Ja'Marr Chase vs De'Von Achane

“His weekly ceiling remains extremely high, especially near the end zone, although Ja’Marr Chase ‘s presence naturally caps Higgins’ overall target volume.”

“Chase was excellent again in 2025. He led the NFL in targets (185) while catching 125 passes for 1,412 yards and 8 touchdowns. No receiver has Chase's full-field upside.”

“There aren't many questions about Ja'Marr Chase in 2026, but if you remember 2025, there were plenty. The start of the season was rough, and everyone was panicking (and I was buying). It's old news because he led the league in targets, finished as the WR4, and is now going off the board as the WR1, right where Mike and Jason have him ranked.”

“No receiver projects for more volume than Ja'Marr Chase. His 182 targets led the league, reinforcing his status as one of the few true offensive focal points in the game. The surprising part of Chase's season wasn't the workload. It was the TD total. After scoring 17 TDs the previous year, Chase found the end zone just eight times despite finishing with 22 targets inside the 20-yard line, 6th most in the league.”

“Chase has averaged 115+ catches, 1,400+ receiving yards and 10+ touchdowns over the last three years, and Joe Burrow is coming into 2026 100% healthy.”

“Chase has led the league in targets each of the last two years. He's averaged 6.7 catches and 87.7 yards per game over his five-year career. Chase also gets to play with Joe Burrow, one of the best pure passers in the game.”

“Much of Chase's ceiling is tied to Joe Burrow's health. In games with Burrow at quarterback since Chase was drafted, he averages 0.78 touchdowns and 20.67 PPR points. In the games without Burrow, those numbers drop to 0.33 touchdowns and 15.48 points.”

“The only question mark is the consistency beyond Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, with the Bengals' next most targeted wide receivers combining for a 16% drop rate while Chase and Higgins were at 4% combined.”

“Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals (4) was the highest rated Wide Receiver in the NFL Top 100 for 2025.”

“One player who notably looks worse in per-route data compared to his annual ADP is Higgins' teammate — Ja'Marr Chase. However, I don't think anyone seriously believes this means Chase isn't one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.”

“In five years in the league, Chase has averaged 1,490 yards a season.”

“The same goes for elite wideouts like Ja'Marr Chase and Puka Nacua. But they are knocked down a peg or two by the top-tier quarterbacks.”

“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.”

“This is where I tell you that I am in on De’Von Achane, their only player going inside the top-130 by average draft position. Some fear him, but his downside is baked into his cost. I have him as my RB3 and I actively recommend him.”

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

“Players such as Christian McCaffrey , Jahmyr Gibbs , Bijan Robinson and De’Von Achane all cleared 60 receptions last season. They produce in every phase of the game.”

“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.”

“Achane is one of the best backs in the league and just got a massive payday.”

“Another pleasant surprise was having De'Von Achane fall to me. Having him fall to the second half of the second round, with his average draft position (ADP) anywhere from 10-15, is crazy.”

“Among 43 running backs with at least 150 touches last season, De'Von Achane was second in yards per touch (6.0), sixth in scrimmage yards (1,838), and first in runs that gained 10-plus yards (16.8%).”

“It's hard, though, not to be concerned that his numbers in the receiving game could dip significantly without Tua Tagovailoa, having averaged five targets per game with him and 2.45 without him. The offense has no weapons, and if they can't move the ball and stay on the field, it could be catastrophic for Achane's value.”

“Last season, De'Von Achane exceeded his previous career-high 907 rushing yards by 443 rushing yards (1,350). He surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career while hitting 85+ targets for the second consecutive year. It's hard, though, not to be concerned that his numbers in the receiving game could dip significantly without Tua Tagovailoa, having averaged five targets per game with him and 2.45 without him.”

“Malik Willis, however, could impact Achane's targets due to his propensity to break from the pocket. This tendency will rob Achane of the checkdown volume that he enjoyed with Tua Tagoviloa under center.”

“We would be kidding ourselves if we didn't consider Achane to be the centerpiece of the Dolphins' offense and our fantasy rosters. Stacking this receiving production on top of the leader of 40+ yard rushes since 2023 feels like cheating, but because of this, he will be the highest-scoring Dolphin for fantasy this year.”