In my opinion, the most shocking thing that happened in the 2018 NFL Draft was the Miami Dolphins not drafting a quarterback. Ryan Tannehill is 29 and coming off a knee injury that kept him out the entire 2017 season. Not only that, but Tom Brady is one year closer to retirement and the New York Jets (Sam Darnold) and Buffalo Bills (Josh Allen) both found their potential franchise quarterbacks.
Maybe they loved Josh Rosen, but the Arizona Cardinals traded up to get him one spot before Miami drafted Minkah Fitzpatrick 11th overall. At that point, they could have and maybe should have, traded down and found a spot for them to land Lamar Jackson.
They could have even waited until the 3rd round, like the Steelers did, and drafted Mason Rudolph instead of LB Jerome Baker.
The Dolphins will not be competitive in 2018, but they have the potential to provide fantasy football owners with some nice value pieces should the offense get going, despite trading Jarvis Landry in the offseason.
2018 Fantasy Football Miami Dolphins Preview
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Quarterbacks
Ready to see Tannehill let it fly during Training Camp.#FinsUp pic.twitter.com/eOnGqNpngo
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) July 16, 2018
- Ryan Tannehill
- Brock Osweiler
Jay Cutler was terrible last year, as expected. Tannehill's return is huge for the fantasy value of his running backs and wide receiverss. He has proven capable of throwing for 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. He himself is not worthy as a draft pick in most fantasy formats, but has the ability to create some nice value picks for owners.
Running Backs
"In terms of yards after contact per attempt, Drake looked even better, posting our most efficient season ever recorded (4.29). Indeed, Drake was terrific and Miami’s offensive line was terrible, ranking second-worst in PFF run grade per snap." - @ScottBarrettDFB 🔥Drake 2018BPOY pic.twitter.com/OZJDvrM3IW
— Anthony Frascone (@ProFootballBruh) July 10, 2018
- Kenyan Drake
- Frank Gore
- Kalen Ballage
After the Dolphins traded Jay Ajayi to the Eagles at the end of October, Drake had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games at home and three more games with 75+ yards. He rushed for three touchdowns and added a receiving touchdown as well.
The addition of Frank Gore will probably keep Drake from seeing 20+ carries on a weekly basis. His acquisition alone sent the signal that the Dolphins are keeping this backfield fluid. Gore's standalone value, as with every season in his twilight, can turn into something absolutely absurd in one direction or the other.
Kalen Ballage, the fresh face in the backfield from Arizona State, will likely have the lowest snap counts of the three early on. If you draft Ballage, you're picking green strawberries. As the season goes along however, he should begin compiling enough usage to perhaps eventually become a spec waiver grab for those with reliable gut instincts. Doesn't hurt anything for a late round scoop I suppose, but again, you'll need patience. Like all newcomers, all fantasy eyes will train on Ballage during preseason.
Wide Receivers
#Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson celebrates his 26th birthday today!
Wilson led all WRs with 10.9 yards after the catch per reception on targets at or behind the LOS while generating a 133.3 passer rating on such plays (also league-best)https://t.co/ymJfqahDro pic.twitter.com/6MWj0uT4tb
— PFF MIA Dolphins (@PFF_Dolphins) July 12, 2018
- DaVante Parker
- Kenny Stills
- Danny Amendola
- Albert Wilson
DaVante Parker is the clear WR1 on the depth chart, despite catching just one touchdown in 2017. He battled an ankle injury last year, which caused him to miss a few games. This is going to be his first season where he could/should lead the team in targets and this could be a breakout season for him.
Kenny Stills is the deep threat, with an average depth of target greater than 15 yards over the last three seasons. He is not a great PPR option but does play a role in fantasy football, as a home run hitter.
With Jarvis Landry gone, Amendola and Wilson should fill in some version of his role. Landry was excellent as his job, and there is no guarantee that either receiver will be able to accumulate the targets necessary to turn into a PPR machine. However, as seen in the tweet above, if Wilson does see enough targets, he is dangerous in the open field when catching the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Tight Ends
How's this for athleticism? You could argue that Mike Gesicki had a more impressive #NFL Combine than Saquon Barkley. pic.twitter.com/pDJNniRBuB
— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) April 27, 2018
- Mike Gesicki
I wrote a separate blog post, explaining why I drafted Mike Gesicki with my first pick in a dynasty rookie draft.
"Gesicki is the record holder for career receptions by a TE at Penn State, with 129 receptions for 1,481 yards and 15 touchdowns. At 6’6, he could be Tannehill’s favorite Red Zone target this season, as teams focus on defending DaVante Parker."
Final Verdict
Can the Miami Dolphins move the football without Jarvis Landry? We will find out. With all of those targets available, some fantasy owner in every league is going to get a huge return out of one of the Dolphins receiver, but which one?
Visit the F6P Fantasy Football Draft Kit Page for more advice to prepare for the 2018 season.
Team Previews
| AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | Bengals | Colts | Broncos |
| Dolphins | Browns | Jaguars | Chargers |
| Jets | Ravens | Texans | Chiefs |
| Patriots | Steelers | Titans | Raiders |
| NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | Bears | Buccann ers | 49ers |
| Giants | Packers | Panthers | Rams |
| Redskins | Vikings | Saints | Seahawks |
| Eagles | Lions | Falcons | Cardinals |
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