De’Von Achane’s injury opens the door for RB teammates Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon. Should managers grab one of them off waivers? There are key reasons not to.
Achane faced huge fantasy headwinds entering this season, making him a clear-cut fade at his RB6 / overall-11 ADP. In past years, he benefited from having Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at wideout. Achane found plenty of open space to operate, resulting in chunk runs and plenty of scoring opportunities.
His generous RB6 preseason ADP simply wasn’t realistic. Sure enough, he encountered career lows in yards-before-first-contact, yards-after-first-contact, and broken-tackle rate. As the offensive centerpiece—rather than one part of a powerful trio—he was exposed by defenses that understood
containing Achane was a key to victory.
His injury will turn Wright and Gordon into popular waiver adds. Jarquez Hunter or someone else on the practice squad could be elevated if Achane is sidelined. RB-needy managers might be desperate to add Wright and/or Gordon.
I would advise against it. Achane had the backfield largely to himself. Wright and Gordon probably would split touches, or else one would cap the other’s ceiling. Also, this remains a below-average offense that will face plenty of negative game scripts, which generally aren't favorable for running backs.
Let an opponent claim one or more of these RBs. Save yourself the hassle of trying to guess who might get you 5+ points.
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This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: De'Von Achane hurt: Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon, or none of the above?
