Fantasy Alert: Dolphins' Jeff Wilson Jr. on IR, Out 4 Games; Raheem Mostert New RB1

The Miami Dolphins announced Thursday they placed running back Jeff Wilson Jr. on injured reserve ahead of the 2023 NFL regular season.

As a result, Wilson will miss at least the first four games as he recovers from his undisclosed injury. His absence positions Raheem Mostert as the No. 1 option at running back.

Third-round pick De'Von Achane might be a beneficiary as well, though a shoulder injury disrupted his preseason preparations and raised some questions about his status and usage in Week 1.

Mostert ran for a career-high 891 yards to go along with three touchdowns in 2022. He also hauled in 31 passes for 202 yards.

Wilson, meanwhile, continued to see a healthy amount of touches after his midseason trade to Miami. He had 486 yards from scrimmage across eight games.

From a fantasy perspective, Wilson's IR stint brings a lot more short-term clarity to the backfield. Before, it looked like he and Mostert would shoulder the load to a degree that made neither a valuable contributor.

Now, Mostert might be a fringe flex candidate, especially against a Los Angeles Chargers defense that allowed 145.8 rushing yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry last year.

Achane is an even bigger wild card.

Thanks to his 5'9", 188-pound frame, the first-year ball-carrier is unlikely to be an every-down back in the NFL. But he ran for 2,376 yards over three seasons at Texas A&M, and he's a serious home-run threat.

Achane was already generating some buzz this summer, and stashing him on the bench is an even more advisable approach with Wilson out of action.