Aaron Breeding
#Fantasy Feud: Things are bleak in Miami
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So far, the Fantasy Feud preseason tour has taken us to Jacksonville, and Tampa. Now, to the glistening, white sands of South Beach. Where the fantasy prospects are … not as glistening.
When doing research, Google recommended “Miami Dolphins Fanny Packs” over “Miami Dolphins Fantasy Prospects.” Take that for what it’s worth.
Last season the Miami Dolphins lacked any true fantasy star, not having a single player rank within the top 10 of their position. Things are bleak in Miami and if you’re depending on one of their players to make a consistent contribution to your team then your team may not be salvageable. I’d take your league-fee and put it towards one of those fanny packs if I were you. If you find yourself looking for depth late in your draft or have the luxury of taking the chance on a player, then Miami may have what you’re looking for.
Kenyan Drake — Be Vigilant
Running back and kick returner Kenyan Drake looks like the early favorite to be the Dolphins’ starting running back to start the season and his versatility makes him appealing, but don’t reach for him. After three full NFL seasons Drake has been consistently mediocre. He has never finished a season averaging double digit fantasy PPG and hasn’t been able to surpass double digit touchdowns either.
Last season most fantasy players lost hope in Drake when he couldn’t even beat out Frank Gore for consistent first team reps. His numbers weren’t very impressive either, on par with his previous two seasons. Drake failed to produce a 100-yard rushing or receiving performance last season and his fantasy numbers were all over the board. In a particularly impressive stretch, week 3 against a mediocre Oakland Raiders’ defense he produced a jaw dropping 1 fantasy point and followed it up the following week with a phenomenal 1.6 pts.
It wasn’t all that bad though, Kenyan was able to put up two 20+ point performances and managed to score double digit points in 6 of his 7 games started. Unfortunately, these kinds of inconsistent results are all I think Drake can offer. With young RB’s on the depth chart behind him the rebuilding Dolphins may opt to play the hot foot at running back. Pro tip: keep an eye out for Kalen Ballage.
Most fantasy projections have Drake going in the 5th round in fantasy drafts. I’m here to tell you that is too early. By the 5th round you should have already secured your two RB slots and it will be too early to pick a flex player or bench option. I would only draft Drake as either of those two options. He could be the flex player that makes the difference the week he’s in your lineup or he could lay 1.6 pts again and sink your team.
I’d look to avoid Kenyan unless he’s available late in the 8th or early 9th round. Look for other options like Derrius Guice, Chris Carson, or rookie Miles Sanders as RBs with higher ceilings and similar floors as Drake.
Preston Williams — Dynasty Radar Player
For anyone that competes in a dynasty fantasy football league they know it’s all about finding that next diamond in the rough. Preston Williams has a chance to be that player. Preston Williams was a UDFA coming out of Colorado State and could end up being a steal. At 6’4 210 lbs. Williams certainly has the physical attributes you would look for in a starting wide receiver. Williams fell out of the draft mainly because of off the field issues.
Coming out of high school Preston was a 5-star recruit that committed to Tennessee. He was eventually dismissed from Tennessee after some failed drug tests. He also did not receive an invite to the combine because of aforementioned issues. It’s safe to say Williams has been his own worst enemy.
His college career never lived up to that five-star hype he had coming out of high school, but he did impress in his lone year of college playing time. After transferring to Colorado State, he racked up a 96 catch, 1,345 yard and 14 TD stat line. Highlighted by a 9 catch 101-yard performance against the Florida Gators, who ranked 13th in total passing yards allowed last season.
That is the production the Dolphins will be hoping for this season. All the early reports out of training camp say that Williams is impressing. He’ll be given the opportunity to play and hopefully make the roster during preseason. Given the Dolphins are rebuilding it’s not out of the question that he makes the final cut. He could even emerge as WR1 for the ‘Phins.
Josh Rosen — Here Comes the Rooster
“Ain’t found a way to kill me yet” are the opening lyrics to an Alice In Chains song called “The Rooster”.
Those lyrics could sum up the long-necked Quarterbacks rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals. In many ways last season, the Arizona Cardinals did everything but protect Rosen from being killed by opposing defenses. He was sacked 45 times, ranking 7th most among QBs in 2018.
Rosen gets a bad rep for his rookie season, for reasons unknown. Teams and fans expect instant production from QBs that are barely entering adulthood. The truth is Rosen’s rookie season was underwhelming but I don’t believe he’s solely to blame. The offense underwhelmed in 2018. Lack of protection from the offense line, an underwhelming performance from his receiving corps, and an absent run game didn’t help Rosen last season.
On top of ineptitude offensively, the Cardinals gave up on him after one season after sending him to the Dolphins during the 2019 draft. Maybe this second chance in Miami is exactly what Josh Rosen needs.. It’s understandable for Miami fans to be skeptical about this new addition to the QB room, and looking at statistics won’t do anything to ease their skepticism.
There is reason to get excited though. If you watch highlights from Rosen’s performance against the San Francisco 49ers last season, you’ll see glimpses of just why he was such a highly touted prospect coming out of college. Standing tall in the pocket making accurate throws and taking full control of the offense in the last two minutes of the game, eventually leading the Cardinals to a win by throwing a TD pass in the final seconds.
Last year Rosen lacked any true fantasy relevance. It was a rookie year to forget, but a fresh start in South Beach could bring the quick revival Rosen needs. At best, Josh “The Rooster” Rosen is a good dynasty stash with the potential to be a bye week fill in this season. If all things pan out, Miami could have found their franchise QB in a very unconventional way. When you see him walk onto the field this season, queue the music: “Yeah, here comes the Rooster, you know he ain’t gonna die!”
Fantasy Feud utilizes FantasyPros for ADP data, and ESPN for statistics regarding team and player performance.
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