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Dolphins running back De'Von Achane is a candidate for injured reserve, according to Adam Schefter, due to a knee injury that threatens to derail one of the most exciting breakouts of the 2023 Fantasy Football season.

Achane, the Dolphins third-round pick who has been a top-three RB in Fantasy despite barely playing the first two games of the season, suffered a knee injury during Week 5's win over the Giants. He tried to play through it, and coach Mike McDaniel downplayed the injury when speaking to reporters Monday, but ESPN reports Achane is expected to miss multiple weeks. That could mean an IR trip for Achane, who has now suffered multi-week injuries to his shoulder and knee in his first few months in the NFL, dating back to the preseason.

It raises questions about how Achane will hold up to significant work at the NFL level. He's proven in just three games that he's a big-time playmaker with seven touchdowns and 11.2 yards per touch on his first 47 NFL touches, which are just absurd numbers even within the context of Miami's red-hot offense. However, he's also a 188-pound running back, putting him in the third percentile among prospects at the position, and he never had more than 196 carries in a season in college – and missed a couple of games last season with a foot injury, too. 

Which is all to say that, Achane's role moving forward might be relatively limited, even as he produces explosive play after explosive play every time he touches the ball, it seems. I don't want to box him in as a role player because of a couple of early injuries, but I do think we have to take that potential into account when projecting Achane moving forward.

Of course, the more immediate future requires projecting Achane for no production, at least for the next few weeks. The Dolphins will surely miss him, but they are actually relatively well suited to absorb this loss. Raheem Mostert has been terrific alongside Achane this season, though he has his own lengthy injury history to tell us he isn't likely to see 20 touches a week. He remains a must-start RB2, but don't look at this as an opportunity for Mostert to put in consistent 20-touch weeks; the Dolphins don't want to use him that way, and he probably wouldn't be able to hold up if they did. Heath Cummings is a little more bullish on Mostert this week, be sure to check out Heath's Week 6 projections at SportsLine to see how high Mostert's projected point total sits in different formats with Achane sidelined.

That could open an opportunity for Salvon Ahmed, a little-used reserve back who has looked pretty good in the preseason, but hasn't shown much in real NFL action yet. He's worth a few dollars in FAB in case he ends up as the No. 2 in what may be the best offense in the NFL, one that has created a whopping 15 touchdowns for running backs through five games. 

But the more clear beneficiary is probably someone who has been largely out of sight and out of mind for most Fantasy players: Jeff Wilson Jr. Wilson has been on IR since before Week 1 due to finger and core injuries, but he's going to return to practice and could be back from IR this week if he progresses well.

Wilson averaged 49 rushing yards per game after joining the Dolphins last season, and has been a very effective runner whenever given the opportunity over the years, averaging 4.5 yards per carry on 474 career chances. He made for a solid tandem with Mostert last season after being traded from San Francisco, and should once again be a 1b to Mostert if he can get back on the field quickly. He's not nearly as explosive as Achane but should fair well in this offense and could be a decent RB2 option for Fantasy with the way this team is operating. 

Wilson is 37% rostered in CBS Fantasy leagues and should be one of the top priorities on waivers ahead of Week 6. Given Achane's injury and Mostert's history, it wouldn't be surprising at all if Wilson ended up as the lead back in the NFL's most explosive offense before long. That kind of upside is well worth investing in, and he might be worth dropping 30% of your FAB budget to secure him if you need an RB.

As for Achane? Hold him at all costs. He's shown league-winning potential, even in a relatively limited role, and should be a must-start Fantasy option as soon as he's healthy again. Even if you don't have an IR spot, Achane is absolutely worth holding on to with a bench spot in all formats.