Will De'Von Achane Play in Week 1? Fantasy Football Injury Update

Will De'Von Achane play for the Miami Dolphins in 2025? Will De'Von Achane be healthy enough to play in Week 1? John breaks down the latest De'Von Achane injury news for fantasy football.

Miami Dolphins star running back De'Von Achane (calf) has been sidelined for some time now with a calf injury. It was originally reported as an undisclosed lower-body injury, but we now have more information, at least. But his fantasy managers certainly aren't very happy.

With draft season in fantasy football well underway, both his dynasty managers and those who picked him in the first round in redraft leagues are anxiously awaiting more news about his status. Achane was one of the league's best fantasy football running backs last season.

With 907 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns combined with 78 receptions for 592 yards and six receiving scores, Achane nearly eclipsed 300 PPR fantasy points, finishing as the RB5 overall. But what's the timeline for his return, and what's his fantasy football outlook for the 2025 season? Let's dive in!

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Will De'Von Achane Play This Season?

It's incredibly unlikely that Achane won't be able to play in 2025. Teams often rest their starters suffering from injuries in the preseason out of an abundance of caution. Achane was the engine of this team's offense last season, in a year in which wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were inexplicably not very helpful.

And with tight end Jonnu Smith gone, No. 28 could play an even bigger role. There is plenty of reason to be concerned about calf injuries, though. Fantasy managers who drafted San Francisco 49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey last season know that all too well.

Last year Christian McCaffrey had a "calf strain" that didn't get better, and we only found out later it was Achilles tendonitis. Maybe Jauan Jennings has it too? Can you even trust a calf strain on a 49ers player? Shanny is a total liarhttps://t.co/go133QO6mJ

— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) July 31, 2025

The Dolphins are known to downplay their players' injuries, and unfortunately, Achilles tendinitis and calf issues are known to be correlated. We don't have any information suggesting Achane has Achilles problems, but it's important to at least keep in mind for now.

Even if he did have an Achilles tendon ailment, these typically don't lead to full-season absences. McCaffrey returned to play for four games last season before he picked up another reportedly unrelated injury. Achane isn't practicing right now, but there's been no indication that his issue is season-ending.

Will De'Von Achane Play In Week 1?

We don't know yet, but the Dolphins haven't indicated that he won't be able to play in their season opener, so for now, we should expect him to take the field. Miami's first game is Sunday, September 7th, against the Indianapolis Colts. We'll have better information as that date draws nearer, so be sure to stay tuned.

However, given Achane's history with injuries, including plenty of missed games in his rookie season due to various lower-body issues, it's reasonable to believe the Dolphins' news sources that have stated that Miami intends to treat him with the utmost caution.

Dolphins plan to be 'super proactive' with De'Von Achane's calf injury https://t.co/NLikvj9kXA pic.twitter.com/2s85brsPMS

— The Dolphins Wire (@thedolphinswire) August 18, 2025

The above article quotes Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as saying, "Calves are the ones that you have to be super proactive, especially with explosive players where we don’t want to have a long, strenuous, nagging issue." And he makes an excellent point. Players need to rest to recover from calf issues. They can linger or develop into more serious problems.

Fantasy managers should probably have a plan in place in case he needs to miss some time. Based on last season's production and preseason data, it doesn't look like backup RB Jaylen Wright has much upside, so perhaps you could stash rookie back Ollie Gordon II, who was highly productive in 2023 in college.

De'Von Achane 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

Much of Achane's value comes from his pass-catching usage and abilities. Miami's offensive line was abysmal last year, and the loss of elite left tackle Terron Armstead (retired) could make things worse. This works in Achane's favor, though, because checkdowns and short passes help mitigate defensive pressure on the quarterback.

Miami's QB1, Tua Tagovailoa, easily had the lowest average depth of target (aDOT) of any quarterback in the league last season. Much of this was because of Achane's passing game usage. I doubt that changes much. Opposing defenses were content with letting Miami carve up the short field.

The third-year pro should enjoy another highly productive season if he can stay healthy. The offensive line issues are far from fixed, though, so he'll need all the passing volume he can get to live up to his ADP in PPR leagues.

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