Updated Monday, September 28, 2026, after Achane’s MRI results.

De’Von Achane lasted less than five minutes on Sunday. On Miami’s opening drive against Kansas City, he planted his left leg to cut right, the knee buckled, and Chiefs safety Alohi Gilman finished the tackle. Monday’s MRI showed a torn ACL, and Achane will miss the rest of the 2026 season, according to ESPN and NFL Media. The Dolphins lost 24-10 and fell to 0-3. Fantasy managers lost a player most of them drafted in the first two rounds. This breakdown covers what Miami’s offense looks like without him, who gets the carries, and who to put a claim in for before Week 4.

The Injury: Torn ACL, Out for the Season

Achane walked to the sideline under his own power, went to the medical tent, and was listed as questionable before Miami ruled him out. Head coach Jeff Hafley said after the game that the early read did “not sound very optimistic,” and Monday’s MRI confirmed it.

He had three carries for 17 yards before he got hurt. That leaves his 2026 line at 34 carries for 117 yards and seven catches for 49 yards, with no touchdowns. This is the second significant knee injury of his career. He missed five games with a knee sprain as a rookie in 2023. ACL rehab usually takes nine to 12 months, so a normal recovery points him toward the start of the 2027 season.

What Changes for the Dolphins Offense

Sunday gave us a preview. After Achane left, Miami ran for 119 yards, and the leading rusher was quarterback Malik Willis with 56 yards on nine carries. The running backs averaged well under three yards a carry against the Chiefs. Expect three things from offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s plan going forward.

First, more Willis running. Designed quarterback runs are now the most dangerous part of Miami’s ground game. Second, more short passes to Malik Washington. He caught five of 10 targets Sunday and also lined up at running back after Achane went down. Hafley said the Dolphins dressed only two backs on purpose because they trust Washington to fill in there. Third, fewer points. A team that is already 0-3 lost its best big-play threat, which means more trailing, more passing downs and fewer trips inside the 10. That hurts whoever wins the backfield job.

The depth chart is thin. The Sun Sentinel’s David Furones reported that Miami will move forward with Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright as its running backs. Practice-squad back Jarquez Hunter could be elevated for depth, and the Dolphins could still sign a veteran or make a trade.

Who’s Up Next: Player-by-Player Prescriptions

RB Ollie Gordon II

The top Dolphins add for Week 4, with a low ceiling. Gordon handled 20 touches Sunday: 17 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, plus three catches for 14 yards. That’s 13.0 half-PPR points (14.5 in PPR). He left in the second half with cramps and came back in the fourth quarter. The efficiency is the problem. He averaged 2.4 yards a carry Sunday and 2.8 on 70 carries as a rookie last season. The second-year back won the Doak Walker Award at Oklahoma State, and at his size he’s the short-yardage and goal-line option. Right now he’s also the only healthy running back on the roster. Treat him as an RB3 or flex for Week 4 at Minnesota (Sunday, Oct. 4, 4:05 p.m. ET).

RB Jaylen Wright

The better stash, and the cheaper one. Wright ran as the No. 2 back through training camp and was listed as Achane’s backup to open the season. He hurt his neck (a stinger) in Week 2 at San Francisco, then picked up a foot injury and sat out Week 3. Hafley called him day-to-day on Monday, but he used the same label last Monday, and Wright still missed the game. He has started for Achane before, with mixed results. Last December he ran 24 times for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Jets after Achane left with a rib injury, then managed 23 yards on 13 carries in the season finale at New England. Wright is faster than Gordon and more of a big-play runner, but he’s barely used as a receiver (15 targets over his first two seasons). He’s rostered in about 4 percent of Sleeper leagues.

The fantasy industry is split on this backfield. SI’s fantasy staff and The Big Lead both argue for Wright over Gordon. NBC Sports and USA Today’s Touchdown Wire warn that neither back will produce much in an offense this weak. Both points hold up. Wright has the better chance to lead this backfield by mid-October, and whoever leads it will still be a flex play at best in most weeks.

WR Malik Washington

PPR bench add. Ten targets and running-back snaps give him a role that should grow without Achane. He’s rostered in about 13 percent of ESPN leagues.

QB Malik Willis

Superflex only. The rushing floor is real, but a winless offense without its best playmaker won’t produce many passing touchdowns.

RB De’Von Achane

Drop him in redraft leagues. Even with an IR slot, he isn’t coming back this season. In dynasty and keeper leagues, hold him. The worry for 2027 is how a 5-foot-9, 195-pound back whose game is built on speed comes back from his second knee injury. If a dynasty manager wants to dump him cheap, he’s worth a flier.

What Achane’s Injury Means for Fantasy Football Beyond Miami

If you drafted Achane, you need a running back this week, and bye weeks start in Week 5, so the free agent pool only gets thinner from here. Bid on both Gordon and Wright if your budget allows. For a second option outside Miami, look at Braelon Allen. Jets starter Breece Hall left Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter with a thigh injury, and Allen is rostered in 14 percent of ESPN leagues. In New Orleans, Kendre Miller (4 percent on Sleeper) would share work with Alvin Kamara if Travis Etienne’s hamstring injury keeps him out.

The trade market moves too. Achane managers will be shopping for running backs, and a manager who just lost a top-16 pick tends to overpay. If you have a surplus at running back, this is the week to sell one.

Finally, start defenses against Miami. The Vikings defense has posted double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back weeks, including 16 against Chicago in Week 2, and gets the Dolphins at home in Week 4. It’s a strong one-week stream if Minnesota’s defense is on your waiver wire.

Quick Chart

Watch Wright on Wednesday’s practice report. A full practice by Friday likely means a committee in Minnesota and a smaller Week 4 role for Gordon. We’ll track his status on our Injury Report, and Tuesday night’s Free Agent Triage column will have the full Week 4 waiver list.