Well, that was fast. De’Von Achane tore his ACL in the first quarter of the Week 3, ending his 2026 season. If you spent a first- or second-round pick on him, take a moment. Pour one out. Achane wasn’t exactly paying off that lofty ADP, but watching a top pick go down this early still stings.
But the waiver wire waits for no one. With the Dolphins’ backfield suddenly up for grabs, the big question for the Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire is whether to chase Ollie Gordon or Jaylen Wright, or sit this one out completely.
One is the popular pick, the other is the sneakier play, and neither comes without risk. Here’s how I’d spend my FAAB, whether you’re in a deep league staring at a gaping hole in your lineup or a shallow one just looking for insurance.
OLLIE GORDON FANTASY OUTLOOK: THE CASE FOR OLLIE
Once Achane left the game, Gordon was the only Dolphins RB to get a carry. The efficiency wasn’t pretty: 17 carries for 41 yards (2.4 YPC). But he scored a touchdown, added 3 catches for 14 yards, and piled up 14.6 expected fantasy points, per FantasyLife.
The volume is the story. Gordon is a second-year back with an eye-catching college résumé. He declared early out of Oklahoma State, where he put up huge numbers in Stillwater, including a monster sophomore season that made him one of the most productive backs in the country.
However, he took a step back in his final year of college and fell to the sixth round of the draft. Gordon is a large human, checking in at 6’2″ and 225 lbs, making him a plodding back who can cash in at the goal line.
Wright was inactive with a foot injury, so we haven’t seen a true split yet. That makes Gordon the only Miami back with proven Week 3 volume, and the offense isn’t good enough for me to love it. Still, if you’re RB-needy and league-mates are bidding on the last man standing, Gordon is the safe-ish floor play due to his expected role.
JAYLEN WRIGHT FANTASY OUTLOOK: THE (W)RIGHT DECISION?
While everyone else in your league is fighting over Gordon, this is where I’d get a little sneaky. Wright missed Week 3 with a minor foot injury and a stinger, but once he’s healthy, I fully expect him to be the lead back in Miami.
Start with the depth chart. When healthy, Wright held the RB2 job over Gordon last season and throughout training camp, and he’s listed there on the Dolphins’ official unofficial depth chart. Then look at early-season usage: before Wright got hurt in Week 2, he had three carries to Gordon’s zero, and neither back saw a target. It’s a tiny sample, sure, but it points in one direction.
Gordon’s big Week 3 doesn’t change that for me. Seventeen carries at 2.4 yards a pop is a lot of volume for not much return, and it’s hardly a “hand him the keys” situation. Wright, meanwhile, is the far more explosive runner of the two, and that athletic gap is a big reason I like his path back to the top of the pecking order.
I project at least a 60/40 split in Wright’s favor. He should handle most of the passing-down work, while Gordon vultures goal-line carries. Given how many negative game scripts this Miami offense is likely to face, I think the real fantasy value lies in that passing-down role.
Bottom line: Wright is the better bet, and he’ll cost you a lot less than Gordon. Stash him now, before your league-mates realize he exists.
VERDICT: OLLIE GORDON OR JAYLEN WRIGHT?
Here’s the tension: fantasy managers are about to overpay for Gordon because of one game with Achane’s carries and nobody else in the room. That’s a trap, and Miami’s offense is the reason.
The Miami Dolphins are one of the league’s more putrid offenses and just lost their best player for the season. Expect plenty of negative game scripts and few touchdown chances, and neither back is close to Achane’s talent. Achane also had this backfield largely to himself and didn’t do much with his immense opportunity. Wright and Gordon will probably split touches, and each one caps the other’s ceiling.
So here’s how I’d play it:
- Best value: Jaylen Wright. He’s the more athletic back with the better path to the lead role, and he’ll cost you less than Ollie Gordon.
- Overpay alert: Don’t blow the bank on Gordon. A modest bid is fine if you need bodies, but this isn’t a “blow your FAAB!” situation.
- The contrarian option: You can make a real case that neither is worth adding. If you’re in a shallow league, skip this backfield entirely.
If you’re desperate, it’s Wright for me, or I pass. Btw, keep tabs on The Wolf’s Rest of Season Rankings and Week 4 Rankings to see how he projects the Dolphins’ RB room to play out.
