Who Should I Start? De'Von Achane or Jaleel McLaughlin

Sunday, January 4, 3:43 PM

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (shoulder) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New England Patriots. He had been listed as doubtful after missing all three practices this past week. Achane finishes his third NFL season with a career-high 1,350 rushing yards. He also logged 67 catches, 488 receiving yards, and 12 total touchdowns while ranking as the overall RB5 in full-PPR scoring to this point. We expect second-year back Jaylen Wright to earn more snaps with Achane sidelined. Wright had 24 carries, 107 rushing yards, and one touchdown against the Jets in Week 14, and he also found the end zone in Week 16 versus Cincinnati. New England has a very strong run defense, but Wright still ranks as a volume-based RB2 for fantasy football.

Friday, January 9, 8:09 PM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin was only active for eight games in 2025 and didn't make his season debut until Week 6. It wasn't until after J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury that McLaughlin started to really become a factor in Denver's backfield in Week 11. The 25-year-old finished his third year in the NFL with a career-low 37 carries for 187 yards (5.1 yards per tote) and one touchdown, adding four catches for 27 yards. Head coach Sean Payton continues to say that he'd like to get McLaughlin more work, but it has been rookie RJ Harvey who has been the Broncos' clear lead back. To close out the regular season, McLaughlin had 13 carries for 81 yards on the ground while adding a 17-yard catch in two wins against the Chiefs and Chargers. The Broncos have a bye in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs this weekend, but at best, McLaughlin will be a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex option in playoff leagues.