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Seasoned fantasy football players follow a wide variety of draft strategies. For years, the RB position dominated the early rounds of live drafts across the globe. Recent philosophy changes across the NFL have necessitated these ideals to evolve. High end Quarterbacks and elite Wide Receivers have now snuck into early round draft consideration. Last season, two TEs went in the first two rounds of our draft. The game has clearly changed.
One of my staunchest draft philosophies has been to never under any circumstances draft a Miami Dolphin skill-position player. Not letting team affiliation cloud your vision as a fantasy player is a crucial tip that needs to be followed in order to achieve success (just ask any Cleveland Brown fan).
I have been a commissioner of a league for ten seasons now. I have played in countless other leagues for the past 14 seasons. My first handful of pathetic drafts saw the likes of Jay Fiedler, Chris Chambers, Randy McMichael and Lamar Smith placed into starting roles on several of my teams. I learned the hard way that Miami Dolphins are not to be trusted in fantasy drafts. Here’s a list of memorable Miami Dolphin fantasy seasons over the past ten years. Not much to write home about. Caveat: Ricky Williams magical 2002 season was 11 years ago, and his 2003 season was a bit of a letdown in terms of his average draft position.
1) Chris Chambers, WR (2005) – 77 receptions 1,118 yards 11 touchdowns.
So much potential, so much talent, so many shitty quarterbacks. In 2005 Chambers finally broke out. Sadly, this would mark his only great season.
2) Randy McMichael, TE (2004) – 73 receptions 791 yards 4 touchdowns.
In an era where TE hadn’t been a legit fantasy weapon, McMichael flashed consistent and considerable production on a miserable Dolphin team.
3) Ricky Williams, RB (2009) – 1,121 rushing yards 35 receptions 264 yards 13 total touchdowns.
A pleasant surprise by one of my all-time favorite players, Ricky stepped up when Ronnie Brown’s paper mache body failed him yet again.
4) Ronnie Brown, RB (2008) 916 rushing yards 33 receptions 254 yards 11 total touchdowns (including one passing)
The wildcat maven was able to miraculously remain healthy for 16 games and produced a fun to watch and productive season, that, along with the AFC East division title, no one saw coming.
5) Reggie Bush, RB (2011) – 1,086 rushing yards 43 receptions 296 yards 7 total touchdowns.
Bush proved he could be the bell-cow and averaged 5 yards a carry. Not many people saw this one coming.
As I alluded too, this isn’t really much to write home about. What are your thoughts on the Fantasy wasteland that is the Miami Dolphin offense? I’ll be back with a second part to this article that introduces who I think (if anyone) is worthy of drafting on this year’s Dolphin squad.