2025 Miami Dolphins Fantasy Preview
2025 Miami Dolphins Fantasy Preview Despite having the easiest schedule in the NFL in the last 25 years, the Miami Dolphins sputtered to an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs. Now, pressure may be mounting for GM Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel, who must quickly rebuild the trenches on both sides and navigate injury and off-the-field woes. The chief concern for the Dolphins is keeping QB Tua Tagovailoa healthy. Tagovailoa has a well-chronicled concussion history and can ill afford to put himself in a position to take another big hit. Worse, a Dolphins’ offensive line that ranked 20th in pass protection also lost LT Terron Armstead, who retired. Tagovailoa has missed 3-plus games in four of his five seasons and ranked just 16th in fantasy points per game last season. There is too much risk to consider Tagovailoa anything more than an adequate fantasy QB2 with modest week-to-week streaming appeal. A popular breakout pick last summer, RB De’Von Achane stayed healthy and lived up to those lofty expectations. The second-year dynamo ranked 5th in PPR scoring and led all running backs in receptions (78) and touchdown grabs (6). Raheem Mostert departed in free agency, leaving Jaylen Wright and Alexander Mattison as the only competition for touches. Achane should be viewed as an elite fantasy option who will command a second-round price tag in redraft formats. Miami led the league with 401.3 yards of offense per game in 2023 but fell to 20th last year, averaging 75 fewer yards per contest. Injuries played a big part in that, as Jaylen Waddle missed a pair of games and Tyreek Hill battled a wrist injury all season. Now, Hill is rumored to be on the trade block after some bizarre social media posts and on domestic incident clouded his future. A healthy Hill is still one of the most dynamic weapons in football, but he’s a risky WR2 in fantasy. Waddle failed to accrue 100 targets for the first time in his career, resulting in his worst fantasy performance. There’s some rebound potential here, especially if Hill is absent. Waddle is an upside WR3 in PPR formats. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will be a WR3 upgrade over Odell Beckham and Malik Washington, who slides down to this year’s WR4 role. At tight end, Jonnu Smith proved to be a savvy late-round target, finishing as the overall TE4 on a career-high 111 targets. We don’t expect Smith to repeat that production, but the Dolphins will see plenty of fantasy-friendly game scripts and return more-or-less intact. Smith is a solid second-tier TE1 to target in the middle rounds. Fantasy Grade: B- QB Tagovailoa, Tua, MIA [QB1] Tua Tagovailoa’s 2025 fantasy outlook hinges on health and efficiency in Miami’s high-octane offense. In 2024, he posted a league-best 72.9% completion rate, 2,867 yards, 19 TDs, and 7 INTs in 11 starts, with a 2.36-second time-to-throw and 5.1 air yards per attempt, showcasing quick, precise decision-making. However, his injury history—missing six games (concussion, hip)—makes him a high-risk QB2. There are also concerns about Hill’s status on the roster, which increases the risk. Tagovailoa adds little as a runner, which caps his upside. It’s hard to envision a path to top 12 numbers, making him a mid-range QB2. ADVICE: Risky QB2 that may have already peaked. RB Achane, De’Von, MIA [RB1] After a dynamic rookie season, De’Von Achane again was one of the most efficient fantasy options. Despite seeing a middling 59.1 percent opportunity share (24th), Achane finished as the RB6, averaging 17.6 PPR points per game. The main catalyst for that production came via his high-volume role in Miami’s passing attack. Achane was essentially the Dolphins’ WR3. He led all RBs in receptions (78), receiving yards (592), and TD grabs (6). Raheem Mostert is gone, and Miami didn’t add any real competition to reduce Achane’s touches. He looks primed to post another top-5 season in 2025. ADVICE: Elite pass-catching potential keeps Achane in top-5 fantasy territory. RB Mattison, Alexander, MIA [RB2] ADVICE: Mattison has averaged under four yards per carry in four consecutive seasons. He’s not taking carries away from De’Von Achane. He can, however, play in short-yardage or give Achane a breather. Mattison profiles as a middling handcuff in deeper leagues. RB Wright, Jaylen, MIA [RB3] Had his moments as a rookie, but Wright will compete with Alexander Mattison for backup duties. WR Hill, Tyreek, MIA [WR1] Last season, Hill started strong (7/130/1) but struggled midseason (48/571/3), hampered by wrist and foot injuries. He rebounded in Weeks 14 and 17 but ended weakly. His 11.8 yards per catch was a career low. Even in a down season (by his standards), Hill still ranked 16th in targets (122) and caught 81 balls for 959 yards and half a dozen scores. Quarterback woes were the biggest factor in the drop-off, but off-the-field concerns also hold down his potential. At 31, Hill’s 2024 decline ranks him as a mid-tier WR2, with his value tied to Tagovailoa’s health. ADVICE: Boom/Bust WR2 with a massive ceiling. WR Waddle, Jaylen, MIA [WR2] After Tyreek Hill joined Miami, Jaylen Waddle’s explosiveness grew, though his 2022 targets dropped to 117 from 141. He recorded 75 catches for 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 18.1 yards per catch. In 2023, injuries limited him to 14 games, with 72 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns, his lowest marks in three years. Last season, Waddle’s yards per catch fell to 12.8, with 58 catches and two touchdowns, underperforming in 10 of 15 starts. His best games (5/109, 8/144/1, 9/99) were at home. As a mid-tier WR3, Waddle’s high ceiling offers value in 2025 drafts. ADVICE: Declining output makes him a solid value, dependent on his QB staying healthy. WR Westbrook-Ikhine, Nick, MIA [WR3] Don’t overreact to last season’s gaudy TD numbers. NWI won’t get many targets as Miami’s WR3. WR Washington, Malik, MIA [WR4] Mike McDaniel tends not to incorporate his ancillary receivers into the weekly game plan often. Washington had some early offseason hype, but
🦃 Thursday Football Preview: Week 13 🦃
Thursday Football Preview: Week 13 Happy Thanksgiving! It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season. The holiday slates are always wonderful, with a day filled with family, food, and football! FullTime Fantasy’s Thursday Football
How will Thursday’s Thanksgiving games go?
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Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 2
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 2 After a sluggish Week 1, this week’s AFC East showdown has some potential. The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins are loaded with fantasy football talent. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 2
After a sluggish Week 1, this week’s AFC East showdown has some potential. The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins are loaded with fantasy football talent. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 2 looks at all the fantasy-relevant players to forecast the game.
Miami predictable moved the ball at will against Jacksonville. However, the Dolphins were held to 20 points. Now, there are health concerns and a formidable opponent to deal with on short rest.
Meanwhile, the Bills overcame a two-score early deficit to beat the Cardinals at home. Only six teams allowed more yards per carry in Week 1 than the Bills. That’s potentially troublesome against a Miami offense that leads the league in passing and has an imposing backfield. However, the Dolphins are short-handed with Raheem Mostert.
This game opened with Buffalo being half-point road favorites. However, the line has flipped. Miami is now favored by two. The total also dipped from 51.5 to 49 points.
Matchup
| TEAM | OFFENSE | PASS | RUSH | YDS/PLAY | POINTS |
| Buffalo Bills | 12 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 4 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 18 |
Buffalo Offense
After one week, Josh Allen finds himself in his usual spot as the leading fantasy signal caller. The volume wasn’t there but Allen…
How will Thursday’s Bills vs. Dolphins game go?
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Saturday Playoff Preview
The opening round of the 2023 NFL playoffs are all set. The FullTime Fantasy Saturday Playoff Preview looks at both the Browns vs. Texans and Dolphins vs. Chiefs games from a fantasy and sports betting perspective. Using our RDA* projections, we can break down each game to find the statistical edge that can give us a leg up in playoff fantasy and daily fantasy lineups. Also, we can determine the best bets to make. Before you place those winning bets, our partner Edge Boost can help you double your entries and payouts! Click below to increase your winnings today. Cleveland Browns (11-6) at Houston Texans (10-7) Time: 4:30 Eastern Line: Cleveland -2.5 Total: 44.5 Money Line: Browns -145, Texans +125 Cleveland Offense Back in Week, the Browns went into NRG Stadium and throttled the Texans 36-22. The game wasn’t even that close as Houston piled on 15 garbage-time points. In that game, Joe Flacco completed 27-of-42 for 368 yards and three scores. Flacco’s 22.8 fantasy points in that game were the second-most allowed by a much-improved Houston defense all season. In the rematch, Houston’s pass rush will be healthier. Additionally, the Texans will have more success moving the ball than they did with Davis Mills under center. Also, Flacco’s penchant for turnovers could make the difference in a close game. View Flacco as a solid start this week. However, the floor makes him a riskier play than the other three signal-callers suiting up Saturday. Houston’s run defense also made big strides in 2023. Jerome Ford was held to 25 yards on 15 totes in Week 16. Ford salvaged his day with a touchdown but was otherwise ineffective. Our RDA* projections call for Ford to get 16 touches, generate about 65 yards of offense, and is about a 50/50 bet to find the end zone. Kareem Hunt (groin) returned to practice Wednesday. Hunt won’t see as many touches as Ford in this game. However, Hunt is the preferred option in short-yardage. This week, he’ll be a TD-or-Bust option. That gives him some DFS appeal. Amari Cooper set a franchise record with 265 yards three weeks ago versus the Texans. However, Houston played without Will Anderson and Jonathan Greenard in that game, which led to no pass rush. Cooper won’t have a repeat of his gaudy Week 16 figures, but he still comes in as a top-5 fantasy wideout per our RDA* projections. Elijah Moore didn’t do much in the previous game and is still questionable with a concussion. Cedric Tillman has also been ruled out, leaving David Bell as an interesting flier. The Texans allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2023. David Njoku caught six passes including a TD in the previous matchup. He’s our No. 2 tight end for the slate. Houston Offense It’s best to ignore the previous game from the Texans’ perspective. At least on offense. Houston didn’t accomplish much with Davis Mills and Case Keenum under center. However, with the return of C.J. Stroud, the Texans’ offense should be far more effective. After missing two games with a head injury, Stroud returned in the season finale to post solid, but unspectacular numbers. Stroud has been one of the best QBs in football at home. However, facing the NFL’s No. 1 defense will be problematic. If Stroud can continue his stellar play at NRG, the Texans have a good shot. Devin Singletary has taken over as the club’s feature back. Cleveland is far better against the pass than run, so expect Houston to make Singletary a big part of the game plan. Our RDA* projections have Singletary approaching 80 scrimmage yards. However, he is less likely to find to hit pay dirt. Cleveland ranked 4th in the league in limiting fantasy points to opposing wideouts. Nico Collins is Houston’s undisputed top wide receiver. But the Browns limited Collins to 18 yards on four receptions. Collins did score in that game to somewhat salvage his day. But our RDA* projections predict another modest outing. Robert Woods will return in this game and is likely to be Houston’s No. 3 with Noah Brown returning to practice Thursday. This is a tough matchup for Houston, even if the Texans have played much better at home. That makes all of their ancillary pass-catchers little more than DFS dart throws. Brown has more boom potential. Tight end Dalton Schultz should fill the void as Houston’s top target. Back in Week 16, Schultz reeled in a team-high eight grabs for 61 yards. However, the matchup is worse for tight ends. Cleveland allowed only 9.7 fantasy points per game to the position- second-lowest in the NFL. As much as Cleveland feels like the better team, eventually, the magic will run out, right? I’m on the home dogs. Houston +2.5 WIN Miami Dolphins (11-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) Time: 8:00 PM Eastern Line: Kansas City -4.5 Total: 51.5 Money Line: Dolphins +190, Chiefs -225 Miami Offense For most of the season, this would have looked like a premier matchup with unlimited offensive potential. However, the Chiefs and Dolphins stumbled to the finish line to damper the fantasy appeal. The opening line of 51.5 seems high for two teams that have not played well. Also, weather will be a factor. The forecast calls for a high of 7 degrees with game-time temps hovering around 0. Brrrr. That will pose problems for Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins. In his last five road games, Tagovailoa averaged just 233.8 passing yards per game with seven touchdown passes. Meanwhile, facing Kansas City boasts a top-10 defense that surrendered the third-fewest touchdown passes in 2023. Kansas City was also stout against the run. However, the Dolphins boasted the NFL’s No. 6 rushing attack. Raheem Mostert will return after sitting out the last two regular-season games. Mostert led the NFL in rushing scores, including seven rushing TDs in seven road contests. De’Von Achane will also be heavily involved. Achane boasts enormous upside but has slowed down after eclipsing 100 rushing yards in three of
2023 Miami Dolphins Outlook
2023 Miami Dolphins Outlook The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview of all 32 teams from football legend Shawn Childs. Up first in our extensive NFL and fantasy football previews is Shawn’s deep dive into the 2023 Miami Dolphins Outlook. — PROJECTIONS — — COACHING — It’s been 14 seasons since the Miami Dolphins last won the AFC East. They posted a winning record in each of the past three years (10-6, 9-8, and 9-8) while making the postseason in 2022 for only the third time since 2001. Mike McDaniel looked the part of a successful NFL head coach in his rookie season. The concussion issues at quarterback led to Miami being undermanned behind center in too many matchups. From 2017 to 2020 with the 49ers, McDaniel worked as their run game coordinator before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021. McDaniel has 16 seasons of coaching experience in the NFL. Frank Smith made the jump from run game coordinator and offensive line coach with the Chargers to Miami’s offensive coordinator last season. His NFL career started in 2010 with the Saints as their assistant offensive line coach. He’s been in the league for 13 seasons. The Dolphins finished sixth in points scored (397) after ranking outside the top 20 in 11 of the previous 12 years. Their 11th-place finish in offensive yards was Miami’s best showing since 2014. Vic Fangio takes over as Miami’s defensive coordinator. After struggling in his first head coaching job in the NFL for Denver over three seasons (19-30), he worked as a consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Fangio has been working in the NFL since 1986. Fangio boasts 19 years of experience at the defensive coordinator position. Last year Miami ranked 24th in points allowed (399) and 18th in yards allowed. The top two defensive players added via free agency last year were LB David Long and S DeShon Elliott. Both players should help Miami’s run defense while projecting to start. Long improved last season in pass coverage, but he doesn’t have a sack over 50 games in the NFL (four interceptions over the past two years). The Dolphins moved on from QB Teddy Bridgewater (FA), TE Mike Gesicki (NE), WR Trent Sherfield (BUF), and LB Melvin Engram (FA). — DRAFT — Miami only had four draft picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, divided by adding one defensive player (CB Cam Smith – 2nd) and three offensive players (RB Devon Achane – 3rd, WR Elijah Higgins – 6th, and T Ryan Hayes – 7th). Smith brings elite speed (4.43 40-yard dash) and quickness to the Dolphins’ secondary, but he must add more strength and bulk to handle physical wideouts in the NFL and add value in run support. His vision and reads grade well when moving forward to the line of scrimmage, helping his ability to make winning plays. Smith must improve his technique to have success in tight man-to-man coverage. Speed is a clear priority for Miami at the running back position. Devone Achane ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL combined. Most teams shied away from him due to his size (5’8” and 190 lbs.). But he is willing to fight for yards between the tackles. Achane runs with patience and vision with the footwork to make winning cuts in tight quarters. He will make defenses pay with long runs if given daylight at the line of scrimmage. Spacing is needed to win the passing game while having risk in pass protection. Achane should upgrade the Dolphins’ return game in his rookie year. My first thought when researching Higgins was WR Mike Evans due to his size (6’3” and 235 lbs.), but he comes to the Dolphins with a much lower resume. His 40-yard dash (4.54) graded well when considering his build, and Higgins brings a high floor in his route running. At the very least, he gives Miami a bigger third target at wideout with a chance to slide into some action at the tight-end position. His ability to block will help late in games when the Dolphins play from the lead. — OFFENSIVE LINE — Hayes gives Miami depth at left tackle. He played on one of the best offensive lines in college over the past two seasons. The next step in his development is improving vs. power rushers, especially if asked to move to guard with Miami and handle speed rushers outside his frame. Hayes brings a solid foundation to the NFL with the hands, technique, and athletic ability to get better. Miami fell to 31st in the NFL in rushing attempts (390), leading to the 25th ranking in rushing yards (1,686) with 12 rushing touchdowns. Their rushers had 10 runs of 20 yards or more, with one gaining more than 40 yards. Miami’s backs averaged 4.3 yards per rush, up from 3.5 in 2021. Miami’s offensive line allowed 35 sacks (9th). The Dolphins climbed to 4th in passing yards (4,765) with 30 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Miami led the NFL in yards per pass attempt (8.2), with the most catches (14) of 40 yards or more. LT Terron Armstead remains a top player in pass blocking, but he missed four games last season with toe and pectoral issues. Last year he allowed only one sack with minimal pressure on the quarterback. His run blocking tends to be a slight end. LG Liam Eichenberg showed growth last season while remaining a below-par player in all areas. He missed seven games in 2022 due to a knee injury. In each year in the NFL, C Connor Williams improved as a run blocker, highlighted by an exceptional season in 2022. His pass protection skill skills are now in a winning area. RG Robert Hunt is a steady, improving player with three seasons of experience with Miami. Based on
2020 Fantasy Football: Miami Dolphins Team Outlook
In this 2020 Miami Dolphins Team Outlook, Senior Expert Shawn Childs provides an in-depth Fantasy Football breakdown of the entire franchise.
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Fantasy Football: Week 6 Statistical Highlights
A look at some of the biggest NFL statistical highlights from Week 6, produced by one of the most accurate experts in the industry, Bill Enright!
2019 Fantasy Football: Miami Dolphins Expanded Team Outlook
In this Miami Dolphins Team Outlook, Senior Expert Shawn Childs provides meticulous & in-depth Fantasy Football breakdowns of the entire franchise.
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Miami Dolphins Training Camp Questions
These important Miami Dolphins Training Camp Questions will help focus our attention on what’s needed from them this Fantasy Football season!
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2019 Fantasy Football: Miami Dolphins Team Outlook
In this Miami Dolphins Team preview, take a free peek at our Miami Dolphins Team Outlook coverage.