De’Von Achane, Antonio Gibson, and Dameon Pierce Impacting Rankings

As we head into Week 11, injuries to the running back position are once again frustrating fantasy football managers. With key players either questionable, doubtful, or ruled out, what does that mean for decisions that need to be made in terms of fantasy lineups this week?

Let’s take a look at the latest injury updates for De’Von Achane, Antonio Gibson, and Dameon Pierce and how they are impacting decision-making this week.

Latest News and Injury Updates Impacting Fantasy

De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins

The explosive rookie running back for the Miami Dolphins appears to be trending in the right direction for a potential return to the field in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

MORE: Fantasy News Tracker

According to a recent report from David Furones, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said the team is “prepared to” activate Achane and seem very optimistic about that development. Achane was listed as questionable on the final injury report, so we will have to wait for Saturday for confirmation.

Achane’s impact on the Dolphins’ backfield can’t be understated, given how historically productive he was over a three-game stretch earlier this season. His 460 rushing yards on just 38 carries — for those of you keeping track, that is 12.11 yards per carry — is something you would have trouble finding in high school football, much less on a pro football field.

Generating 527 total yards on just 47 touches is certainly a league-winning type of production, but it feels hard to sustain because we’ve never seen any player in NFL history produce at that type of rate before. 

If Achane is able to return to the active roster and play against the Raiders on Sunday, he immediately jumps right back into the RB1 conversation in Week 11. Some may hesitate to insert him back into the starting lineup immediately, but his upside — even with limited work — is too high to pass up on your fantasy bench in a plus matchup against the Raiders.

Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders

The latest news on Gibson’s injury does not appear all that promising. He was listed as doubtful on the Commanders’ final injury report with a toe injury after being absent from practice all week. Rarely does a player tagged as doubtful end up suiting up, so we should assume that Gibson will be inactive this week.

When asked about Gibson during his media availability on Sunday, Rivera said he has “progressed well” and added they hope to get him back next week. The wording of that and the doubtful stage all but confirm it would be a shock to see Gibson suit up. It was actually somewhat of a surprise that they didn’t just rule him out on Friday.

MORE: Kyle Soppe’s Week 11 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

Assuming Gibson is out, then that would likely bring Chris Rodriguez into play as a potential fantasy option. Brian Robinson would still be the lead back and the main fantasy-relevant option, but Rodriguez could find enough of a role to have deep-league relevance.

Gibson’s fantasy value has been sporadic this season, so unless Rodriguez finds the end zone it is hard to see a path to him being a 10 or 12-team starting option this week.

Dameon Pierce, RB, HOU

There is good and bad news when it comes to Pierce’s ankle injury. The good news is that the Houston Texans RB was able to practice on Friday in a limited fashion. The bad news is that it was not enough for him to be available for fantasy managers in Week 11. The return to practice could put Pierce on the road to returning in Week 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

An injury that seemingly came out of nowhere has now cost Pierce three games of the 2023 season. The amount of time he has missed is not uncommon for RBs with ankle injuries. We saw Saquon Barkley miss three weeks earlier in the season before struggling for efficiency upon his return.

That now has to be the concern for fantasy managers with Pierce. Will he return in Week 12, and what will he look like on the field when he does? Devin Singletary has done a solid job in his absence and this could easily end up being a messy committee situation.

In terms of Week 11, Singletary is a virtual must-start. The matchup with the Cardinals offers an opportunity for plenty of use, with it being unlikely the Texans will be chasing the game. With Pierce out, Singletary is the clear leader of this backfield, but his time in that role may be running out fast if Pierce could return as soon as next week.

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