Christian McCaffrey
vs De'Von Achane

“If we could turn injuries off like in the Madden video game, McCaffrey would be the clear-cut 1.01 pick in every non-superflex draft.”

“Andrew Erickson’s Draft Landmines of 2026 Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF) Christian McCaffrey led the NFL with 413 touches in 2025 and reached 450 when including the playoffs.”

“Going as the RB3, roughly the eighth overall pick, McCaffrey is coming off a season that led all players in total touches. Historically, that’s a dangerous signal: over the last 13 years, only one running back who saw 400-plus touches in a season finished as a top-five back the next year, and running backs age 27 or older who led the league in touches have never finished top five the following season across six such occurrences.”

“He’s entering his age-30 season with a lot of miles on the tread. McCaffrey is absolutely capable of smashing, but he could also miss some games. Since 2020, he’s missed half the season or more three times.”

“In a full PPR format, CMC represents one of the few RBs in the league who really benefits from the extra bump per reception. McCaffrey had a whopping 102 receptions last season and could very well be one of the main receiving weapons in San Francisco again in 2026.”

“Christian McCaffrey | RB, San Francisco 49ers Heading into what will be his 10th season in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey is coming off another season of monstrous volume.”

“McCaffrey is coming off a season where he touched the ball 400+ times and finished all but one week of the season as a top-24 RB. The biggest “if” with CMC is his health, but when he is on the field, he is a fantasy league winner.”

“2 Something to note is that while Christian McCaffrey did not reach the total rushing attempts needed to hit this criterion last season, he did have 311 carries, along with 102 receptions, putting his total workload at a similar number.”

“The last time McCaffrey had over 400 touches in a year, the superstar missed 69.7% of the games over the next two seasons because of injury.”

“McCaffrey was the RB1 in points per game, scoring 2.5 points more than the RB2. Once again, the 49ers did very little to persuade us that they don’t believe in McCaffrey’s ability to be a workhorse, instead continuing their habit of talking up a later-round dart throw at the position, who’ll likely struggle to see any involvement.”

“The sportsbooks have Achane ranked as a low-end RB1 on the week. Parker Washington | WR, Jacksonville Jaguars Sportsbook Rank: WR11 Expert Consensus Rank: WR22 Even the biggest Parker Washington bull couldn’t dream up a better start to the season. Washington ranks third in yards per route run (4.52), second in targets per route run (45%), second in target share (35%), eighth in receiving yards (181), and tenth in fantasy points (18.1 PPG).”

“I’m expecting the Dolphins to get down big in this one, so unless Achane catches a bunch of dump-offs, he’s probably in for another tough fantasy day.” – Wolf Trelles-Heard ( FantasyPros )”

“De’Von Achane’s role has been unimpeachable. He ranks second among running backs in snap share (83%), first in route rate (74%), second in target share (22%) and fifth in rush share (76%). But a team-wide lack of volume has left him ranked just 15th in expected half-PPR points.”

“Malik Willis and De'Von Achane can scoot. Among 74 running backs with at least 150 rush attempts since 2023, Achane is first in yards per carry (5.62) and first in explosive run rate (16.6%).”

“While McDaniel was head coach in Miami, De’Von Achane averaged 5.6 yards per carry, scored 35 touchdowns in 44 games, and had seasons with 78 and 67 catches. Achane and Hampton have wildly different body types – Achane weighs less than 200 pounds; Hampton is a 220-pound brute – but it’s hard to look at the ways McDaniels used Achane without getting excited about what’s in store for Hampton.”

“De’Von Achane (MIA) Achane was one of five running backs to average over 20 PPR fantasy points per game last year (20.2).”

“De’Von Achane (RB – MIA) Last year, De’Von Achane had more than 450 rushing yards, more than his previous best, and surpassed 1000 yards for the first time in his career while hitting 80 targets for the second consecutive year.”

“But Achane will be sailing into some fierce headwinds this year. The Dolphins’ Vegas win total for 2026 was 4.5 as of this writing – and it was juiced toward the under. Miami’s offensive line is expected to be among the worst in the league.”

“There’s no denying that Achane is an abundantly talented player and a fun watch. He’s averaged 5.6 yards per carry for his career, he’s scored double-digit touchdowns in each of his first three NFL seasons, and he’s had 145 catches over the last two years. Achane finished RB5 in half-point PPR scoring last year.”

“Achane has had a major downgrade in team context. For one, Mike McDaniel is no longer calling plays.”

“For those who are worried about De'Von Achane and the Miami offense struggling so much that he will not be productive, maybe just look back at 2025, when the Dolphins struggled… and he wasn't one of the most consistent RBs in fantasy; he was THE most consistent RB in fantasy. Achane can get it done on the ground and in the air, so regardless of game script, he is a blessing for most fantasy teams.”