What is the root of the issues with the Miami Dolphins’ run game?

The Miami Dolphins brought home a hard-earned victory on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, the score reading 28-17 when the clock hit triple zeros to close out the fourth quarter. Miami’s 28 points came in the most unconventional of ways, with the defense and special teams units each contributing 7 points to the cause and the Dolphins’ two touchdowns coming on short fields. Their touchdown drives were 1 and 33 yards in length.

As a matter of fact, the Dolphins finished with 145 yards of offense and it became woefully apparent once again in the second half that the Dolphins are not a team well equipped to run the ball at a high frequency and close out football games. At least not yet.

We’ve seen this script before against Jacksonville and also against the New York Jets — Miami committed to playing clock control and not give their opponents any easy outs to climb back into the football game. But that approach catches a snag when opposing teams sniff out the strategy, as it allows them to crowd the line of scrimmage and force a lot of short runs (or runs for loss).

So how do the Dolphins build upon this? How can they get better at the “closing” approach to offensive football?

That’s a complicated question, one that offers no shortage of potential solutions. First and foremost, Miami needs to find ways to stay sticky on their run blocks. Miami’s line is young, so the team doesn’t often provide the kind of stickiness and effectiveness holding their blocks for prolonged amounts of time. That’s a big reason why we’ve seen the Dolphins marginalize RB Jordan Howard to the degree that they have: their line can’t block long enough for him to climb through gaps.

But while that feels like a simple fix of getting more experience, that isn’t going to help the Dolphins in the here and now. The team is going to have to navigate their limitations as best as they can in 2020 before reassessing the position in the offseason and determining whether they want to upgrade over Ted Karras, Ereck Flowers or potential add another tackle and kick Robert Hunt inside.

Perhaps Miami can target a running back before tomorrow’s trade deadline to serve as the hammer they envisioned Jordan Howard being. Perhaps they add Austin Jackson back to the mix after his foot injury and bump Jesse Davis from the starting lineup and find more power in the run game. The issues against the Rams weren’t something that you’d point to as a change in the quarterback; it was more a byproduct of the game situation, the personnel on both sides of the ball and the lack of answers the Dolphins current have to clamping down their blocks.

They’ve got plenty of time for the long haul. But at 4-3, this team could use a boost now. Where that comes from is up to debate but if Miami wants to bring in an outside influence to help, they’ve got until tomorrow’s trade deadline to figure it out.

How can the Dolphins improve their running game in 2020?

The Miami Dolphins made a strong push to upgrade their rushing attack this season with their pursuit of former New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell. That effort ultimately came up short, but it does illustrate Miami’s clear desire to get better on the ground and continue to become a more well balanced offensive attack. So with the Bell-courtship in the rear view mirror, the question now begs to be asked — how and where can the Dolphins get better on the ground this season after five games.

After all, it isn’t every day that a player with Le’Veon Bell’s accolades becomes available for signing. In the long-run, we’d expect to see running back continue to be an area of interest for this football team. Upgrades are possible to be had and probable to be seen; just not on the fly this season. Which means Miami’s upgrades and efficiency in the running game need to get better some other way.

One possible way Miami could go about with that process is trying to tinker with the blocking pieces they utilize up front. The Dolphins have often called upon tight end Durham Smythe to serve as the de facto blocking tight end, with Adam Shaheen being called upon when the team needs to go with two-tight ends in running downs. But the issue is that Smythe, while being a solid player who will execute his role well enough, isn’t a true asset in the run game and would ideally be better served as a complimentary tight end instead of the primary blocker in the box. His blocks are slipped a little too frequently and when that happens, defensive penetration shuts down the momentum of the ball carrier and running plays go awry.

Continued patience with Chandler Cox, the team’s fullback, would also help He’s had his ups as a lead blocker, but there are also instances where he’s not properly aligning himself for contact and will pinball off defenders instead of catching them flush.

Yes, Miami could use an upgrade at running back versus the reliable Gaskin, who isn’t the best athlete or size mismatch. But tinkering with keeping Shaheen’s reps over Smythe’s may help this process as well. Continued player development will be key — but if Miami is looking for more than marginal improvements from each player across the board, they may want to explore the possibility of offering more of Smythe’s role to Shaheen to see what results come of it.

Fantasy Football: Targets, Touches & TDs: Week 6

Tackling five backfields that create confusion in fantasy football and trying to make sense of them.

Despite the ongoing extreme makeovers with the NFL itinerary, we remain right on schedule here with your weekly serving of TT&T.

Running backs remain the most valuable point-for-point fantasy football commodities, and with that in mind this week, we’re tackling five of the league’s most baffling backfields – ones where a clear, startable fantasy back has yet to emerge.

From each of these five backfields, we’ll take a look at the key stats and metrics produced so far and use those as guideposts to try and forecast whatever fantasy value may emerge from each going forward.

Here goes, starting alphabetically with the …

Baltimore Ravens

Primary backs and stats

Mark Ingram: (5 games played) 45 rushes-205 yards-2 TDs; 5 targets-3 receptions-25 yards-0 TDs. 35.0 standard-scoring fantasy points/38.0 point-per-reception points
J.K. Dobbins: (5) 16-126-2; 10-9-73-0. 31.9/40.9
Gus Edwards: (5) 34-192-0; 3-0-0-0. 19.2/19.2

Total touches-yards-TDs (fantasy points/touch)

Ingram: 48-230-2 (0.73 standard scoring/0.79 PPR)
Dobbins: 25-199-2 (1.28/1.64)
Edwards: 34-192-0 (0.56/0.56)

Offensive snap shares

Dobbins: 106/300 (35.3 percent)
Ingram: 99/300 (33.0)
Edwards: 95/300 (31.7)

Red-zone stats

Ingram: 7-16-1 rushing; 2-1-4-0 receiving
Dobbins: 2-5-2; 0-0-0-0
Edwards: 1-2-0; 0-0-0-0

Outlook

Major asterisk here, of course, with quarterback Lamar Jackson ranking second on the team in rushing attempts (41) and pacing the squad with 238 rushing yards – and that’s even with Jackson’s average number of attempts down 3.5 carries per contest (11.7-8.2) from last season.

The drafting of Dobbins has played a major role in knocking Ingram’s per-game touch average down to 9.6 from 15.2 a year ago, and that – and an expected touchdown regression – has caused Ingram to fall from the RB1 ranks down to sub-flex territory as he currently ranks 34^th at the position in total fantasy points (standard scoring) and 42^nd in average fantasy points per contest.

Ingram has been the Ravens’ back to own simply due to the fact that he’s getting the most the carries on the league’s second-best rushing team (160.8 yards per game). But Dobbins is superior in yards-per-touch (8.0-4.8) and fantasy-points-per-touch averages. Additionally, his higher usage in the passing game portends bigger and better fantasy things as the season presses on. He’s a must-add if he was somehow dropped in your league.

Edwards still will be involved as well – primarily as a late-game closer – but Ingram and Dobbins are the Ravens’ backs to own in standard-size leagues.

Detroit Lions

Primary backs and stats

Adrian Peterson: (4 games played) 54 rushes-245 yards-1 TD; 6 targets-4 receptions-31 yards-0 TDs; 33.6 standard-scoring fantasy points/37.6 PPR points
D’Andre Swift: (4) 12-42-1; 16-13-124-1; 28.6/41.6
Kerryon Johnson: (4) 21-71-1; 3-2-17-0; 14.8/16.8

Total touches-yards-TDs (fantasy points/touch)

Peterson: 58-276-1 (0.58 standard scoring/0.65 PPR)
Swift: 25-166-2 (1.14/1.66)
Johnson: 23-88-1 (0.64/0.73)

Offensive snap shares

Peterson: 105/264 (39.8 percent)
Swift: 83/264 (31.4)
Johnson: 70/264 (26.5)

Red-zone stats

Peterson: 12-35-1 rushing; 0-0-0-0 receiving
Swift: 2-2-1; 3-2-16-1
Johnson: 5-19-1; 0-0-0-0

Outlook

The Sept. 7 signing of the 35-year-old Peterson changed the whole dynamic of the situation here as he has 10 more touches than the rookie Swift and the incumbent Johnson combined.

Given his superior rushing attempt and snap shares and red-zone work, an iron man known as Peterson has been Detroit’s most trustworthy fantasy back to date, but Swift’s sizable edge in the passing game isn’t to be ignored. The second-round pick quietly ranks 20^th among all league running backs with 13 receptions and figures to become more and more involved as his adjustment to the pro game eases and his early-season health issues further fade away.

Johnson, thought be to be a rising fantasy star only a season ago, has become the odd man out.

Los Angeles Rams

Primary backs and stats

Darrell Henderson: (5 games played) 58 rushes-260 yards-3 TDs; 11 targets-7 receptions-92 yards-1 TD. 59.2 standard-scoring fantasy points/66.2 point-per-reception points
Malcolm Brown: (5) 53-213-2; 14-9-44-0. 37.7/46.7
Cam Akers: (3) 26-113-0; 1-1-4-0. 11.7/12.7

Total touches-yards-TDs (fantasy points/touch)

Henderson: 65-352-4 (0.91 standard scoring/1.02 PPR)
Brown: 62-257-2 (0.61/0.75)
Akers: 27-117-0 (0.43/0.47)

Offensive snap shares

Brown: 176/336 (52.4 percent)
Henderson: 119/336 (35.4)
Akers: 40/210 (19.0)

Red-zone stats

Henderson: 17-35-3 rushing; 3-2-18-1 receiving
Brown: 10-31-2; 3-1-(-2)-0
Akers: 2-5-0; 0-0-0-0

Outlook

There’s definitely some interest here as the Rams have logged the league’s second-most rushing attempts (169) this season and trail only the Browns as well in overall rushing-play percentage at 51.5.

Even though Brown owns a sizable snap edge, Henderson has out-touched Brown in three of the Rams’ last four games for a 62-41 edge during that span. Akers, meanwhile, got the start in Los Angeles’ opening two games before leaving early in Week 2 with a rib-cartilage injury that kept him out of action until Sunday.

As a rookie second-round pick, Akers is the team’s shiny new object, while Brown lends a steady, veteran presence, and Henderson has been the most productive and dynamic of the trio to date. Look for a Henderson/Akers split of the workload going forward with the former drawing the slight edge in touches.

New England Patriots

Primary backs and stats

Rex Burkhead: (4 games played) 30 rushes-128yards-2 TDs; 17 targets-12 receptions-101 yards-1 TD. 40.9 standard-scoring fantasy points/52.9 point-per-reception points
Sony Michel: (3) 26-173-1; 3-2-23-0. 25.6/27.6
James White: (2) 8-43-0; 11-10-68-0. 11.1/21.1
Damien Harris: (1) 17-100-0; 0-0-0-0. 10.0/10.0
J.J. Taylor: (3) 16-70-0; 2-1-4-0. 7.4/8.4

Total touches-yards-TDs (fantasy points/touch)

Burkhead: 42-229-3 (0.97 standard scoring/1.26 PPR)
Michel: 28-196-1 (0.91/0.99)
White: 18-111-0 (0.62/1.17)
Harris: 17-100-0 (0.59/0.59)
Taylor: 17-74-0 (0.44/0.49)

Offensive snap shares

Burkhead: 128/280 (45.7 percent)
White: 59/139 (42.4)
Harris: 23/75 (30.7)
Michel: 60/205 (29.3)
Taylor: 25/205 (12.2)

Red-zone stats

Burkhead: 8-36-2 rushing; 4-2-23-1 receiving
Michel: 5-18-1; 0-0-0-0
Taylor: 3-10-0; 1-0-0-0
White: 1-7-0; 1-1-(-4)-0
Harris: 1-5-0; 0-0-0-0

Outlook

The Pats’ backfield situation is the toughest enigma to crack – for a number of reasons.

First, there’s the sheer number of backs in the mix (five), and then there’s the Cam Newton factor, as the quarterback remains one of the league’s top red-zone rushing threats with 12 carries for 37 yards and four TDs in only three games so far. And, then, most significant of all, this is the Patriots we’re talking about, as the chameleon-like Bill Belichick and his staff change things up on a weekly basis to keep opposing defenses – not to mention fantasy general managers – off-balance.

With Michel on injured reserve, though, and the rookie Taylor seeing only a 12.2-percent snap share in the games he’s played, that whittles the usable fantasy contenders down to three.

White, who’s averaging five catches per game, remains a PPR-format flex factor while Harris – he of the preseason buzz before a finger injury knocked him out of the first three games – made the most recent favorable impression with a team season-high 17 rushes for an even 100 yards in his 2020 debut in Week 4. Burkhead is the jack-of-all trades who always figures to be active and involved to some degree, but we’ve more than likely already seen his best game this season as he accounted for a 65.8 percent (34.8) of his 52.9 PPR points in Week 3.

That leaves White (PPR) and Harris (still need to see more coming out of the Week 5 bye) as the Pats’ best RB fantasy bets.

New York Giants

Primary backs and stats

Devonta Freeman: (3 games played) 33 rushes-103 yards-1 TD; 7 targets-6 receptions-62 yards-0 TDs. 22.5 standard-scoring fantasy points/28.5 point-per-reception points
Dion Lewis: (5) 13-31-1; 16-9-55-0. 14.6/23.6
Wayne Gallman: (4) 15-76-0; 6-5-21-0. 9.4/14.4

Total touches-yards-TDs (fantasy points/touch)

Freeman: 39-165-1 (0.58 standard scoring/0.73 PPR)
Lewis: 22-86-1 (0.66/1.07)
Gallman: 20-97-0 (0.47; 0.72)

Offensive snap shares

Freeman: 89/188 (47.3 percent)
Lewis: 124/321 (38.6)
Gallman: 43/256 (17.0)

Red-zone stats

Freeman: 3-6-1 rushing; 1-1-(-2)-0 receiving
Lewis: 1-1-1; 2-1-4-0
Gallman: 1-1-0; 1-1-3-0

Outlook

We go from the toughest nut to crack (Patriots) among our five to the easiest, as Freeman is the main man here as long as he can avoid the health issues of recent seasons (18 combined games missed from 2017-19).

The last two weeks, Freeman has out-touched Lewis and Gallman combined by a 34-18 margin and has outgained them 155-88 with a 27.5-14.8 edge in PPR points.

The Giants, though, are saddled with one of the league’s worst offensive lines and overall offenses, keeping Freeman in flex-start territory most weeks instead of the RB2 ranks.

Extra points

The Ravens’ aforementioned Jackson is off to a slow start, ranking 14^th among quarterbacks with 113.2 fantasy points through action Sunday. Gardner Minshew (120.7), Ryan Fitzpatrick (120.3), Derek Carr (119.5) and Carson Wentz (113.6) are among the QBs with more points. Jackson still ranks second at the position with his 238 rushing yards on 41 attempts (tied for first), but he only has one rushing score so far. Jackson, though, is mainly falling short as a fantasy passer, ranking 24^th (as of Sunday) with 949 passing yards and tying for ninth with nine TD tosses after leading the league with 36 a season ago.
Jets WR Jamison Crowder has played in only three of the team’s five games, but he’s had at least 10 targets, seven receptions and 104 receiving yards in each outing while snaring a pair of TD passes for a total of 67.5 PPR points. Crowder’s average of 22.5 PPR points per contest, though, trails only the Packers’ Davante Adams (24.1) among league wideouts.
Dalvin Cook, Mike Evans and Tyreek Hill are the only players to score a TD in all five weeks so far this season.
Meanwhile, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ronald Jones, Myles Gaskin, Austin Ekeler, Devin Singletary, Frank Gore, Amari Cooper and Robby Anderson were the only players with at least 60 touches or 35 receptions and one or fewer TDs through Sunday.
The Rams not only have a backfield fantasy conundrum but one at tight end, as well. Tyler Higbee had a monster Week 2 with five receptions for 54 yards and three TDs (28.4 PPR points), but he’s only caught 10-of-12 targets for 122 yards and no scores (22.2 points) in his other four contests combined. Gerald Everett, meanwhile, missed Week 2 but has out-produced Higbee in the other four games, catching 8-of-9 targets for 141 yards and no TDs while scoring on a 2-yard rushing TD (28.3 PPR points).

Brian Flores dishes on development of Dolphins RB Myles Gaskin

The Miami Dolphins’ unexpected development at running back to start this season has seen RB Myles Gaskin commandeer the feature role in the offense. And, with the presence of an unexpected contributor taking the primary ball carrier role away from Jordan Howard and Matt Breida, Dolphins fans are wondering how exactly this came to be. Gaskin was a 7th-round pick for the Dolphins in the 2019 NFL Draft and largely went under the radar throughout the entirety of his rookie season. But here and now?

Gaskin is not only the man taking the snaps, he’s on pace to total 1,280 offensive yards from scrimmage for Miami. How did he get here? Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores shared during a press availability on Wednesday.

“I think when you’re a rookie, figuring out where the – again (Gaskin) moved from the other side of the country – and then he was inactive for let’s call it half the season a year ago. He just learned how to be a professional. Not that he didn’t take a professional approach, but in that first year you always – there’s things you don’t know. You don’t know what you don’t know, which I learned that early in my coaching career,” said Flores.

“So he learned the best way to prepare physically in the weight room from a conditioning standpoint; but also mentally and from a preparation standpoint, as far as how he watches opponents defense in zone coverage versus man coverage versus 4-3 versus over fronts versus under fronts versus diamond fronts and just understanding where the best ways to attack those from a run game standpoint, from a pass game standpoint. But he’s continuing to grow.”

Unsurprisingly, Gaskin’s emergence as a primary ball carrier stems from many of the same things the Dolphins are looking for in all of their players — commitment, preparation, film study and a cerebral approach to the game. Running back is a position that is generally perceived to be “easy” to replace and perhaps Gaskin will get pushed next season with a more physically talented player. But continuing to take advantage of his opportunity and approaching the game the way that he is will give Gaskin every opportunity to latch onto a full-time role and keep it.

“Hopefully over time, we improve and we see the fruits of some of the labor that they’re putting in right now,” said Flores.

Gaskin isn’t waiting as long as some of his teammates to see the product of his process — he’s already winning the job, which is way more than what anyone considered for him this spring.

Fantasy Football Market Report: Week 4

In the Fantasy Football Market Report, we look at the top players gaining momentum and a number of blue-chippers quickly losing it.

As if 2020 hasn’t been bizarre enough, three weeks into the season, we’re witnessing things the NFL has never seen in terms of passing yardage. Blame the pandemic for the lack of training camp and a preseason, but offenses are routinely shredding defenses in the early stages of the season and it doesn’t matter if they’re winning or losing.

There was a time when 4,000 passing yards was viewed as the gold standard. You needed to play all 16 games and average 250 yards a game or more. It wasn’t impossible, but not that many quarterbacks met that lofty standard. That has changed the last couple of years. In 2017, just eight made it to that benchmark. In 2018, there were 12. Last season, there were 11.

Heading into Monday night’s game, there are 18 quarterbacks (not including Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson) that are on pace to throw for 4,000 yards and, barring injury, you can expect one of both of them to approach those numbers, which could push to number to 20.

Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees and Tom Brady are no strangers to the 4,000-yard club, but, in 2020, they rank 16, 17 and 18.

If things stay at their current pace, Derek Carr, Gardner Minshew, Ryan Tannehill, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater will be in “the Club.”

But, in what may be the strangest twist of all, Dak Prescott and Josh Allen find themselves in truly rarified air. Through three weeks, Prescott is on pace to throw 763 passes for 6,336 yards. More impressive is Allen, who is on pace to throw for 5,536 yards and 53 touchdowns.

A strong start doesn’t mean a strong finish to the season, but we’re seeing passing numbers the likes of which the NFL has never seen before and it shows no signs of slowing.

Here is the Week 4 Fantasy Market Report:

Fantasy Football Risers

James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Only owners who were in desperate need for RBs on their roster snapped up Robinson when the Jaguars cut Leonard Fournette. But, he’s making it more difficult all the time not to start him. Few running backs have cornered the market on carries like Robinson. He has 43 carries for 210 yards and three touchdowns through three games.

The Jags No. 2 rusher is QB Gardner Minshew (12 carries, 60 yards) and No. 3 is versatile wide receiver Laviska Shenault (eight carries, 48 yards). The only other running back with any carries is Chris Thompson (four carries, 10 yards). Robinson isn’t a sexy pick, but few backs can claim a carry-share like him.

Justin Jefferson, WR Minnesota Vikings

Much like his predecessor Stefon Diggs, Jefferson needed time to work his way into the Minnesota offense. In Week 1, he was on the field for 69 percent of snaps. In Week 2, that number dropped to 54 percent. In those two weeks, he was targeted just six times, catching five for 70 yards. He got his first opportunity to be a primary weapon in Week 3.

He was in on 78 percent of snaps and caught seven passes for 175 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown. One game does not make a season, but Jefferson has put himself on the map in a big way, especially for a team that appears to need to score 35 points to win.

James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Those who saw Conner on the sideline in Week 1 looking on as Benny Snell rolled up 113 yards (while Conner had just six carries for nine yards), it looked as if there may be a changing of the guard in Pittsburgh. No so fast, my friend.

Over the last two weeks, Conner has re-established his dominance. While Snell has taken his place in the back seat (10 carries, 16 yards), Conner has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, carrying 34 times for 215 yards (a 6.3 yard average) and two touchdowns. He was drafted to be a high RB2 in most leagues and is back to posting RB1 numbers like 2018.

Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay Packers

Everyone has waited for someone other than Davante Adams to step up and be the No. 2 guy since Randall Cobb was shown the door. Have they found their guy in Lazard? Through three games, he has averaged 19.5 yards per reception (13-254), has at least one catch of 25 or more yards in each game, has scored two touchdowns from the 5-yard line in (the Super Red Zone) and, in the one game Adams has missed, he caught six passes for 146 yards and a TD in a road win against the Saints.

He’s making a strong case that Aaron Rodgers has a No. 2 guy to go to when Adams returns.

Myles Gaskin, RB, Miami Dolphins

He hasn’t been “crazy productive” for the Dolphins, but when you look at potential, you look at competition. The Dolphins signed bruising Jordan Howard as a free agent and traded for Matt Breida.

Howard has three belly-flop touchdowns, which hurts Gaskin’s value a little, but he has just 12 yards on 16 carries. Breida has 15 carries for 63 yards.

Gaskin not only leads the team with 38 carries for 152 yards, but he is also Miami’s leading receiver with 15 receptions. He hasn’t set the world on fire yet, but that sort of a touch concentration – featured back and leading receptor – is a rarity and, with bye weeks coming, his value only increases as a potential spot starter.

Fantasy Football Fallers

Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Mixon is one of the few players consistently drafted as a RB1 that would get benched during the season. He’s streaky. Few running backs were as hot as Mixon the second half of last season, but it took a lot of patience (and bad weeks) for owners to see any production. He didn’t score a rushing touchdown until the 10^th week of the season and many owners had long since given up in frustration.

Here we are in 2020. He was in the RB1 discussion in most leagues again and, through three games, has 52 carries for just 164 yards, has caught seven passes for 58 yards and has no TDs. He’s the only rushing show in town (Giovani Bernard has two carries), but the production just isn’t there to keep starting him every week unless you have to.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Part of what made Gronk great in New England was that he was Tom Brady’s best passing option near the goal line. A year away from the game, many expected to see that magic rekindled in Tampa Bay for both. Not only has Gronk given fantasy owners almost nothing – eight catches, 59 yards, no touchdowns and a long reception of 10 yards – in that same span, Mike Evans has three touchdowns from the 2-yard line in (one of two yards and two from the 1-yard line).

Those who snapped up Gronk on draft day remember the Gronk of old. This may just be the old Gronk.

D’Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

Remember when all the buzz in Detroit was that their long running back drought post-Barry Sanders was going to end with the arrival of Swift?

Veteran Adrian Peterson leads the team with 43 carries for 209 yards.

Kerryon Johnson is second with 18 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Through three games, Swift has just eight carries for 20 yards and a TD – fewer rushing yards than glacial QB Matthew Stafford (7-24). We’re still early in the season, but Swift hasn’t ascended to No. 2 on the depth chart, much less No. 1. Is he being punished for dropping a game-winning TD in Week 1? It sure looks like it.

Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Typically, if you see Washington and Cincinnati on your schedule in two of the first three games of the season, you expect huge numbers. Wentz hasn’t produced that. He has twice as many interceptions (6) as touchdown passes (3) and his passing yardage totals have dropped each week (270, 242, 225).

Wentz was a player taken in fantasy leagues to be a starter more weeks than not. Now he’s a liability if you have to start him and don’t have another viable option (which you should at this point).

Sony Michel, RB, New England Patriots

If you have Michel, you should know better than to depend on a Patriots running back. Sure, he had a touchdown in Week 1 and 117 rushing yards on Sunday, but he has yet to have more than 10 carries a game and doesn’t bring much as a receiver – much less when James White returns to the team.

You’re getting what you get with Michel. You roll the dice when you have to and hope for production, but don’t go into any game confident you will see it.

Can Dolphins RB Myles Gaskin command lead role for the long haul?

The Miami Dolphins’ offensive backfield doesn’t look very much like what everyone would have anticipated through the first three games of the 2020 NFL season. Miami, after spending considerably to acquire RB Jordan Howard in free agency and trading for Matt Breida in the 2020 NFL Draft, has proceeded to give the vast majority of their carries to 2019 7th-round pick Myles Gaskin. Gaskin, who was a 4-year letterman at the University of Washington and logged over 4,000 career rushing yards, has been Miami’s most reliable and versatile back.

How? Why? And more importantly, can he do it for the long-haul as Miami’s long-term feature back?

Gaskin brings receiving skills, quick feet, good vision and effective pass protection; which is exactly why he’s become Miami’s top option out of the backfield. With so many roles needing to be filled, Miami is gravitating towards Gaskin’s versatility to avoid tipping off the defense to what play calls may be coming on any given down. For example, Jordan Howard being on the field is a clear indicator of short yardage runs or heavy packages. With Gaskin, Miami can still run from the shotgun and provide more advantageous angles for Miami’s blockers; which gives the team a better chance of success.

If Miami’s polish as a run-blocking team were better and stayed cleaner on blocks, perhaps it would be a different story. But with the limitations Miami’s ground game currently showcases, the team needs every advantage they can get.

So, can Gaskin play this role in the long haul?

He could. They say that running backs aren’t too hard to find and it seems as though Miami has secured one for themselves via a 7th-round pick. But Gaskin was a 7th-rounder for a reason; he’s more quick than fast and as the Dolphins look to secure a more explosive running game, a more dynamic athlete at running back may be required to create more big plays. The Dolphins would need a true height/weight/speed option to make that happen; think the relative speed of Breida in a player closer to the size of Jordan Howard.

In the meantime, there’s little reason to think Myles Gaskin can’t continue to be Miami’s top back — as he’s the player they need right now to make the running game work best.

Fantasy football: 5 sleepers to start, 5 starters to sit in Week 3

Five starters that are sleepers and players to sit in fantasy football Week 3.

We’re two weeks into fantasy football this year and we’ve had some massive injury concerns already pop up. Perhaps unlike anything ever during a single weekend… Week 2 might have hit your team hard.

But because of that, setting your lineup correctly has some increased importance in Week 3. If you lost a consistent starter, that replacement must preform, and we’re here to help.

Here are five sleepers to start and five starters you’ve got to sit in Week 3 of fantasy football:

49ers running back Jerick McKinnon. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Sleepers to start

QB Ryan Tannehill, Titans

at Vikings

After having to really prove his worth early this season, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill has done that. He has six touchdowns and 488 passing yards. Not a ton of yardage, however, his lack of any interceptions makes up for that. Previously thought of as a good secondary, the Vikings are not so far this year, allowing the fifth-most yards per game (283.5) and 10th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

RB Myles Gaskins, Dolphins

at Jaguars

There’s not a lot of other options in the Dolphins offense, that’s a good start to the discussion for Myles Gaskin. Add that into the Dolphins backfield. Gaskin through two games is leading in snaps by a large margin and while Jordan Howard is getting goal line touches, it’s Gaskin in South Beach. The Jaguars are also allowing the ninth-most fantasy football points to running backs this year.

RB Jerick McKinnon, 49ers

at Giants

Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman are going to miss the 49ers’ Week 3 contest versus the New York Giants. That could mean a two-back system with Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson. But the 49ers have consistently targeted their running backs a lot in the passing game anyway and that’s where McKinnon thrives. Plus, Jimmy Garoppolo is likely to miss the game. The 49ers lean on their running backs when their starter does play, let alone when a backup QB is in.

WR Golden Tate, Giants

vs. 49ers

No defense, specifically has taken more of a beating on the field via injuries than the 49ers. No Nick Bosa or Soloman Thomas the rest of this season. That could’ve bode well for Sterling Shepard, but the Giants’ No. 1 receiver is sidelined himself. This lines up for a good outing en route for Golden Tate, who stepped up in 2019 when Shepard was out.

TE Tyler Higbee, Rams

at Bills

Fresh off a three touchdown outing, it’s unlikely that Tyler Higbee would do that again against any given team. But the Bills allowed a huge game to the Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki last week without their starting linebackers on the field, and both are still limited in practice this week and will unlikely be 100 percent. Higbee is a safe bet.

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Making sense of the Miami Dolphins running back rotation

One of the biggest surprises of the Miami Dolphins’ early season campaign has been the prominent role afforded to running back Myles Gaskin. It’s been a surprise — the Dolphins went aggressively after upgrading their running back room only to see a player who was on the roster last year command the majority of the reps. Given Miami’s investments in RB Jordan Howard and RB Matt Breida, Gaskin is a living upset for the Dolphins’ personnel groupings.

So what gives? What is it about Gaskin that has the Dolphins ready to keep him (at least for now) at the forefront of the Dolphins’ backfield? Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey spoke with the South Florida media yesterday to discuss the dynamics of the backfield.

“There is only one football. Nobody ever gets it enough. That’s just the way it happens in this game. When you have good receivers, you have a good tight end, you have good running backs, everybody cannot touch it as much as they would like to touch it or as much as anybody would like for them to touch it,” said Gailey.

“You have to do what the defense allows you to do. Matt (Breida) played well yesterday and did some really good things. Myles (Gaskin) continues to do some good things. Jordan (Howard) runs hard for us on the goal line and in some other places. We’re just going to continue to try to do what they do best.”

Perhaps the most telling tidbit there is the designation of Howard running on the goal line. That’s not necessarily an expected role for a player who inked a 2-year deal worth nearly $10M this offseason, yet that is where Howard has commanded the majority of his work. And, to his credit, he has two rushing touchdowns this season. But he’s averaging 0.8 yards per carry on 13 carries along the way. An inconvenient truth? Miami’s run blocking on offense isn’t very effective yet. Rookie Solomon Kindley is an impressive contributor from a power perspective, but he’s still raw. The same can be said for Austin Jackson. Ted Karras has been erratic early on as well.

The Dolphins can’t hit their landmarks and win gaps with the consistency needed right now for Howard to find room to run. So the reps go more frequently to Gaskin and Breida. And Gaskin seems to be Miami’s player of choice on passing downs as well — so when you consider this offense has been trailing for much of the early season, it makes sense that Gaskin is the guy getting the call.

Tunnel Vision of Week 1

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks	Pass-Rush	TD
Josh Allen	312-57	3
Russell Wilson	322-29	4
Aaron Rodgers	364-2	4
Matt Ryan	450	2
Kyler Murray	230-91	2
Running Backs	Yards	TD
Josh Jacobs	139	3
Christian McCaffrey	134	2
Nyheim Hines	73	2
Raheem Mostert	151	1
Chris Carson	66	2
Wide Receivers	Yards	TD
Davante Adams	156	2
Calvin Ridley	130	2
DeAndre Hopkins	151	0
Adam Thielen	110	2
Julio Jones	157	0
Tight Ends	Yards	TD
Mark Andrews	58	2
Dallas Goedert	101	1
T.J. Hockenson	56	1
Travis Kelce	50	1
David Njoku	50	1
Placekickers	XP	FG
Daniel Carlson	3	3
Mason Crosby	5	2
Josh Lambo	3	2
Matt Prater	2	3
Joey Slye	1	3
Defense	Sack-TO	TD
Saints	3-3	1
Football Team	8-3	0
Ravens	3-2	0
Bills	3-2	0
Chargers	3-2	0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

RB Le’Veon Bell – Hamstring
RB Marlon Mack – Achilles
WR Devante Parker – Hamstring
RB Jordan Howard – Hamstring
RB Justin Jackson – Quad
TE David Njoku – Knee
TE Blake Jarwin – Knee (ACL?)

Chasing Ambulances

A light week is always great to see. But it also

RB Marlon Mack – Reported to have torn his Achilles and that clears up the Colts’ backfield. Jonathan Taylor becomes the primary rusher but he was snapped up in all fantasy leagues. Nyheim Hines is the free agent to note with seven carries for 28 yards and one touchdown as a rusher, and then eight receptions for 45 yards and a second touchdown. The next three opponents – Vikings, Jets, and Bears – all sport above-average defenses but that likely prompts more passes to Hines and Taylor.

RB Le’Veon Bell – While Bell left the Bills game after only six carries, the woeful Jets only totaled 14 runs in the game anyway. Frank Gore would start if Bell misses time but Josh Adams ran in the score against in Buffalo. The Jets face the 49ers next and that won’t be much better than what happened against the Bills. Gore and Adams come into play only in the biggest of leagues and even then, only for the Bell owners.

RB Jordan Howard – Left with a hamstring strain but like Bell, or even worse than Bell, the Dolphins offense is just not something to waste a free agent move on. Matt Breida wasn’t a factor and Myles Gaskin was the best back with just nine runs for 40 yards. He added four catches for 26 yards but Patrick Laird also had a couple of catches. They face the Bills next as well. Gaskin is worth a stash only in the deepest of leagues but keep all expectations from this backfield low.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

TE Jordan Akins – The Texans are searching for new receivers since DeAndre Hopkins left and while Will Fuller had another Week 1 explosion, that’s not going to happen often (or ever if last year serves). The third-year tight end Akins was a star in training camp and caught two passes for 39 yards that included a 19-yard touchdown. Not reliable yet, but at least Akins deserves to land as fantasy depth. The Texans have a bad stretch up next – Ravens, Steelers and Vikings – so Akins won’t be a starting option this month.

TE Greg Olsen – Like Akins, he surprised with four catches for 24 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons. There’s not enough left after D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett take their share, but Olsen is worth at least watching.

WR Russell Gage – The Falcons produced three wideouts with nine catches for over 100 yards in one game thanks to the 450 passing yards by Matt Ryan. It was a great game by Gage to be sure, but he’ll never be as reliable as either Julio Jones or Calvin Ridley. He’s worth rostering only if you own Ridley or Jones as insurance.

Browns running backs – Nick Chubb’s value took a hit with the Browns falling behind so badly since Kareem Hunt plays in more passing situations. Chubb ended with only ten carries for 60 yards and Hunt finished with 13 runs for 72 yards and four catches for nine yards. The good news is that the next two games are at home against the Bengals and Redskins so Chubb should improve.

RB Mark Ingram – The Ravens decimated the Browns and yet Ingram only ran ten times for 29 yards while the rookie J.K. Dobbins gained 22 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Gus Edwards had four carries as well so Ingram’s role appears to be shrinking.

RB Devin Singletary – Like Ingram, Singletary’s team had their way with the Jets but he only ran nine times for 30 yards while the rookie Zack Moss took nine carries for 11 yards. Worse yet, Moss scored a touchdown on his three catches for 16 yards while Singletary went scoreless despite five receptions for 23 yards. At least he did not fumble, but the expectations that Singletary’s role would get dialed back was correct.

WR Nelson Agholor – He only caught one pass for the Raiders but it was a 23-yard touchdown and the rookie starter Bryan Edwards settled for just one catch for nine yards. The Raiders are still throwing mostly to Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller, but Agholor is worth noting.

WR Robby Anderson – While No. 1 wideout DJ Moore was held to only four catches for 54 yards in the Panthers new offense, Anderson turned in 115 yards and one score on six catches thanks to a 75-yard touchdown. The scheme intends to be pass-heavy and Anderson has already made a splash as the No. 2 receiver.

RB Adrian Peterson – Kerryon Johnson only ran seven times for 14 yards against the Bears while Peterson accounted for 93 yards on 14 runs and even caught three passes for 21 yards. D’Andre Swift ran in a score but was only used on three rushes for eight yards. Peterson’s value is higher than expected but this will remain a committee.

TE T.J. Hockenson – He caught all five passes and gained 56 yards with the lone receiving touchdown. That’s a positive sign for the tight end that was drafted specifically to be a cog in the passing game.

RB James Robinson – The Jaguars game of musical chairs for their backfield ended with the undrafted Robinson getting the starting nod. He handled all the backfield carries with 16 for 62 yards and even caught a 28-yard pass. He’s worth owning if only for Week 3 when the Dolphins visit.

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling – Davante Adams is simply a pass-sponge but MVS turned four catches into 96 yards and a score on the Vikings on Sunday. He’s had good showings in the past and then disappeared for almost all of 2019. But notable that he generated some buzz this summer and then delivered.

QB Cam Newton – What says Tom Brady is gone more than having the Patriot’s quarterback run 15 times for 75 yards and two scores? Newton threw for 155 yards and even completed 15 of 19 passes. But a muddle committee backfield just got a lot worse with less scoring and runs to go around.

TE Dallas Goedert – Carson Wentz was surprisingly less effective passing with only 24 of 42 passes completed and Goedert was the only one with notable production when he turned a team-high nine targets into eight catches for 101 yards and a score. That was the same number of catches by all wide receivers combined. The Eagles disappeared after leading 17-0 so hard to rely on any of the outcomes, but Wentz is still having trouble connecting with his wideouts even though they are all healthy now.

RB Peyton Barber – While Antonio Gibson (9-36) got all the hype this summer, Washington turned to Barber (17-29, 2 TD) to lead the backfield in carries. Touchdowns aside, the running backs only combined for 65 yards on 26 carries in a home game they controlled for the second half. Playing in Arizona next week doesn’t look like as much fun as it used to be so Barber is still no safe fantasy start.

RB Joshua Kelley – The Chargers lost Justin Jackson to a quad injury so Kelley hasn’t formally become the No. 2 running back. But the rookie gained 60 yards and a score on 12 carries. Austin Ekeler (19-84) also ran effectively though never more than 13 yards on any carry. But the offense only threw one pass to a running back all game. That’s a major shift from life with Philip Rivers under center.

RB Ronald Jones – The jury was still out on Jones and then once Leonard Fournette was acquired, the fantasy world figured that the third-year back wasn’t going to be a factor. Not so fast. Fournette ran five times to gain five yards while Jones handled 17 rushes for 66 yards and caught two passes for 16 yards. We should know a lot more after the Bucs host the Panthers this week, but Jones ran strong and Fournette isn’t effective, at least not yet.

TE George Kittle – Caught four passes for 44 yards in the first half but then had a shot to his left knee that looked bad and sent him to the sideline. He played in the second half but never caught a pass so fantasy owners need to pay attention to practices to see if Kittle will be healthy to play at the Jets this week. The 49ers ran out of starting wideouts already and finally started throwing to Raheem Mostert (4-95, TD).

RB Malcolm Brown – Cam Akers ran for 39 yards on 14 carries but Brown took the lead against the Cowboys with 18 runs for 79 yards and both rushing touchdowns, along with three receptions for 31 yards. Akers may eventually become the new Gurley, but so far Brown owns that role.

The Week 1 Chill Pill

Before you freak out that your players all suck or that we all whiffed on drafting the stars of 2020, the annual reality check is in order.

The top 3 wideouts from Week 1, 2019 were Sammy Watkins (9-198, 3 TD), DeSean Jackson (8-154, 2 TD), and John Ross (7-158, 2 TD). All three got you nowhere last year after Week 1.

T.J. Hockenson turned in six catches for 131 yards and one score. David Johnson totaled 137 yards, five receptions and one touchdown. Case Keenum ended with 380 passing yards and three touchdowns. It happens.

Joe Mixon opened 2019 with just 17 yards. Tyreek Hill had 21 yards. Mike Evans only managed 28 yards in a season where his team passed for over 5,000 yards.

It’s just one week. And usually very different than the rest of the season.

Huddle player of the week

Davante Adams – While Michael Thomas was turning in a head-scratching Week 1, Davante Adams richly rewarded the fantasy drafters that probably spent a first-round pick on him. Adams roasted the Vikings with 14 receptions for 156 yards and two scores as the best fantasy play on opening weekend. That tied the all-time Packer record for single-game receptions.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy		Yards	TDs	Tragedy		Yards	TDs
QB	Cam Newton	230	2	QB	Drew Brees	160	2
RB	Peyton Barber	29	2	RB	Devin Singletary	53	0
RB	Nyheim Hines	73	2	RB	Le’Veon Bell	46	0
WR	Jamison Crowder	115	1	WR	Michael Thomas	17	0
WR	Robby Anderson	115	1	WR	Odell Beckham	22	0
WR	Russell Gage	114	0	WR	Keenan Allen	37	0
TE	Dallas Goedert	101	1	TE	George Kittle	44	0
PK	Matt Prater	2 XP 3 FG		PK	Ka’imi Fairbairn	2 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 134				Huddle Fantasy Points = 39

Now get back to work…

Sorting out the survivors in Miami Dolphins’ new look backfield

If we told you ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft that the Miami Dolphins would not have drafted a youngster, the assumption would be that the team was poised to bring back the collection of backs who manned the position last year. But despite that being exactly what happened, we’d recommend betting on some major changeups. The Dolphins didn’t draft a running back but they did acquire veteran Matt Breida from the San Francisco 49ers — a deal that flipped a 5th-round pick on the NFL Draft’s third day. With that in mind, what will the Dolphins’ new-look backfield look like? There will be plenty of new faces — but who will they replace?

Status Quo

Fullback Chandler Cox

Cox was a selection by the Dolphins in 2019 and while the new offense in Miami isn’t necessarily going to command loads of reps for Cox, he’s almost assuredly going to maintain his role on the roster thanks to some versatility and ability to impact the passing game. His role may be diminished but this is the same regime that picked him in 2019’s final round. His ability to fill a niche should keep him in line.

Running back Patrick Laird

The man known as “the Intern” should make a strong push to stay on the roster and get the nod over fellow 2019 rookie Myles Gaskin. Why? Because Laird is better in the passing game and seemed to build up some trust with the coaching staff down the stretch last year. His pass catching resume in 2019 (23 receptions on just 290 snaps last year) is the big tiebreaker.

Out With The Old

RB Kalen Ballage

To be fair to Ballage, he didn’t get a lot of help from the offensive line in 2019. But Ballage also averaged 1.8 yards per carry and seemed to rub some the wrong way when he asserted he had “nothing to prove” last season despite ugly errors in the passing game and one of the most putrid stat lines from a per/touch production standpoint in recent memory.

RB Myles Gaskin

Gaskin was a 7th-round pick in 2019 but he’s been lapped by Patrick Laird among the 2019 rookie backs and the team’s addition of Matt Breida (who is a much more dynamic athlete) makes this a numbers game riddle that is unlikely in Gaskin’s favor.

In With The New

RB Jordan Howard

Howard signed a 2-year deal with nearly $10M and has two 1,000 yard seasons under his belt as a between the tackles runner in Chicago. He spent last season in Philadelphia and looked to have found his groove only to see his season ended via injury. He’ll be the new lead back in Miami.

RB Matt Breida

The lightning to Howard’s thunder, Breida’s electric skillset should give the Dolphins a dynamic they haven’t had in the backfield since Reggie Bush was a member of the team. The Dolphins will need to find the optimal role and reps to give Breida to make the most out of his touches.