Salvon Ahmed's Dolphins Fantasy Outlook After Breakout Game vs. Chargers

Welcome to fantasy football relevance, Salvon Ahmed.

The unheralded running back had seven rushes in his career before Sunday but broke onto the scene in a major way during the Miami Dolphins' 29-21 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. He finished with 21 carries for 85 yards and one touchdown while adding one catch for five yards.

Fantasy players who took a major chance on Ahmed were rewarded in a major way.

Perhaps most importantly, he was essentially the Dolphins' entire rushing attack with Myles Gaskin and Matt Breida sidelined. DeAndre Washington, Patrick Laird and Malcolm Perry were largely nonfactors, as Ahmed saw plenty of work and took full advantage of the opportunity.

The biggest question now is how long he will be a fantasy weapon, but he already earned his head coach's respect during his last game against the Arizona Cardinals.

"I thought he ran well," Brian Flores said, per Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post. "He's got some juice. That was pretty good for his first time out. There is a protection play that stands out for me that I thought could've been better. I don't know if anyone else saw that one."

The speed is what stands out for Ahmed, but he also picked up difficult yardage between the tackles during Sunday's win. That should help him remain a factor in the offense even when Breida returns from a hamstring injury.

Gaskin is on injured reserve, so Ahmed should be considered a RB2 or flex starter until the starter is ready to return. Breida has less of an impact on the undrafted rookie's status moving forward as someone who might not take a huge percentage of his carries, but Gaskin's eventual return will severely limit Ahmed's value.

Until then, though, fantasy players should not hesitate to play Ahmed and take advantage of this increase in playing time.