Ja'Marr Chase
vs De'Von Achane

“The underlying story is a game of contrasting approaches: Cincinnati leaned on a clean, mistake-free connection between Burrow and his two clear top targets (Chase and Higgins combined for 19 of Burrow’s 31 attempts with Chase scoring both touchdowns). Burrow himself turned in a mistake-free day (0 INT, 105.2 rating) despite 5 sacks. Burrow went 20-of-31 for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns.”

“Early in the game, Chase made a highlight-reel touchdown catch, pinpointing the ball over his shoulder, then spinning around to catch it next to the pylon and tap his feet in the process. Social media rightfully went insane, oogling over the play. Chase added another touchdown reception later in the third quarter, and he led Cincinnati with seven receptions.”

“Cincy’s offensive line held up well, too, and Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase will have better days ahead, make no mistake about that. 9 — Chicago Bears (1-0, UP 3) Last week: W 59-37 vs. Carolina Panthers I don’t care what the defense looked like — put up 59 points in an NFL game and I’ll talk about you glowingly.”

“Even with that accounted for, Chase is averaging 19.9 PPG in his last 49 regular-season games. Relax, Chase will be fine. If his manager in your league is panicking, this may be your only chance to buy (somewhat) low.”

“Ja’Marr Chase is projected as the WR1 this week, with the WR1 value score at both DFS sites. In 34 games with Burrow playing at least 20 snaps since 2024, Chase has tallied 7.2 receptions per game, 91.7 receiving yards per game, 26 receiving touchdowns, 22.15 DraftKings points per game, 20.12 expected DraftKings points per game, 17.48 FanDuel points per game and 16.48 expected FanDuel points per game.”

“Mike takes the layup with Chase at the 1.03. If you are not getting one of the top RBs in Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson, how can you go wrong with a player who has finished as WR1 and WR4 the last two seasons? Chase should be operating as the top target for a fully healthy Joe Burrow, at least to start the season, and that has always been a recipe for success.”

“To start, I went with Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals have (at least on paper) one of the easiest schedules in the NFL this season, and Chase should have a target share of 30% or higher.”

“Chase is the WR1 in my rankings. Last year, he finished as the WR4, averaging 19.6 PPR fantasy points per game despite missing one contest with an injury and playing without Joe Burrow for half the season.”

“For two consecutive years, Chase has led the league in targets with 175 and 185, respectively. Chase also has two years with 1400 or more receiving yards, and his consistency is worth paying for.”

“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.”