Dynasty Spotlight: De’Von Achane Is a Human Highlight Reel, but Is He Too Risky as a Dynasty Asset?

Mat Irby
June 11, 2024

Few players have been as breathtaking, mind-bending, and enigmatic in their rookie season as De’Von Achane was in 2023. A four-star recruit out of high school, Achane stayed in relative proximity to his suburban Houston upbringing, committing to Texas A&M and sitting behind Isaiah Spiller for the bulk of his first season, excelling in a limited role. By the time he made it to the NFL Draft in 2023, the pros and cons seemed obvious: Achane was small at 188 pounds but productive as both a rusher and receiver as well as hyper-athletic, logging the fastest forty by an RB at the combine since Dri Archer in 2014. Though it was widely anticipated that Achane would be a role player, he was drafted in the third round by the Miami Dolphins, and there was renewed jubilation for how play-calling guru Mike McDaniel might utilize him. It took until Week 3, for the excitement to reach a full fever pitch as Achane went off for 233 combined offensive yards and four TDs, logging an incredible 32.4 total FPOE in one game. His in-game speed mixed with McDaniels’s creativity was indeed a match made in heaven, and he climbed the charts toward No. 1 overall dynasty RB in the same manner he did everything: lightning fast.

THE GOOD

Achane’s efficiency was off the charts in 2023. His total fantasy points over expectation (FPOE) was second in the NFL behind only RB1 Christian McCaffrey (on 215 fewer opportunities). His per-game rushing FPOE (ruFPOE) puts him in elite company: only five RBs have had more than 6.0 ruFPOE/G while rushing at least 93 times in one season since 2000; the other four were the overall RB1 in the year they did it.

He earned a respectable 11% target share and recorded 26.2 AirYAC/G, good for 12th in the NFL, leading to a receiving line of 27-197-3 in just nine games. His efficiency also showed up in his incredible yards per attempt (ruYPA), which was 7.8 on 103 attempts — tops in the NFL for RBs with at least 100 carries. His evasion rate was surprisingly good for a smaller guy at 18%, tied for ninth among RBs with at least 100 attempts, and it wasn’t all manufactured through agility, as Achane showed the ability to run through tackles frequently and abundantly.

THE BAD

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Mat Irby

RotoViz contributor since 2023, fantasy player since 1991, and someone who occasionally dabbles in full-time film work when no one's looking - even on a thing or two you've seen. Atlanta is for sleeping, but Dallas will always be home.

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