Complete Breakdown of Miami Dolphins in Fantasy Football

One of our country’s fastest growing pastimes has to be fantasy sports. Facing off against your friends, coworkers and complete strangers every year, almost all of those fans who watch football will compete in a fantasy league of some kind this year.

For those that this applies to, I’d be willing to bet that your yearly draft is right around the corner. With the planning entering its twilight stages and the limelight about to be placed on you, are you sure that you have done all your homework? Have you crossed all your T’s and dotted all your I’s?

If you haven’t, don’t worry, Uncle Robert is here to help, at least as it pertains to helping you out with a complete breakdown of Miami Dolphins’ in fantasy football this year.

Taking a look at all the player’s that you may consider drafting, we will take a look at the expert rankings of these players and when they think you should draft them. I will also add in my two cent’s worth and give you a suggestion based off what I believe these players will do for you this season.

Without further ado, let’s get this party started.

Jay Cutler — Quarterback — Expert Consensus: QB23

Joining the Miami Dolphins following the season-ending injury suffered by Ryan Tannehill, Jay Cutler looks to be the perfect one-for-one replacement here. Possessing a strong arm and a history with head coach Adam Gase, Cutler should produce similar numbers to Tannehill last year.

A big issue here for Cutler though could be his injury history. Having not played a complete 16 game season since 2009, Cutler is a risky proposition for fantasy owners. That said, Cutler cannot be trusted as a weekly starting option for your fantasy team. However, landing him late in your draft for standard 12-team league’s could be an option.

Projections: With an average of projections calling for 205.7 points this season from Cutler, experts believe Cutler will put up more total points than Tannehill last year.

My View: Cutler is someone I will personally avoid in 12-team leagues. To me, Cutler is someone I may look at during the season as a free agent pickup but is not a player that I feel will have a breakout season this year. As far as 16-team league’s, Cutler could be a good backup option for deeper league’s should you wait till later to land your backup quarterback.

Jay Ajayi — Running Back — Expert Consensus: RB6

The workhorse running back in Miami, Jay Ajayi is someone that could be a darkhorse to win the NFL’s rushing title this season due to his expected workload. Those expectations appear to have translated into fantasy projections with Ajayi being rated as the sixth-best RB and a definite choice for someone in the first round.

The big issue I have here is Ajayi’s injury history. Despite being injury free last season, Ajayi is coming off a concussion that he suffered in training camp. Adding to this, Ajayi had some issues during his rookie season with the team and was a often injured player during his time at Boise State.

Even worse, there is no natural handcuff for Ajayi. While Kenyan Drake is the definite number two on this team, he is a completely different running back. The rest of the unit behind him also doesn’t instill confidence should Ajayi go down.

Projections: Expected to put up just over 200 points on average, Jay Ajayi looks set to top his total from last season as long as he remains healthy.

My View: Despite my concerns about his injury past, Jay Ajayi is someone that you need to target in your draft’s. While I would not recommend him as a top five selection, Ajayi is a definite pick in the latter stages of the first round and a sure-fire steal should he fall to the second round.

Jarvis Landry — Wide Receiver — Expert Consensus: WR27

The star wide receiver of the Miami Dolphins, Jarvis Landry may have the least upside of the Dolphins receivers in standard fantasy leagues. However, that all changes when we move into PPR leagues. Moving up to WR23 in PPR league’s Landry will have the targets needed to offset the competition he faces in standard leagues.

Playing alongside DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills in Miami, Jarvis Landry will once again be the slot man in Miami’s offense. Getting a bulk of the targets, Landry will likely be the team’s go-to guy on short and intermediate routes.

That said, Parker and Stills are going to get the majority of the touchdown and big yardage looks. With Landry losing out here, I have to say that while Landry may the safest best of the Dolphins wide receivers, he also has the lowest ceiling of the three main guys in Miami.

Projections: In standard league’s Landry is expected to produce 127.6 points this season, a ten point drop from what he produced last season in Miami. The story remains the same when looking at PPR where Landry is expected to put up 215.5 points compared to his 231.5 from 2016.

My View: A safe bet for those in standard leagues. Possessing an average draft position of 50, Landry is someone I would target should I either A. Need another starting WR or B. See him still available after the fifth round. In PPR league’s though, I feel Landry may be a must pick player. The PPR should give him some raised upside and he could end up as a top 15 WR this year in those leagues.

DeVante Parker — Wide Receiver — Expert Consensus: WR36

Entering his third-year with the Miami Dolphins, DeVante Parker has two things going for him in fantasy football. The first thing is that he looks to have finally got his feet wet at the NFL level and has improved a lot since the end of last year in many folks opinions.

The second thing is that DeVante Parker may be Jay Cutler’s favorite offensive weapon on the Dolphins offense. Calling Parker a faster version of Alshon Jeffery, we saw in the Dolphins third preseason game just what could be in store for the duo this season.

Possessing major upside in my opinion, Parker looks to be a definite dark horse across all of fantasy football this year.

Projections: Putting up 98.4 fantasy points last season, Parker’s current expectations put him at 119.3 points in standard leagues. To me, this is something that could definitely rise if he asserts himself as not only Cutler’s favorite target but also as a major red zone option for the Dolphins.

My View: With an average draft position of 101, DeVante Parker should be someone that all players keep an eye on midway through their draft. With some major upside, Parker could be a steal of a pick in the eighth or ninth round. Heck, if you are still looking for a number three WR, I would be okay with Parker being selected in the seventh round.

Kenny Stills — Wide Receiver — Expert Consensus: WR56

Coming off of last season’s bumper campaign, Kenny Stills may be the one Miami Dolphin I recommend you stay away from in fantasy football. Totaling 126.6 points in standard league’s last season, Stills benefited greatly from his nine touchdown receptions.

However, with DeVante Parker set to take a more active and consistent role in the Dolphins offense, Kenny Stills will almost certainly have a down season compared to 2016. Possessing some blazing speed, Stills is a one-trick pony in all honesty.

A definite boom or bust fantasy football player, Kenny Stills is not someone you would want to bank your week on. However, for the right draft spot, Stills may be worth a look in deeper leagues.

Projections: With the experts also seeing DeVante Parker as a major offensive weapon this season, Kenny Stills average projection now sits at 89.3 points, a far cry from his 126.6 he put up last season.

My View: Stay away in standard depth leagues. With an average draft position of 202, I feel there are much better bench options out there. Players like Robby Anderson and Josh Doctson should provide a much better return on investment at this spot in all honesty.

Julius Thomas -- Tight End — Expert Consensus: TE18

Another player that I will being staying away from this season is tight end Julius Thomas. Despite the hype that Thomas could return to the days he had with the Denver Broncos, Thomas looks to be a lot of talk but not a lot of action.

Considering the strength of the Miami Dolphins at wide receiver, Julius Thomas is not someone who will contribute on a regular basis. With Landry taking a majority of the short and intermediate route targets and Parker being the likely red zone target, Thomas is left as the best of the rest piece.

Sure, he will score the odd touchdown. However, I have a hard time believing that we will see a double-digit touchdown season out of Thomas. Heck, I have my doubts that we will see more than five-or-six touchdowns out of Thomas this season, something that will hinder his value in fantasy football.

Projections: Expected to put up around 76 points this season, Julius Thomas would still rank as the 19th best tight end in fantasy football last year. That said, if Thomas does become a red zone target this season, that total will increase.

My View: Thomas is a player that should go undrafted in standard leagues. With an average draft position of 178, Thomas is being really overvalued and should be avoided during drafts. Should he end up as a free agent though, keep an eye on him for any signs that he could be set for a shocking return to form.

Dolphins Defense/Special Teams — Expert Consensus: DST22

A defense that while improved remains very questionable in certain areas, the Miami Dolphins defensive unit looks to be that should only be touched on a matchup to matchup basis.

Likely to again struggle against the run this season, something to watch this year will be how well the unit plays against the pass. If the youth also begins to show up, this unit could be primed for a breakout in the next year or two.

Projections: Rated as the 22nd best Defense and Special Teams unit, the unit is expected to put up about 104 points this season. Compared to last year, Miami’s defense and special teams would be about 22nd in the league.

My View: This will be a matchup based unit. When Miami plays a team like the Jets, they could be a good free agent pickup. However, don’t depend on the unit all year long as it is something that could get your into trouble.

Andrew Franks — Kicker — Expert Consensus: K36

Since this is the kicker, I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Rated as the 36th best kicker, Franks is someone I would avoid no matter what for the simple reason that is he plays outdoors the majority of the season and in Miami where the weather can change on a dime. Need a kicker, find someone whose team plays in a dome.