In a 32-part series leading up to the start of the 2021 National Football League season, we will take a look at each NFL franchise from a fantasy perspective. The 20th team we will review is the Miami Dolphins.
There is genuine anticipation and excitement surrounding the Miami Dolphins in 2021. There is stability on offense and defense, and an 11-win season for the Dolphins is definitely attainable with their now being a 17-game regular season.
When analyzing the fantasy football positions, there is one Dolphins player who ranks first in the NFL for his position. That is kicker Jason Sanders of Orange, California. Ok. You are not going to draft a kicker until the later rounds, but when you are ready to select a kicker, go with Sanders first. The 25-year-old was simply marvelous in 2021. He made 36 of 39 field goals and made all 36 converts in 2020. Sanders also has the opportunity of playing in the hot Florida sun throughout the year, which means bad weather will seldom be a problem. He will also be given many opportunities to kick field goals as the Dolphins offense is on the rise.
When it comes to offense, the Dolphins have an exciting tight end who is ranked sixth in my rankings. Mike Gesicki had a breakout season in 2020, with career-highs in receptions (53), yards (703), and touchdowns (six).
At running back, Myles Gaskin will be the primary running back as he is entering his third NFL season in Miami. Last year he had 142 rushes for 584 yards and three touchdowns, along with 41 catches for 388 yards, and two touchdowns. Gaskin may be ahead of some running backs in the fantasy rankings who were better than him was last year, but Gaskin is coming into his own at the running back position, and should see an improvement once again in his statistics across the board. He is currently 21st in fantasy rankings, but you could make a case that he would be a top-15 back.
At wide receiver, the top Dolphins option is Will Fuller V, who is ranked 26th. Yes, he is missing the Dolphins’ first game of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but should be ready to go by week two. Last year in Houston, Fuller V had 53 catches for 879 yards and eight touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how long it will take for him to generate chemistry with left-handed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is a similar quarterback to DeShaun Watson of the Texans. Other Dolphins receivers worth taking in the later rounds are DeVante Parker and Jaylen Waddle. Parker had 63 catches for 793 yards and four touchdowns, while Waddle was the Dolphins’ first round pick, sixth overall, out of the Crimson Tide–the same school attended by Tagovailoa.
Speaking of Tagovailoa, he has the potential of being a top-20 quarterback in fantasy. Don’t forget last season, it took him time to be a starter as Ryan Fitzpatrick got his fair share of reps in the month of September. Now that Fitzpatrick is in Washington, playing time for Tagovailoa will be no issue.
The Dolphins defense meanwhile is ranked fourth, behind Pittsburgh, the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore. Miami only gave up 338 points last year, the third fewest points in the AFC. Miami was led by linebacker Jerome Baker of Cleveland, who led the team with 112 combined tackles, and was second on the team with seven sacks.
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