Strategy
Is De'Von Achane Still a Must-Start With a Brand-New QB?
Miami released Tua, released Tyreek Hill, and traded Waddle. They still paid Achane a record extension. Here's why that matters more than the QB change.
By Kenny Flermoen · August 11, 2026
Miami blew up its offense this offseason. Tua Tagovailoa, released. Tyreek Hill, released. Jaylen Waddle, traded to Denver. Malik Willis, a career backup with just 5 total NFL starts, is now the guy throwing the ball. Every skill-position name Dolphins fans knew is gone except one: De'Von Achane, who just signed a four-year, $68 million extension that makes him the third-highest-paid running back in football. When a rebuilding team clears out almost every other name on offense and still pays one player like a foundation piece, that's the signal worth trusting over the QB downgrade.
What the front office actually said
This wasn't a quiet retention. Achane's name was in trade rumors for months this offseason as Miami shed talent everywhere else. GM Jon-Eric Sullivan shut that down directly at the league meetings, saying "there is zero effort on my end to move" him. Achane confirmed the same message himself on Terron Armstead's podcast after signing: "They kind of made it clear that… we're not trading him, he's one of the players that we're going to build the offense around." That's not a throwaway quote. That's the new front office telling you, in Achane's own words, what the 2026 offense is designed around.
The talent case doesn't need the quarterback to be good
Achane led the NFL in yards per carry last season at 5.7, and NextDyne's Next Gen Stats data has him 5th of 51 qualifying backs in rushing yards over expected per attempt. That's not scheme or QB-dependent production — that's a back creating yardage that shouldn't exist based on blocking alone. He finished 2025 as RB5 with 289.3 half-PPR points, and NextDyne's Dynasty Value Score has him at 9,226, the No. 4 dynasty running back regardless of position.
His receiving role matters just as much here. Achane caught 67 passes for 488 yards last year, and that kind of check-down, screen, and swing-pass usage doesn't require an elite passer to function — it requires a coaching staff that wants to get him the ball, which the new regime has explicitly said it does.
The real risk, and why it's smaller than it looks
Willis is unproven as a starter, and Miami's receiving corps is now built around free-agent signings and Day 3 rookies rather than established names. If defenses stop respecting the Dolphins' passing game entirely, they can sell out against the run and make life harder on Achane between the tackles. That's a real risk, and it's the honest case against him.
But Achane's game was never built on defenses staying honest through the air. His per-carry efficiency held up in seasons where Miami's passing attack was inconsistent, and his receiving role gives him a floor that doesn't depend on Willis pushing the ball 20 yards downfield. The bigger threat to his value isn't Willis specifically — it's game script. If Miami's offense struggles enough that they're trailing constantly, even a featured back sees fewer rushing opportunities in favor of desperation passing.
Where he stands against the field
Achane's 9,226 DVS now trails Bijan Robinson (9,761), Jahmyr Gibbs (9,759), and Ashton Jeanty (9,330) by a real margin — not the near-tie with the top backs it once was. Miami's front office is still paying and building around him like a foundation piece, which is the stronger signal when the raw score has some distance to make up. NextDyne projects him for 306.7 half-PPR points in 2026, 19.2 PPG. Below him on the DVS board sit Bucky Irving (8,332) and Breece Hall (7,893) — both interesting comparisons, since neither has the receiving volume or contract commitment Achane just got.
The buy case
Hold him without hesitation if you already own him. If you're targeting him in a trade, the QB downgrade narrative is exactly the kind of story that creates a buying window — some managers will discount him purely because Willis isn't a household name, without accounting for the extension, the receiving role, or the front office's explicit public commitment. That's the gap worth exploiting.
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FAQ
- Does Malik Willis at quarterback actually hurt Achane's value?
- Some, but less than it seems. Achane's rushing efficiency is elite on a per-touch basis and doesn't depend on a strong passing game, and his receiving role gives him a separate path to production that check-downs and screens can sustain even with an inconsistent passer.
- Why did Miami extend Achane instead of trading him for draft capital during a rebuild?
- The front office said directly that he's a player they're building around, not selling off. A four-year, $68 million deal with $32 million guaranteed is a long-term commitment, not a rebuilding-team hedge.
- What's the actual risk that would lower his value?
- Game script, not talent. If Miami's offense is bad enough that they're trailing in most games, even a heavily featured back sees fewer rushing opportunities. That's an offense-wide risk, not something specific to Achane.