August 3, 2018 Article, Featured

As a lifelong Dolphins fan I have to say that they have been, frankly, bad for the most part over the last decade. However, year in and year out there are viable fantasy players (and sometimes studs) that emerge on the team. For the last few years Landry has been a reliable fantasy WR2 and you could have done worse than starting Kenny Stills in your FLEX. Kenyan Drake also emerged last year at RB as a major factor. Yet, the off-season hit and the team experienced a TON of changes to the lineup. We’re at the point where training camp battles are happening and there’s important draft-worthy news coming out of camp. So let’s discuss the key player losses and pickups for the Miami Dolphins and how they will affect your fantasy league!

Key Losses

Jarvis Landry (WR)

Huge loss for the team. Arguably the best slot receiver in the league but he would have cost the team too much money for the return on investment with the Dolphins’ current cap space issues. His absence likely boosts the targets that Stills and Parker will get but also negatively affects the offense as a whole. This may force Tannehill to take more shots down the field as well since he’s lost his most reliable safety valve.

Ndamukong Suh (DT)

Huge blow to the defense. Great player but was a lead weight financially for the team and getting up there in years. Dolphins are a straight up fade as a fantasy defense this year but there are some special talents on the team for IDP leagues (especially Reshad Jones). Expect the Dolphins to pass a ton this season in catch-up mode.

Key Additions

Mike Gesicki (TE)

I think this kid will be a STUD. Doing big things in training camp, catching highlight reel TDs left and right in contested situations. He was a 92nd percentile monster at the combine. Not the best blocker but that can be worked on. It’s far from a sure thing but I could see him being a tail-end TE1 this season based on target volume alone if he ends up on top of the depth chart to start the season. Gesicki is going undrafted in most leagues and makes for an interesting last round flyer if you’re weak at the TE position.

Danny Amendola (WR)

Great pickup as a cheaper slot receiver option to replace Landry. Injury prone but already getting a ton of targets in camp and showed up on the Pats last year in the absence of Julian Edelman. Tannehill targeted Landry so much out of the slot in seasons past that he broke reception records. Amendola is a good late-round PPR pickup.

Frank Gore (RB)

Good news for the Dolphins as Gore is a steady presence and good RZ rusher. Bad news for Drake who I am high on overall but will cede some work to Gore.

Kalen Ballage (RB)

Pass catching depth RB that has a WAY outside chance of usurping Drake as the top RB this year. Big body, so he could be used in the RZ similarly to Frank Gore. Worth noting that he has NOT impressed as a runner in camp so far but has wowed the coaches with his pass catching abilities.

Albert Wilson (WR)

Very efficient on a per-touch basis when he was actually targeted in KC. His role isn’t cemented on the team yet and he may end up being a complete non-factor this season.

Minkah Fitzpatrick (DB)

Really helps out the secondary for the team. Extremely talented player coming out of college that is going to be paired with Reshad Jones, forming what could one day be the best safety combo in the league. The Dolphins defensive future is bright, just not this season.

Bonus – Ryan Tannehill (QB)

Ok, so this is cheating a bit but Tannehill returning to the team after his torn ACL last season is a big deal. He may not be an elite QB but he’s a good bet to be better than Jay Cutler and will likely improve the offense around him and keep the defense more fresh.

-By Alex Murphy

We talk about the Miami Dolphins’ fantasy relevant players and much more in our latest podcast episode – The Fantasy Terminators. Check it out here!

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