Hello, Dolphins fans, and welcome to what will soon be a weekly article that will cover all things fantasy during the season. Yes, we will focus mainly on Dolphins players that will help you succeed week in and week out, but we will also discuss top performers and my picks for who could win you the week.
Firstly, I’d like to provide you with a little background on how long I’ve been playing Fantasy Football. I started back in 2010 and have been active in multiple leagues ever since. My first-ever draft resulted in me drafting Brandon Marshall in the 1st round and following up with Chad Henne in the 2nd round. You’re allowed to laugh; my friends still laugh at me to this day. I made the mistake of letting my fan bias get the best of me which resulted in me finishing my first season in last place. The next season, I studied harder, drafted better, and ended up in the championship match, but ultimately finished in 2nd place. Since then, I’ve been in multiple leagues, multiple championship matches and have three titles to my name. Now, let’s get to the good stuff.
Draft Season
Preseason games are here, and by now, you’re probably already mock drafting and making your lists of who you want to target early, who you want to avoid, and your sleepers. I prefer waiting until after preseason to draft for various reasons, but mostly due to injury concerns. However, it’s never too early to start projecting where you want to take your guys. Once you know the draft order for your league, it’s easier to mock, but it’s still beneficial to see where your targets are being drafted and if they’ll be available to you in the rounds you want them. For this article, I will be focusing mainly on snake drafts.
Rounds 1 – 3
The top 3 rounds can make or break your whole team, so you’ll always want to target a player who can single-handedly carry your squad if the rest of your positions underperform. I believe only two players truly fit this mold for the Dolphins: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Last season, Hill and Waddle were the number 2 and 7 wide receivers, respectively. Hill has already stated that he wants to break the 2,000-yard mark this season, and if he does, that will result in a massive amount of fantasy points. Hill posted four games with double-digit receptions, great for PPR (point per reception) leagues, and seven games with over 100 yards receiving, which is great if your league has bonuses. Waddle only had one game with double-digit receptions but posted six games with over 100 yards. Finishing as the 7th best receiver last season easily moves him to wide receiver one territory. As for guys that can take your team to the next level, I believe it starts with these two.
Rounds 4 – 7
These are the rounds where you typically find your solid guys, they won’t get you 20+ points every game, but you will be able to rely on them for at least 12 to 15. Also, this depends on what kind of league you’re in, but rounds 4-7 are usually where I grab my quarterback. That’s why I have Tua Tagovailoa in this section. Tua finished as the 13th-ranked quarterback, thanks in part to 4 games with over 300 yards passing and six games with multiple touchdowns. With Tua seeking to play his first complete season since joining the NFL, he could produce top quarterback numbers and would be a deadly stack if you pair him with either Hill or Waddle on your roster. In these rounds, I also have Raheem Mostert. Mostert will likely be part of a committee in Miami’s offense but still seems to be the number 1 back on the roster. Now would be a good time to grab Mostert if you’ve opted to wait on running backs.
Sleepers/Stashes
Some sleeper candidates I have for the Dolphins include Devon Achane, Braxton Berrios, and Durham Smythe. Achane has already shown flashes of his speed and processing during training camp and could easily find himself a prominent role in this offense. However, I think it’s best to grab him late and hold on to him while you hope for the best. Berrios is very much looking like the lead candidate for the 3rd wide receiver spot, and if Waddle and Hill attract all the defensive attention, look for Berrios to be valuable in 3rd and short or red zone situations. Finally, I have Durham Smythe, who was featured mainly as a blocker last season but could find himself with more targets with the addition of Eric Saubert. I wouldn’t bank on him being a starting tight end for your roster, but perhaps a backup or bye-week filler.
Late Round Snags
When you get to the end of your draft, that’s usually when it’s time to fill out your roster. One spot I encourage you to fill, perhaps earlier than you’d like to, is defense. With Vic Fangio now at the helm, the Dolphins’ defense could find itself as a top 5 unit, which bodes well for fantasy. Sacks, turnovers, and touchdowns will be plenty if Fangio commands this defense, as we all think he will. Regarding other late-round grabs, go ahead and draft Jeff Wilson Jr. as your handcuff if you grabbed Mostert earlier.
There you have it, volume one of Fin-Tasy with Frank; I look forward to sharing more fantasy insight with you throughout the season. If you have any fantasy questions or thoughts, leave a comment under the article, and I’ll try my best to get back to you. Wishing you much success in your fantasy seasons, and as always, Fins Up!
