Fantasy Football 2014: What is Ryan Tannehill's value?

The Miami Dolphins are installing a new offense this year, the first time quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been in an offense not run by Mike Sherman since his high school days.  Will the team succeed under Bill Lazor's system?  How will Tannehill respond?

What kind of impact can we expect from Tannehill on the fantasy front this season?

That's a great question, and not one we may really have answered until the season is over.  The change from Sherman to Lazor should speed up the offense, give Tannehill better options, and open up the offense more than it has been in the past.  Assuming the offensive line is up to the task of protecting the pocket, the offense should be able to increase Tannehill's fantasy impact this year.

As a second year player, Tannehill saw his stats line get better, up in passing yards, completion percentage, touchdown passes, rushing yards, and passer rating.  Unfortunately, he also jumped from 13 interceptions as a rookie to 17 picks last season.

Doing a quick search around the internet, the question of where to rank Tannehill versus the other NFL quarterbacks in terms of fantasy value is clearly not an easy one to answer.  He's as high as 12 on one list, and drops to as low as 24 on a couple.

Tannehill should be around the 4,000 yard mark, this year, assuming his growth continues and he is able to master Lazor's offense.  Those are two big assumptions.  Hopefully, they are not unobtainable.

Drafting wise, Tannehill is probably a mid- to late-round pick right now, though he could go undrafted.  I would recommend stashing him on your bench, if at all possible.  He would, at the bare minimum, be a worthy bye-week replacement.  If he is able to come out with the same type of growth Nick Foles had under Lazor last year, when Lazor was the Eagles' quarterbacks coach, you will look like a genius in selecting him.

In a salary cap type of game, early in the season, Tannehill could be a space saving option, depending on where you want to use your money, and the defense he is facing.  He's not going to give you Peyton Manning or Tom Brady production, most likely, but he will at least give you the points needed to let overspending on wide receivers or running backs put you into the win column.

Tannehill will be an interesting player to watch in fantasy this year.  If he is able to climb the ladder of fantasy rankings, it could trickle down to players like Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Charles Clay, Lamar Miller, and Knowshon Moreno.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a $100,000 Fantasy Football Contest for Week 1's NFL games. It's only $10 to join and first prize is $10,000. Starts Sunday, September 7th at 1pm ET. Here's the link.