De'Von Achane, 5 NFL Players Who Will Define Fantasy Football Championship Races

The 2023 fantasy football season is rapidly barreling towards its conclusion. The playoff bracket is beginning to crystallize in many leagues, with championship favorites and contenders having already separated themselves from the pack of postseason hopefuls and those already looking forward to 2024.

The campaign is far from over, however, and there's a few players set to shake things up over the final few weeks of the regular season and during the playoffs. There are some immense talents who have been limited or sidelined due to injury who are set to return soon. Managers who have kept a roster spot available for these players could soon be rewarded for their patience with some week-winning performances.

Shrewd managers could also capitalize on these types of situations, trading for players who desperate rivals who can't afford to wait on any longer. These buy low candidates could wind up defining the fantasy football championship race next month. With that in mind, here are the five players to keep tabs on and try to get on your roster if they aren't already.

Fantasy point and ranking information courtesy of FantasyPros.com PPR data.

The Los Angeles Rams have struggled with injury and inconsistency for much of the 2023 season. Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford has been a microcosm of these issues, missing a game with a thumb injury and suffering from up-and-down performances when is on the field. While he hasn't missed nearly as much time this year as he did in 2022—he was shut down after just eight contests—he clearly isn't healthy or playing up to his Pro Bowl abilities.

That could change down the stretch if Stafford gets back to full strength following a short layoff. After exiting Week 8's loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the 35-year-old missed L.A.'s Week 9 clash with the Green Bay Packers. According to NFL.com's Coral Smith, Stafford is expected to return to the lineup this coming Sunday after healing up over the club's much-needed Week 10 bye.

Fantasy managers should deploy Stafford with confidence in this juicy matchup against one of the league's more suspect passing defenses. Seattle has given up 238.3 yards per game through the air on average and just let Washington Commanders signal-caller Sam Howell go off for 312 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions this past weekend. Expect Stafford to quickly shake off any rust while facing facing Seattle's secondary on his way to having one of his best fantasy days of the campaign.

Acquiring Stafford now will set managers up well for the playoffs. The passer has arguably the best slate of matchups out of any quarterback down the stretch. The Rams play the Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants between Weeks 15 and 17, weeks that coincide with the postseason in most formats.

After setting the league on fire during a magical three-game run between Weeks 3 and 5, De'Von Achane has unfortunately been sidelined with a "strain-type" knee ailment and missed the Miami Dolphins' last four games.

Despite not even seeing the field in the opener, logging just one tote in Week 2 and missing four consecutive contests, Achane still ranks No. 25 in the league in rushing yardage—he tallied up 460 yards on a mere 38 carries—and his five rushing scores are tied for the 11th-most. He proved to be a major threat in the passing game as well, reeling in nine receptions for 67 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The 22-year-old had three consecutive top-five finishes before landing on the IR. Fortunately for his managers, Achane could add to that streak upon his return to the lineup in the near future.

According to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, Achane returned to practice on Monday after the 'Phins opened a 21-day activation window. Head coach Mike McDaniel said that the team "erred on the side of caution" with how long the back was held out for, but Miami should be anxious to return Achane to the field.

With an offense that was putting up historic numbers earlier in the year fizzling out and the squad losing two of its last three games, this unit direly needs the type of spark a dynamic talent like Achane can provide in spades.

Fantasy managers likely need Achane back in their lineups as well. His return couldn't come at a more opportune time, as it gives teams fighting for a playoff spot a real chance to go on a run. With soft matchups against the likes of the New York Jets (twice), Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans on tap, Achane should burst back onto the scene and pick up right where he left off.

The Chicago Bears may not be living up to the offseason hype, but there are still some useful fantasy football talents littered amongst this undermanned roster. Khalil Herbert could be one of them, even if his start to the campaign was rather disappointing.

Although he opened the year as Chicago's first-string running back, he failed to post a top-25 finish in four of the first five weeks. He did have one quality showing in Week 4, however, going off for 103 yards on 18 carries and adding 19 yards and a touchdown on four receptions—good for a No. 8 finish at his position. Herbert wasn't able to build on that showing, however, as he suffered a high-ankle sprain while facing the Washington Commanders the following week.

Herbert has been stuck on injured reserve since then, but he appears to be on track for a return to the lineup in Week 11. The back got some full practices in leading up to the team's Thursday Night Football appearance in Week 10, but was ultimately held out during the short week. As long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks, it would be surprising if he's not a go when the team visits the rival Detroit Lions.

Despite their poor 3-7 record and meager 20.4 points per game average, Chicago has managed to move the ball on the ground rather well this year. The squad ranks No. 5 in that category with a 135.1 yards per game average. D'Onta Foreman, who was a healthy scratch most weeks prior to Herbert's injury, led the backfield with 80 yards and a score on 21 totes last week. Although it was a decent showing, he'll likely take a backseat to Herbert when the starter is back in the fold.

Fantasy managers that have exercised patience with Herbert will eventually be rewarded. With matchups against the lowly Arizona Cardinals and middling Atlanta Falcons that will coincide with the final two rounds of the fantasy playoffs, Herbert will have been well worth keeping around as a potential RB2.

One of the bigger surprises at the start of the 2023 campaign was Kyren Williams' emergence as the Los Angeles Rams' feature back. Despite coming out of training camp as the No. 2 option behind incumbent starter Cam Akers, Williams quickly took over the backfield and led L.A. to deal Akers away,

While Williams responded with a flurry of quality outings—he had four top-10 finishes in the first six weeks—he's been on ice since Week 7 while rehabbing a high-ankle sprain. The team placed him on injured reserve, a move that keeps him out until Week 12 at the earliest.

According to Rams reporter Stu Jackson, head coach Sean McVay stated last week that he expects the second-year running back to return as soon as he's eligible to come off IR. That indicates Willliams will be available to face the Arizona Cardinals in two weeks, a perfect matchup to get back up to speed in.

Williams dominated Arizona earlier this year, putting up a career-best 158 yards plus a score on 20 totes. Considering the hapless Cardinals front has been conceding 134.2 yards per game on the ground—the fifth-worst mark in the league—he should have little issue repeating that type of performance.

Williams was averaging nearly 20 carries and over 100 yards per game on the ground in the three most recent games he participated in prior to spraining his ankle. The Rams haven't had a rusher eclipse the 70-yard mark since, so it's safe to say L.A. will be happy to get Williams back into the mix and will likely give him as many touches as he can handle.

Fantasy managers should feel confident deploying Williams as a plug-and-play RB2 upon his return. Los Angeles also gets to go up against a slew of weak defenses (the Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants) during the fantasy postseason, making Williams one of the best running backs to have on your roster down the stretch.

Justin Jefferson began the fantasy football season as the No. 1 overall pick in many leagues, but the Minnesota Vikings superstar receiver hasn't quite managed to live up to that lofty billing. While he did post three top-10 finishes in his first four starts, he never placed in the top-four at his position and was placed on IR shortly after suffering a hamstring injury during a disappointing Week 5 outing.

The 24-year-old was hoping to avoid a lengthy shutdown—going as far as seeking multiple opinions on how to best proceed with his recovery—but still hasn't got back into the lineup heading into Week 11. The Vikings have managed to turn around what looked to be a lost season during his absence, shaking off a 1-4 start to go on one of the more improbable five-game winning streaks the league has seen.

Jefferson will rejoin a team that suddenly has serious playoff aspirations despite losing starting quarterback Kirk Cousins and employing a replacement in Josh Dobbs who was only acquired at the trade deadline. The wideout will have to establish rapport with his new signal-caller, but it shouldn't be difficult for the battery to get in sync. Dobbs has gelled rapidly with his other pass-catchers, notably linking up with tight end T.J. Hockenson 11 times for 134 yards and score this past weekend.

Fantasy managers who expended a top pick to acquire Jefferson may not have fared as well as Minnesota has during the wideout's IR stint, but his impending return could still salvage the season. According to Ellis Williams of the team's official website, head coach Kevin O'Connell said the team will be "smart" about getting him back in action, but did activate his 21-day window to return and had him practice for the first time since the start of October.

With Jefferson guaranteed to be back in time for the fantasy playoffs, managers who manage to scrap their way into the field will be getting a massive boost to their championship odds. He'll get to square off against the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers during those postseason weeks, some of the more beatable secondaries the league has to offer.