Dolphins play Pats in Week 2. Who should I start for my fantasy football team?
Well, that was a disaster.
The Miami Dolphins offense amassed just a total of 211 yards in a catastrophic 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
To be frank, that was unexpected. Only one Dolphins player – De’Von Achane – had a serviceable game from a fantasy perspective. And with a Mike Vrabel-led New England Patriots in town on Sunday, the fantasy outlooks isn’t the best.
Still, let’s give it a try.
START
Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte
Odds are you probably did not expect to see Boutte’s (pronounced BOO-tee) name first but consider this: since Week 16 of the 2024 season, he has averaged about seven targets, six catches and 86 yards receiving. The former LSU standout also scored two touchdowns over that span.
If that’s not enough to convince you that Boutte might have a burgeoning connection with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the third-year receiver led all wideouts – including four-time Pro Bowler Stefan Diggs – in offensive snaps in Week 1.
Remember, the Dolphins let the Colts’ No. 1 receiver in Michael Pittman Jr. go for six catches, 80 yards receiving and a touchdown. Boutte might be worth the start – or at least the pickup – from the waiver wire.
Dolphins RB De’Von Achane
You probably saw the Week 1 numbers of Las Vegas Raiders tailback Ashton Jeanty and thought, “There’s no way that he will honestly tell me to start Achane.”
What you fail to understand is that Achane, as of right now, has a bit more versatility considering his pass-catching ability. Jeanty had two catches for two yards against the Pats; Achane caught three balls for 20 yards and a touchdown in his season opener.
Plus, odds are you drafted Achane pretty high. Don’t overthink it — start him.
SIT
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Here’s a snapshot of Tagovailoa’s stats against a Mike Vrabel-led defense: 58% completion, 222.5 yards passing, zero touchdowns, an interception and lost two fumbles. He has also taken nine sacks.
After a 114-yard, three turnover performance against the Colts, there could be some optimism for a bounce back game.
Unfortunately, the Dolphins will have two backups in guard Kion Smith and tackle Larry Borom to protect Tagovailoa’s blind side. That doesn’t seem like a recipe for success.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill If anything became clear in Week 1, it’s that the Tua-Tyreek connection needs work.
An oblique injury caused the star wideout to miss a significant portion of training camp. And Hill certainly looked like a player who had been out for a while as he turned in a four catch, 40-yard performance to kick off the season.
Hill remains a top-10 receiver when healthy. While the connection will hopefully one day reignite, that might take some time. For now, there are better options.
TOSS-UP:
Patriots QB Drake Maye The Dolphins defense made Colts Daniel Jones look like a superstar.
Still, it’s worth wondering whether that was an outlier, a product of first-game jitters.
Look, Maye could one day be a good quarterback. But if the game gets sloppy, which could be the case by 2:30 as that’s when the rain is scheduled to begin, it might not be the best to start the young quarterback.
Patriots defense
Was the Dolphins’ offense Week 1 performance closer to the norm or an aberration?
That much will be tested Sunday.
Vrabel, as previously mentioned, has stifled Tagovailoa in the past. Combine that with the injuries along the offensive line as well as Patriots edge rusher Harold Landry III, whose 2.5 sacks in Week 1 leads all players, and Sunday might get scary.
Yes, the loss of 2024 All-Pro second-team cornerback Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) will be significant, however, an effective pass rush can always help out the back end.
