The fantasy football landscape shifts each week, bringing fresh opportunities and unexpected challenges that separate the prepared from the pretenders. Savvy managers know that last week’s performance tells only part of the story, and diving deeper into the underlying metrics reveals the accurate picture.
This week presents some intriguing decisions. Here’s insight about key Miami Dolphins players heading into their matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers to help you craft a winning lineup.
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Tua Tagovailoa, QB
“Game manager” gets mentioned in a negative light, but if it’s keeping you in those goofy “in the hunt” playoff graphics, who in the building is going to complain?
The ‘Fins have won four straight, and Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t cleared 15 completions or 23 attempts in any of them. It doesn’t sound like the De’Von Achane (ribs) injury is anything to fear, and I’m not the least bit scared of the Steelers scoring at such a level that Miami is pressed into an aggressive scheme.
The Dolphins don’t want Tagovailoa to dictate outcomes and I don’t think he’ll be asked to do so this week.
De’Von Achane, RB
Reports out of Miami suggest that De’Von Achane wanted to return last week, and that’s been backed up thus far, leading me to believe the ribs situation is a thing of the past.
Use that as your weekly reminder that these are built a little differently than we mere mortals are. Three years ago, I took a charge in a basketball game (called a block, but that’s an argument for another day), broke two ribs, and was sidelined for three months. I couldn’t sleep right, and breathing wasn’t exactly comfortable.
Achane gets dinged up and wants to return to the game.
All of that is to say that I’m weak and Achane should be viewed as he is every week: one of the five best in the game with slate-breaking upside every week. The Steelers slowed a predictable Derrick Henry last week, but James Cook and Chase Brown both cleared 18 PPR points against them thanks to the pressure they create, something that I very much expect Achane to replicate in this spot.
He might be in the 1.01 conversation this summer.
MORE: Free Fantasy Start/Sit Lineup Optimizer
Jaylen Wright, RB
Jaylen Wright was pushed into lead duties last week against the Jets after De’Von Achane exited with a rib injury, but all signs point to the star running back at full strength for this game, thus making the second-year backup RB nothing more than roster depth.
It was good to see him comfortable in carrying the mail (24 carries for 107 yards), don’t get me wrong, but remember when Marquise Brown put up Xavier Worthy numbers in the Xavier Worthy role in Week 1?
He benefited from the spot, but it meant nothing in the long term. It’s Wright and Ollie Gordon behind Achane, a role that offers contingent value at best.
Ollie Gordon II, RB
We saw De’Von Achane (ribs) get hurt last week, and the Dolphins showed their hand in terms of backfield rotation.
Jaylen Wright doubled up Ollie Gordon in terms of snaps and cleared 100 rushing yards in the dominating win over the Jets. Gordon punched in a short score, his third of the season, but this was his opportunity to prove himself as the proper handcuff and he was clearly overlooked.
All signs point to Achane being back this week and that’ll render this discussion useless, but Mike McDaniel made it clear who is second in command behind his star and that makes Gordon waiver wire fodder at this point in the fantasy season.
READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 15 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game
Jaylen Waddle, WR
I loved seeing Jaylen Waddle get handed the ball for the first time this season on Sunday (21-yard gain), and he even capped the drive with his sixth touchdown of the season.
He also made a chunk play (24-yard reception) that set up a De’Von Achane touchdown, making good on the 10.9% rise in yards per catch we’ve seen from him this season.
Waddle has seen at least 30% of Miami’s targets during every game of this win streak. While the volume of the offense as a whole can be low (by design), he’s cemented himself as the only consistent target earner and that should have him locked into your lineup this week against a Steelers defense that just gave up 20.6 PPR points to Zay Flowers, the fourth time in a six week stretch in which an opposing WR hit 20 points against them.