De'Von Achane Earns Fantasy Football RB1 Upside in Mock Trade to the New York Giants
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The NFL is never all that predictable. Guys leave teams on a whim, and that very well may happen when new management is in store. Down in Miami, Jeff Hafley takes over with Bobby Slowik running the offense. They inherit a star running back in De'Von Achane, but one that is on an expiring contract and less likely to return amid free agency. It is unlikely that they will deal with Achane at the moment, but it may certainly become a topic of discussion as the months go on. As a way-too-early look-in, this is a hypothetical trade where Achane joins the New York Giants.
Fantasy Football Impact
The New York Giants roster: Cam Skattebo (Injured), Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Rookie contract), and Devin Singletary (Cheap contract).
The team now has John Harbaugh running the show and, more importantly, Matt Nagy running the offense. Nagy runs an RPO-style offense that relies heavily on the run, as seen for a number of years in Kansas City. It can be confidently said that Skattebo may not rise to the top with Nagy as he had with Brian Daboll. We are not sure that Nagy desires any of these three inherited running backs.
If the Giants were to attain Achane, he would rise tremendously, maintaining top-5 running back value in fantasy football. Achane may be used to well over 20 touches per game. With Jaxson Dart and Malik Nabers, his touchdown upside shall also land quite high on a per-game basis. As his value is a tad volatile in Miami, it will be very safe in New York.
Mock Trade Details
Giants Get:
- RB, De'Von Achane
Dolphins Get:
- RB, Tyrone Tracy Jr.
- 2026 2nd Round Pick
- 2026 4th Round Pick
Why the Giants Accept this Trade
The Giants can absolutely use a playmaker like Achane. He is one of the best young running backs in the league, and he is arguably the most explosive player at his position. Nagy may look at Achane like a kid in a candy store. A Dart-Achane combination can be ruthless against opposing offenses, thus resulting in an elite RPO scheme for the duo, with Nabers assisting in the passing game.
The risk is that Achane's contract will expire. Honestly, it is possible that if the Giants dealt for Achane, they may extend him. If not signing now, New York is very attractive for any player. Achane should logically have an interest in returning beyond 2026, pending monetary details.
Why the Dolphins Say Yes
The Dolphins are under new management and they may look to remodel this offense. Achane is not an elite fit to Slowik's offense, and with an expiring contract, they may shed Achane sooner rather than later. By doing so, the Dolphins cannot get a 1st-round pick, with little long-term value given Achane's. However, they can grab a 2nd-round pick plus another Day 2 asset. Even then, the Giants have an array of running backs to deal with, this being Tracy Jr.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.