Miami Dolphins Fantasy Football Sit/Start: Week 1

Note: The point projections are based on a standard PPR (0.5 points per reception) league scoring with fractional points.

After weeks of anticipation and meticulous analysis, Week 1 of the NFL regular season is here and it marks the beginning of all our hopes for fantasy glory. It’s a time when you can look at your roster and see all the potential in the world with none of the glaring issues that might be staring you in the face. Everyone’s sleepers are poised for breakout seasons and that rookie wide receiver you grabbed in the 15^th round is going to be the envy of the league. I will be your guide this year for responsibly sitting and starting the Miami Dolphins of your fantasy squad that will lead you to eternal glory.

Week 1 for the Fins is a full of question marks as they begin the season in new defensive and offensive schemes. And going to Seattle facing one of the toughest teams in probably THE toughest environment could lead to some low fantasy numbers for the Dolphins this week.

START

Jarvis Landry (WR) – Yahoo Fantasy Projection: 12.93 PTS

Landry was a beast last year with 113 rushing yards, 110 receptions for 1,157 yards and six total touchdowns. He’s the workhorse of the Miami Dolphins offense and will be consistently churning out double digit performances this year, even the Seahawks won’t be able to stop that from happening. Landry’s knack for finding space and toughness after the catch is a cornerstone of the Dolphins offensive game plan. Landry set a record in his first two seasons with 194 catches and will be looking to go over 300 this year barring any injuries.

Arian Foster (RB) – Yahoo Fantasy Projection: 8.25 PTS

Foster has been prone to injury over his career, but even during his injury plagued seasons he puts up solid numbers. In only four games, Foster racked up 163 rushing yards, 227 receiving yards, 22 catches, and three touchdowns before his season was ended by a torn Achilles against the Dolphins last year. Even though Jay Ajayi is listed as the Week 1 starter, most believe that Foster will end up getting more touches. In Week 3 of the preseason there was a very clear intention of getting the ball to Foster in space and letting him go to work. Adam Gase’s up-tempo offense lends itself to Foster’s skills more than Ajayi’s.

SIT

Ryan Tannehill (QB) – Yahoo Fantasy Projection: 16.26 PTS

I may be eating my words on Sunday for this decision, but I would rather play it safe than sorry in Week 1. Ryan Tannehill will be sitting on my own bench this week behind Philip Rivers. This may change over the course of the season, but this week there are too many unknowns for me to start Tannehill in a new offense against Seattle’s stellar defense. Tannehill was a feast or famine starter in 2015 and I need to see more of him in this new system. I hope to see enough that I would feel comfortable putting him in a starting role for future matchups.

Kenny Stills/DeVante Parker (WR) – Yahoo Fantasy Projection: 8.17/7.38 PTS

Both of these receivers had low fantasy numbers in 2015 for very different reasons. Stills was underutilized by the coaching staff and Parker was battling a toe injury that put him at the bottom of the depth chart to start the year. Both guys showed flashes of brilliance particularly near the end of 2015, and it was enough to make fans believe that there was greatness in these two young receivers. Parker may be out this week with a hamstring injury so obviously he should be resting on your bench this weekend. If Parker is ruled out for the road trip to Seattle then Stills may vault into a possible WR3/Flex position starter, but he still has a tough matchup versus the Legion of Boom.

Jay Ajayi (RB) – Yahoo Fantasy Projection: 4.91 PTS

Ajayi was another guy with low production in 2015 due to a broken rib in the preseason that forced the Dolphins to place him on IR for the first eight weeks of the season. Ajayi is worth owning because he will most likely be handling goal line duties and with Foster’s injury history Ajayi could go from a RB4 to RB2 rapidly.

Jordan Cameron (TE) – Yahoo Fantasy Projection: 7.09

There is a reason that Jordan Cameron is only owned by 22% of fantasy football leagues. His production in 2015 of only 35 catches and 386 receiving yards was disappointing to say the least, especially after the young tight end was signed from the Cleveland Browns following a monstrous 2013 season (917 yards, seven TD’s). And this preseason hasn’t shown us much to get excited about with Cameron. He’s shown a propensity for drops when the bright lights are on and it seems to be more mental than physical which is worrisome. Keep an eye on this situation as Dion Sims may be poised for a breakthrough season if Cameron’s struggles continue.