purdy–Dak Prescott tier all project within a few weekly points, so using that pick on an explosive back before the RB shelf falls off is the sharper play. Achane averaged 5.8 yards per carry and 1.37 fantasy points per touch as a rookie, and Pat expects a 14-17 touch workload with Miami returning all five O-line starters while leaning on 32-year-old Raheem Mostert for only change-of-pace work. Pat also noted Miami’s Week-17 dome game against Houston provides an ideal playoff environment. Because later quarterbacks like Geno Smith or Sam Darnold are still available four rounds later, he believes taking Achane early and filling QB later delivers a higher ceiling and better roster balance in today’s SuperFlex lobbies.

Pat Mayo called De'Von Achane a worthwhile 50-1 flyer for OPOY now that Raheem Mostert’s departure opens a 60-plus-percent snap share. Mayo emphasized Achane’s league-best 7.8 yards per touch and noted Mike McDaniel lined him up in the slot on 18 % of passing snaps—evidence voters will see both rushing and receiving splash plays. With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle battling age and durability concerns, Mayo expects Miami to funnel touches to its most electric playmaker. He also stressed narrative: highlight-reel 60-yarders stick in the heads of human voters, and Achane will remain on the field in either positive or negative game scripts, padding counting stats even if the Dolphins hover around .500. Mayo thinks a handful of 200-yard multi-TD blow-ups could put Achane squarely in the conversation regardless of Miami’s final record.

Pete Overzet admitted he was "kind of bearish" on De'Von Achane before the NFL Draft but said he has now "come around" because the draft "went pretty well for him." Miami declined to add meaningful competition, leaving Achane atop a backfield tied to one of the league’s most explosive offenses. Overzet likes Achane more than Derrick Henry at similar ADP, arguing that Achane’s big-play profile and lack of new challengers give him a cleaner runway to outsized spike weeks. Given the Dolphins’ league-leading efficiency metrics from 2023 and the speed-based scheme Mike McDaniel wants to run, Overzet views Achane as a high-ceiling RB2 worth scooping any time he slips into the mid-second round of Best Ball Mania drafts.

Davis Mattek picked De'von Achane as his round-two smash, saying even a 50% haircut to last season’s ludicrous 8.0 YPC paired with 75% of his 2024 workload would still make him the story of 2025. He reminded listeners that Achane and Raheem Mostert finished RB2 and RB4 in points per game and that Miami still lacks a true third wide receiver. Mattek expects Mike McDaniel to continue scheming red-zone space plays for Achane, projecting roughly 170 carries and 80 receptions if the Dolphins offensive line can be merely league-average instead of bottom-two. Rookie backs Jalen Wright and Ollie Gordon can spell him, but Mattek believes the market’s discomfort—volume bros think he’s a gadget player, zero-RB drafters think he’s too expensive—has left Achane underpriced in the mid-second round.

Michael Leone said De'Von Achane should still be going at last year’s 1-2 turn price because the role concerns are gone. Achane logged a true every-down workload down the stretch in 2023 – something drafters never gave him credit for – and Leone projects that to stick in the 17-20-touch range even after Miami added rookie Ollie Gordon as a change-of-pace option. The only thing that cratered was big-play rate: Achane’s yards per carry fell from 7.8 as a rookie to 4.6, but Leone blamed that on a banged-up offensive line and two separate Tua injuries that kneecapped overall efficiency. If those pieces stay healthy, he expects the home-run plays to “snap back” while the workload remains intact, giving Achane both a top-5 weekly ceiling and a rock-solid floor at his current early-second ADP. Leone labeled the price tag “super bullish closing-line value” for Best Ball Mania drafters willing to start RB-RB.

Mike Wright called De'von Achane “a big winner” because Miami waited until the sixth round to take Ollie Gordon, a back Wright dismissed as a depth flier after his efficiency cratered to 3.9 YPC last season. Achane averaged 6.8 yards per touch and finished top-five in breakaway run rate as a rookie, yet still saw double-digit carries only seven times. Wright expects Mike McDaniel to expand Achane’s role now that the front office prioritized trenches and secondary over premium backfield help. With only Raheem Mostert (33 years old) and the raw Gordon behind him, Wright projected 230 total touches, including 50 receptions, and placed Achane firmly inside his top-15 running backs for 2025 season-long drafts. He urged drafters to pounce on Achane in Round 2 before summer ADP climbs.

Andy Holloway slotted De'Von Achane at RB6 thanks to a league‑best 70 early‑down targets last season—more than Alvin Kamara, Bijan Robinson and Breece Hall. With Tua Tagovailoa on the field Achane averaged 19.5 fantasy points and 6.5 targets per game; both figures cratered to 7.7 points and 2.2 targets in the six contests Tua missed. Holloway conceded Achane’s own durability concerns but trusts Mike McDaniel’s motion‑heavy scheme to keep Tagovailoa upright and manufacture high‑value touches. If the Dolphins avoid a quarterback catastrophe, Holloway projects another 90‑target, 1,600‑scrimmage‑yard campaign that justifies taking Achane in the back half of Round 1 for PPR and best‑ball leagues.