De'Von Achane Injury Fantasy Football Impact: Tua Tagovailoa, Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and More

Week 5 proved to be another brutal week for star fantasy players going down with injuries. It was reported early Tuesday morning that not only Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was likely headed to the injured reserve list, but that Miami Dolphins rookie running back De’Von Achane is also expected to miss multiple weeks with a knee injury.

As Tom Pelissero’s post mentions, Achane’s injury isn’t viewed as a season ender, but the Dolphins’ offense will at least look different for the next couple weeks. Let’s dive into how the injury to the rookie sensation will affect other players on offense.

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Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Fantasy Outlook

Let’s first discuss the running back room, which still has some big-time names. 

After losing snaps and touches over the past few weeks, Mostert will now likely regain his role as the lead back in Miami. Mostert had been in the fantasy football MVP conversation through the first three games after accumulating 319 total yards and six touchdowns.

Ironically, it was during a four-touchdown performance in Miami’s 70-20 rout of the Denver Broncos that Mostert started losing snaps to Achane.

The rookie back tallied 233 total yards and four touchdowns in that contest. Achane followed that up with 120 total yards and two more scores in a lopsided loss to the Buffalo Bills. Achane was up to 165 total yards and a touchdown this past weekend against the New York Giants before leaving with his injury.

Mostert didn’t do himself any favors in retaining his starting role after fumbling twice against the Bills. He went for 45 total yards on 10 touches in that contest. 

Mostert fumbled again on his first touch against the Giants in the first quarter. He only got two touches in the second quarter. Mostert got back on track with a couple nice runs in the third quarter before scoring a touchdown. He finished with 78 total yards and the touchdown on 12 total touches.

The positive momentum toward the end of week 5 should at least give Mostert the chance to receive a majority of the snaps and touches for the team’s upcoming game against the Carolina Panthers. If Achane ends up on the IR list, he’ll also miss games against the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. Miami then has a bye week, meaning Achane’s next game would be in November against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Panthers’ defense has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season, with 30 fantasy points against them. The Eagles have been the second-best defense, allowing an average of just 12 fantasy points. The Patriots have been average, allowing 22 points, while the Chiefs have been pretty strong, allowing just 15 points.

Mostert’s run as the lead back might not last all that long though, as Wilson also could work his way back into the mix soon.

Wilson has not played this season, but should at least be able to help lessen the load on Mostert until Achane can hopefully return. 

Wilson played eight games with the Dolphins and eight with the San Francisco 49ers a season ago. In total, Wilson rushed for 860 yards and five touchdowns, while catching 22 passes for 185 yards and another score. With Miami, Wilson rushed for 392 yards and three scores and caught 12 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Miami has already shown that they will utilize multiple backs in a game, so Wilson should be scooped up on the waiver wire if he’s still available. As for which guy you should be starting when both are healthy, I think I’d roll with Mostert the first week. If Wilson proves he can be a viable fantasy asset alongside Mostert, then both will probably be start worthy until Achane returns.

Tua Tagovailoa Fantasy Outlook

Without the explosive Achane on the field, that’s one less player Tagovailoa can get the ball to, but there’s still more than enough playmakers on the field.

Tagovailoa has been one of the best fantasy quarterbacks this season, completing a career-high 71.7% of his passes for 1,614 yards and 11 touchdowns already. An area of concern is his five interceptions, with three coming in the past two weeks, but overall he’s been good, and most importantly healthy, only being sacked six times in five weeks.

Tagovailoa hasn’t been tasked with running this season, and even with Achane out, the Dolphins won’t ask their franchise quarterback to run extra. 

If anything, I can see the Dolphins running a little less than they have been, especially if fumble issues continue to haunt Mostert. That could mean more monster games are coming for Tagovailoa and his boatload of pass catchers.

The Panthers, Patriots and Chiefs have all been above average in slowing opposing quarterbacks so far this season, while the Eagles have struggled. While it’s a less than favorable matchup more often than not over the next month, I wouldn’t worry too much about Tagovailoa. Keep starting him.

Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Pass Catchers’ Fantasy Outlook

Miami is simply stacked in the wideout room, which is why I don’t anticipate a big dropoff for Tagovailoa.

Hill is the leader of the group and already has 36 catches, 651 yards and five touchdowns to his name. The fact that there’s now one less mouth to feed for potentially up to a month should be absolutely mouthwatering for Hill owners out there.

Waddle also has good numbers across the four weeks he’s played in. He’s up to 17 catches, 245 yards and a touchdown. I’d expect Waddle to see an uptick in his usage and numbers with Achane out, and this comes after being targeted 10 times in week 5.

Braxton Berrios has been the wideout with the next best numbers, but I want to talk about Cedrick Wilson first as he had a strong showing in week 5.

Wilson was inactive in weeks 1 and 2 and didn’t record a catch or target across 34 snaps in week 3. He went for 16 yards on a catch across 23 snaps in week 4 before putting together a four-catch, 52-yard performance in 29 snaps in week 5.

In a Miami offense that’s arguably been the best in the league and now may be forced to throw the ball more, Wilson should be a sought-after wideout on the waiver wire, especially in deeper leagues. If Achane is out the next month, Wilson is going to have the chance to produce, and could even be worth a start if he proves he can deliver solid numbers again.

Berrios looked like he was on the verge of breaking out in the Miami offense after going for 43 yards and a touchdown on six catches against the Bills in week 4. Berrios was held to two catches and 13 yards in week 5.

The big thing to note here is that Wilson played 29 snaps to just 20 for Berrios. If I had to choose one of the two to be the most productive without Achane in the picture, Wilson would be the guy.

Another wideout to keep tabs on is Chase Claypool. The Chicago Bears traded Claypool to Miami before week 5. The Dolphins obviously see something in Claypool that they like, and if they can finally unlock the true talent of a guy taken in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, maybe Claypool can become a viable fantasy option before Achane comes back. For now though, I’d leave Claypool on the waiver wire.

Much like against quarterbacks, the Panthers, Patriots and Chiefs’ defenses have been above average against opposing wideouts, while the Eagles have struggled.

Final Thoughts

The injury to Achane is obviously a blow to the Dolphins and their high-flying offense. There’s still enough playmakers around to keep the offense moving, so if you own any of Tagovailoa, Hill or Waddle, I’d continue to start them without much other thought.

As for Mostert and Jeff Wilson, I’d go with Mostert for the time being. If Wilson steps in and also turns in good numbers, then I’d start him beginning the following week.

As for guys like Cedrick Wilson, Berrios and Claypool, they are all guys to keep an eye on, but I wouldn’t start them until they prove for a couple weeks that they can be consistent. I like Wilson best of the group for now.