You have to go back to the 2016 season to find the last time the Miami Dolphins ranked in the upper half of the NFL in rushing. In the six years since, Miami has ranked 29th, 18th, 32nd, 22nd, 30th, and 25th, respectively — last year’s finish represented an average of 99.2 yards per game. Despite limited success in that department under first-year head coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins brought back their two leading rushers in running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr., both of whom followed McDaniel from the San Francisco 49ers to Miami.
They didn’t play a pat hand, though, using a third-round pick on RB De’Von Achane, a move that likely signaled the end of the line for holdover RBs Salvon Ahmed and/or Myles Gaskin. Even with that, there’s some belief that the Dolphins aren’t done making moves at the running back position, as they’ve been frequently mentioned as a possible destination for free-agent RB Dalvin Cook, who was released by the Minnesota Vikings in June.
For now, however, Cook remains a free agent, so we’re going to look at what Miami has available in their running back room as of today, and what we might expect from them, barring another move.
Raheem Mostert
It’s hard to argue with Mostert’s speed, as the veteran has averaged 5.4 yards per carry over a career that began back in 2015. The issue, of course, is durability. Mostert’s hard-running style has led to several significant injuries, and his 181 carries a season ago represented a new career high. At 31, he’s well past the sell-by date for most running backs, but his low odometer (465 lifetime carries) allows him to still be a factor.
While he did set a new high-water mark for touches, it’s worth mentioning that his numbers dropped following the acquisition of Wilson. Over his first eight games, Mostert had double-digit carries six times. Over his final eight, that number dropped to three. The veteran is average as a receiver, though he was given more opportunities in that department in 2022 and responded with 31 grabs.
Jeff Wilson Jr.
Deemed expendable by the 49ers after they acquired RB Christian McCaffrey, Wilson was traded to the Dolphins after Week 8. He performed well, averaging 4.7 yards per carry with Miami and finishing 2022 with a combined 176-860-5 line for both clubs. Despite being five years younger than Mostert, Wilson has more career carries, though he, too, has had issues staying on the field — to that end, 2022 was the first time he appeared in more than 12 games in a season.
Wilson seemed to work slightly ahead of Mostert after he arrived in Miami, though that could’ve been more of the Dolphins trying to save the older pro for the postseason; remember that Miami seemed to be cruising to a playoff berth before quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was hurt and the losses mounted.
De'Von Achane
Achane is the wild card. He has track-star speed, adding yet another blazing-fast option to a team that already has WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He’s undersized at 5-foot-9, 188 pounds, so Miami will likely need to save its bullets with him, but he could end up being more weapon than running back thanks to his reliable hands and route-running acumen. Of course, given the durability red flags associated with Mostert and Wilson, Achane could end up filling a larger role than anticipated.
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Fantasy football outlook
Even without signing Cook, the Dolphins’ running back situation is one of the hardest to get a read on in the entire NFL. The ideal solution probably isn’t too difficult to discern, though, as if everyone stays healthy the team would likely ask Mostert and Wilson to split the carries while sprinkling in Achane as a receiving threat out of the backfield. You’re talking about two players who have struggled to stay out of the trainers room their entire careers, however, and that must be baked in when valuing them.
In addition, it’s important to keep in mind that this was a pass-first group in 2022 — only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (386) ran the ball fewer times than Miami (390). Put all that together, and you’re left without a surefire fantasy starter in the group.
Mostert and Wilson both look like strong RB4s with occasional flex utility, while Achane is an RB4/No. 5 with serious upside to take over one of the starting spots at some point in 2023. All three are risk/reward selections, and the rookie tends to go earlier than the vets.
