Dolphins Fantasy Football Preview: Tua Tagovailoa, Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and More
Breaking down the Miami Dolphins best fantasy football players for the upcoming season.
Let’s tackle another NFL team fantasy football preview.
We’ve looked at the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles and now will talk about the Miami Dolphins.
Check back soon for more team previews. Of course, things will change between now and the start of the season, and FantasySP will cover any major changes when those happen.
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Tua Tagovailoa Fantasy Outlook
Tagovailoa had some ups and downs during the 2023 NFL season. He went over 4,000 yards for the first time, but also threw his most interceptions.
It makes sense that a lot of his stats went up, as he played more than 13 games for the first time. In 17 games, Tagovailoa completed 388 of his 560 passes for 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Tua isn’t much of a runner, with just 74 yards on 35 attempts last season. He hasn’t scored on the ground since the 2021 season, and with some of his concussions, I don’t expect him to be a big running threat again anytime soon.
Tagovailoa is being drafted as QB13 and going around pick 104 right now. I see a ton of fantasy value if you can land Tagovailoa around that spot. He’s a really solid fantasy backup quarterback, and has a chance to greatly outperform his ADP if he can stay healthy and cut down on his turnovers.
Tua is a good draft pick to protect a rookie or relatively new starting QB with. He’s got a pretty safe floor, with upside to be a starter more often than not.
Running Back Fantasy Outlooks
The Dolphins made a good backfield better in the offseason by taking Jaylen Wright in the fourth round of the NFL draft. Raheem Mostert is coming off a monster season and should open the season as the team’s top back. De'Von Achane showed flashes of brilliance, but also was injured on and off last season. Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed and Chris Brooks are depth options after the addition of Wright.
Mostert had a career season last year. In 15 games, he rushed for 1,012 yards and 18 touchdowns on 209 attempts. Mostert added 175 yards and three scores on 25 catches and 32 targets.
Achane played in 11 games as a rookie. He rushed for 800 yards and eight scores on 103 attempts, while catching 27 of his 37 targets for 197 yards and three more touchdowns.
Wilson was the next most productive Miami back last season. He rushed for 188 yards and no scores on 41 attempts. Wilson caught 14 of his 17 targets for 85 yards and no touchdowns.
Ahmed played in eight games, rushing for 61 yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts. He had 16 receptions on 23 targets for 88 more yards and another score.
Brooks appeared in nine games last season. He rushed 19 times for 106 yards and no scores. Brooks did not have a target in the passing game.
Wright had a pretty solid three-year college career at Tennessee. He went over 1,000 rushing yards in his final season, and scored 18 times overall.
The hype train is all over Achane this preseason. He’s the top Miami back off draft boards right now - Achane is RB10 and going around pick 20.
Mostert is RB25 and going around pick 74. Wright is another standard league option as RB44 and going around pick 136 so far.
I understand why Achane is a popular pick this season, but that’s just far too early for my liking for a RB that might not even be RB1 for his own team.
On the other hand, Mostert looks like a major draft steal possibility at his current ADP. Sure, he’s now 32 and on a downward trend, but even if he falls off a decent amount from last year’s numbers, he’s going to far outperform what his ADP is known for. I’m all in on Mostert, and wouldn’t mind getting him in the late 60s instead of 70s.
Wright is more of a lottery ticket late in a standard league draft. There’s other players I’d rather have late in drafts, but depending on your roster construction, landing Wright late isn’t the worst idea either. Wright is a better pick in deeper leagues and dynasties, even with Achane around.
The Dolphins like to use all the available bodies in the RB room, but after Mostert, Achane and Wright, I’m thinking that Ahmed, Brooks and Wilson aren’t very likely to accomplish much this season (unless a couple injuries hit). I actually think a couple of them get cut from the team, and could become fantasy assets for another squad. So don’t completely write this trio off, but instead of drafting them this season, look to them as waiver wire options.
Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlooks
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are back to lead the Miami wide receiver room. Odell Beckham Jr. is the likely other starter alongside them. Braxton Berrios, River Cracraft, Erik Ezukanma and rookie Malik Washington are some of the backup options.
Hill is a stud, both in real life and in fantasy football. In 16 games last season, Hill had 119 catches for 1,799 yards and 13 scores on 171 total targets.
Waddle went over 1,000 yards despite only playing in 14 games. He scored four touchdowns and had 72 receptions on 104 targets.
Beckham appeared in 14 games with the Ravens last season. He had 35 catches on 64 targets for 565 yards and three scores.
Ezukanma has only appeared in three games in his first two NFL seasons. He has six total touches for 25 yards.
Berrios played in 16 games in his first season with Miami. He had 27 receptions on 33 targets for 238 yards and a score.
Cracraft had nine catches on 12 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown a season ago. He played in 10 games.
Washington was a sixth-round pick of the team. He had a breakout season with Virginia in his final collegiate season, going for over 1,400 yards and nine scores.
Hill is WR2, going third overall behind Christian McCaffrey and CeeDee Lamb. I like McCaffrey first overall, but am fine with Lamb or Hill at pick two. If forced, I said I’d take Hill because he’s got more history in the league than Lamb.
Waddle is WR17 and going around pick 34. He may be a WR2 on his own team, but is a strong second or third fantasy receiver. Waddle has a safe floor and plenty of upside, making him a pretty safe pick and worth his high ADP.
Every other Miami receiver is off the draft board in standard leagues. Beckham is the closest, but should be looked to as a waiver wire option in standard leagues. He should be drafted in some deeper leagues though.
Every other receiver can probably be avoided in fantasy drafts of all formats. Some might become streamable as the season rolls along, but it’d likely take an injury or two before anyone could make a noticeable difference as a fantasy player.
Tight End Fantasy Outlooks
Tight ends Durham Smythe and Jonnu Smith give the Dolphins a couple more pass-catching options.
Smythe had his most receiving yards of his six-year NFL career in 2023, but it was just 366. He didn’t score, and has only scored three times in six seasons.
Smith had a solid season with Atlanta in 2023, catching 50 of his 70 targets for 582 yards and three scores. He played in 17 games.
Even though Smythe is listed as the starter, I think Smith has the best chance to be a fantasy asset. He’s TE25 and going around pick 202 right now.
That makes Smith a streaming option in standard leagues to start the season, and I think that’s the right assessment. He’s worth a draft pick in deeper leagues and could finish as the team’s No. 3 pass catcher after Hill and Waddle.
Smythe, and the team’s other tight ends, should be avoided in all fantasy leagues. One could become a streaming option in deeper leagues, but I really think Smith is going to be the go-to TE. Focus on another team’s TEs.
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