Updated

Updated · NBC Sports · Sep 29

Dolphins Lose Achane to Torn ACL as Mayfield Faces 3-Week Absence, Dart Done for 2026

Updated

Updated · NBC Sports · Sep 29

Dolphins Lose Achane to Torn ACL as Mayfield Faces 3-Week Absence, Dart Done for 2026

Q: With Achane out and Hall likely sidelined, which backup runner could become Week 4’s biggest fantasy league-winner?

Braelon Allen looks like the best bet to be Week 4’s biggest fantasy league-winner. The case is mainly about immediate volume and clarity. With Breece Hall considered week-to-week after a quadriceps injury and widely expected to miss Week 4, Allen is lined up for lead-back duties against Chicago. Multiple fantasy analysts now have him as the top Week 4 waiver target because he offers the cleanest path to 15-plus touches right away, with goal-line work and enough receiving usage to give him RB2 upside. Miami’s situation is more complicated. De’Von Achane is out for the season with a torn ACL, which makes the Dolphins’ replacement backs important long-term adds. But the backfield is less settled for Week 4. Ollie Gordon II handled the workload after Achane went down and scored, but Jaylen Wright was inactive because of injury and is still viewed by many as the higher-upside stash if healthy. That likely means a split, or at least uncertainty, in Miami’s touches this week. If the question is who can swing Week 4 specifically, Allen has the strongest profile because the Jets appear ready to hand him the backfield with much less competition than Miami. If the question is who has the best rest-of-season chance to emerge, Wright and Gordon both deserve attention because Achane’s absence is season-ending. For managers needing one pickup to help win Week 4, Allen is the safer and more explosive answer.

3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · Sep 29

De’Von Achane’s torn ACL will end his season after Miami’s Week 3 loss to Kansas City, creating immediate Week 4 opportunity for backs Ollie Gordon, Jaylen Wright and waiver-wire pickups.
At quarterback, Baker Mayfield is expected to miss at least 3 weeks with a dislocated thumb despite intact ligaments, while Giants rookie Jaxson Dart will miss the rest of the regular season after knee surgery.
Breece Hall was labeled week-to-week with a quadricep injury, pushing Braelon Allen into a likely workhorse role, and Justin Jefferson avoided a long-term ankle issue with hope of playing in Week 4.
Other notable Week 4 shifts include A.J. Brown going on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, Dallas Goedert expected to miss multiple weeks with an MCL sprain, and Jalen McMillan landing on IR for 6-8 weeks.
The league-wide update underscores how quickly Week 3 injuries are reshaping fantasy depth charts, especially at running back and quarterback heading into waiver decisions.