Player Outlooks
Jarquez Hunter to Miami: Is He Actually De'Von Achane's Handcuff?
Jarquez Hunter's preseason production and trade to Miami are interesting, but the Dolphins still have too much backfield uncertainty to call him De'Von Achane's true handcuff.
Miami's trade for Jarquez Hunter immediately created the obvious fantasy question:
Is he now the back we should roster behind De'Von Achane?
My answer right now is no — not as a true handcuff.
Hunter is interesting. The Dolphins clearly wanted him enough to send Tutu Atwell back to Los Angeles in the deal. He also played well this preseason.
But a handcuff is not simply any backup running back on the same roster. I want a handcuff to have a realistic path to inheriting a predictable chunk of the starter's workload.
Miami has not given us enough evidence to say Hunter has that role.
Why Hunter Is Getting Attention
Hunter's preseason numbers deserve credit.
In two games for the Rams, he rushed 21 times for 103 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He produced 35 yards on nine carries against Kansas City and then 68 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries against New Orleans.
That was a much better summer than his rookie regular season.
Hunter was a fourth-round pick in 2025, but he barely saw the field offensively for Los Angeles. He appeared in five games and was used primarily on special teams while Kyren Williams and Blake Corum controlled the backfield.
So the Miami trade gives him something he did not have with the Rams: a reset.
That makes him worth tracking.
It does not automatically make him Achane's direct backup.
Miami Still Has Multiple Backs Behind Achane
The Dolphins' backfield already includes Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon behind Achane.
That is the problem with immediately labeling Hunter a handcuff.
There is no confirmed announcement that Hunter has jumped both players and become Miami's clear No. 2 running back. There is also no reason to assume the Dolphins would simply give one player Achane's entire role if Achane missed time.
Those are two very different things.
Achane's fantasy value comes from explosiveness, receiving ability and the possibility of turning limited space into huge plays. Hunter's 2026 preseason production came almost entirely as a runner. He did not catch a pass in those two Rams preseason games.
That does not mean Hunter cannot catch the football. It means we should not assume Miami acquired him to duplicate every part of Achane's workload.
A True Handcuff Needs Role Clarity
This is where fantasy managers can waste bench spots.
A player gets traded, the depth chart graphic gets updated, and suddenly everyone starts calling the new backup a handcuff.
But there are several possible outcomes if Achane were unavailable:
- Wright could handle more of the speed and perimeter work.
- Gordon could take a larger early-down or power role.
- Hunter could earn carries.
- Miami could divide the workload among all three.
Until the Dolphins show us which of those outcomes is most likely, drafting Hunter specifically as Achane insurance is more assumption than analysis.
I would rather admit the backfield is unresolved than pretend one preseason stat line settled it.
Hunter Still Has Standalone Appeal in Deep Leagues
There is a difference between saying Hunter is not a true handcuff and saying Hunter has no fantasy value.
He absolutely has deep-league appeal.
The Rams drafted him in the fourth round in 2025. He has a strong college production profile from Auburn, and his 2026 preseason rushing tape was good enough to keep him on the fantasy radar.
Miami trading for him instead of waiting for roster cuts is also meaningful. Teams do not surrender an asset for a player they have zero plans for.
But the price has to match the uncertainty.
In a deep league with a long bench, Hunter is the type of running back I am willing to stash because one strong Week 1 usage signal could change his value quickly.
In a normal 10- or 12-team redraft league, I do not want to use an important bench spot pretending I already know the answer.
Full-PPR Matters Here
The lack of a confirmed receiving role is especially important in full PPR.
A back can become useful quickly with 10 to 12 carries if he also catches three or four passes. It is much harder to create a reliable weekly floor when the fantasy profile is based almost entirely on rushing attempts.
Achane is valuable partly because he can create points in multiple ways.
Hunter has not yet shown us that Miami plans to use him that way.
That is why I view him as a backfield bet, not a direct Achane replacement.
My Fantasy Read
I don't think Jarquez Hunter is a true De'Von Achane handcuff yet.
I like the talent enough to stash him in deep leagues, and the trade makes him more interesting than he was buried in Los Angeles.
But Miami still has Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon in the room, and there is no confirmed No. 2 role behind Achane.
In standard-size redraft leagues, I am waiting for actual regular-season usage before treating Hunter like mandatory Achane insurance.