De'Von Achane Wants the Rushing Title — and Miami Is Built to Feed Him
With Hill gone and Waddle traded, Achane is the whole offense now. He ran for 1,350 yards and led the NFL at 5.7 per carry last season.
Volume spike incoming after Miami gutted its receiver room.
- 1,350 rush yds in 16 games last season (2025)
- Led NFL at 5.7 yards per carry in 2025
- 67 catches, 488 receiving yds in 2025
- Our RB5, No. 14 overall going into 2026
- Miami traded Waddle, released Hill this offseason
De'Von Achane isn't hiding his ambition. The Dolphins back told NFL Network over the weekend that his goal this year is the NFL rushing title, and he framed it as a team barometer — if he's producing, Miami is winning. He's got a reasonable case: his 1,350 rushing yards last season (2025) trailed only James Cook, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor and Bijan Robinson, and his 5.7 yards per attempt led the entire league.
The context matters more than the quote. Miami traded wideout Jaylen Waddle to Denver and released Tyreek Hill this offseason, stripping the passing game of its two most dangerous options. Achane acknowledged the roster turnover, saying there are a lot of new faces and that he needs to lead by example. Translation: the offense is going to run through his legs whether he chases a title or not.
Why the Volume Should Explode
Achane already did damage as a dual threat — 8 rushing touchdowns, 67 catches and 488 receiving yards last season (2025) added up to 323 PPR points and our No. 5 running back, No. 14 overall, heading into 2026. That's before you factor in Hill and Waddle vacating a combined truckload of targets. A back who can catch 67 balls in an offense suddenly starved for pass-catchers is a target-share dream.
The one wrinkle: Achane cooled late in 2025, averaging 2.6 fewer fantasy points over his final five games than his season mark. Compare that to Henry, who surged +4 points per game down the stretch, or Robinson at +1.5. So the arrow wasn't pointing up when the year ended — but a form dip in December means far less than a wide-open offensive script in September.
The Fantasy Verdict
Buy low if a nervous manager in your league is fading him over that late-season slump. The floor of a featured back on a team that just deleted its top two receivers is enormous, and the ceiling — if he actually contends for that rushing crown — is a top-three overall finish. Draft him as your RB1 with confidence and don't overthink the December numbers.
