Daily Dr. Roto — October 25, 2018
Week 8 Thursday Night Football Preview
Quarterbacks
Deshaun Watson — Watson should be in a great position to make a few big plays as Miami’s run defense has been so bad that I am sure the Texans will pound the ball as much as possible to set up the play action pass for Watson to take advantage. Look for Watson to have about 240 yards and two TDs in this game with a possibility of a rushing TD.
Brock Osweiler — Under no circumstances can I endorse you starting Brock on the road against his old team. I know I am a sucker for the revenge narrative, but that just won’t cut it this week.
Running Backs
Lamar Miller — The Dolphins run defense has been one of the worst in the league, and Bill O’Brien will take full advantage of this on Thursday night. Watson has not been at full strength with a chest issue, so I expect the Texans to pound the ball to Miller about 18-22 times. Miller should have 100+ total yards from scrimmage easily in this contest.
Alfred Blue — Blue could see the field if Miller gets too much work and they are afraid of running him into the ground. The Texans like to keep Miller’s touches in the 20-25 range including receptions, so if they are winning look for Blue to get a bunch of fourth-quarter carries.
Kenyan Drake — The Texans have let up only one rushing TD on the season, so I doubt that Drake will have a big game on the ground. However, with all the injuries the Dolphins have at receiver, and the fact that the Texans pass rush will be coming all game, I can see Drake getting about seven or eight catches. He is certainly someone I would start in PPR formats.
Frank Gore — I don’t see a pathway for Gore to have a big game here, but he is the Dolphins goal line back, and if you are in a standard league he might be worth playing if you are desperate.
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins — The Dolphins have been very inconsistent in covering top wide receivers. On occasion, CB Xavien Howard looks like one of the premier cornerbacks in the league, and then at other times he gets beat on bad plays. Keke Coutee is out with an injury, so there is no doubt that Hopkins will be busy. I expect him to have about ten targets and eight receptions for over 100 yards.
Will Fuller — The biggest beneficiary of Coutee’s injury is Will Fuller. Fuller has practically disappeared from the offense with Coutee in the lineup, so I expect him to have a massive game on Thursday night. Bobby McCain and the other Dolphin CBs cannot match Fuller’s speed, and I think that Miller’s constant pounding of the football will set up the play action pass deep for Fuller to make a few big plays. He is my top start in this game as he is due to bust out.
Danny Amendola — With Stills out for the game and Wilson out for the season (and Parker in Gase’s doghouse), Amendola has become the de facto WR1 for Miami. I think he is in an excellent position to succeed on Thursday and I expect that Brock will throw him a ton of short passes over the middle. My biggest concern with Amendola is always his propensity for injuries, but if he can stay on the field on Thursday, he should be prominently featured in the passing game.
DeVante Parker — Parker is back in the lineup now that Stills and Wilson are unavailable, but it’s obvious that Adam Gase has zero confidence in his abilities. Making matters worse is that Parker should see a lot of Johnathan Joseph who is one of the better CBs in the league. I expect Parker to have under 50 yards in this game.
Jakeem Grant — Grant is hard to rely on, but he is the Dolphins gadget receiver. Miami will need to resort to trickery to keep the Texans defense on their toes, so I would expect Grant to play a part in the offensive scheme especially early in the game.
Tight Ends
None worth a start.
Defense
Houston — The Texans defense is in a terrific spot this week. They get to play a home game against a QB they know well from his days as their former starter. Expect Watt and Clowney to sack Osweiler at least five times and for the secondary to get a pick or two.
