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2013 was a rather ugly campaign for the Miami Dolphins.
Aside from bulling one another, the offensive line was one of, if not, the worst in all of football, and as a result, the running game was a complete disaster. However, despite all of the issues and negatives, Miami still finished with an 8-8 record, and with a few personnel changes, this team could possibly take that next step forward in 2014.
But is there anyone on this club that warrants “must-own” in fantasy?
Depth Chart
Quarterback
Well, it looks like Ryan Tannehill is the face of Miami sports now.
With LeBron James’ departure from the Heat, Tannehill looks to be one of the bright spots in Miami sports, if you ask me. The third-year passer made huge strides during his second yeah, doubling his touchdown total from 12 to 24, while throwing for about 700 more yards and improving his completion percentage to 60.4 percent. And despite being one of the most pressured passers in all of football, Tannehill finished as the number 14-scoring fantasy quarterback in football, and trust me, he was under pressure quite a bit.
Most Sacked QBs
Tannehill was the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL last season, as the Dolphins pass-blocking unit ranked in the bottom-10 among offensive lines in football, and, barring the health of center Mike Pouncey (iffy for Week 1), this unit could have five brand new starters on their line come opening day. A change can be good in this regard, as the offensive line can’t be any worse than it was a season ago.
Right?
Speaking of change, the Dolphins added a new offensive coordinator, as well. Gone is Mike Sherman and his rather predictable offensive philosophy, in is the exciting, uptempo offense of Bill Lazor, who helped Nick Foles emerge a season ago. Lazor likes fast offenses, a unit that gets the ball out quick and effectively. In 2010 with Virginia, the Cavaliers ranked 21st in plays per game (73.8), 49th in 2011 (72.6) and 41st in 2012 (75.5). This could be very beneficiary for Tannehill, who continues to struggled with the deep ball during his first two seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, Tannehill completed just 32.8 percent of his passes traveling 20 yards or more down the field. Only four quarterbacks posted a fewer percentage. The presence of Lazor could continue to help Tannehill progress more rapidly.
Under Lazor, Tannehill could be a nice sleeper to target in two-quarterback leagues.
Running Back
Knowshon, we’re not in Denver anymore.
Anyone who thinks Moreno can replicate his top-five running back finish from 2013 is very, very wrong. Playing alongside Peyton Manning and the Broncos, Moreno had the year of his life, rushing for 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns, but, for obvious reasons, things won’t be as simple during his time in Miami. First of all, the offensive line is still a big question mark, welcoming four entirely new starters. And Pro Football Focus rated them as the 28th-best run-blocking unit in football.
Oh, and he doesn’t have the perks of playing in a Manning-led offense:
- 192 of Moreno’s 242 carries came with six men or fewer in the box.
- Denver faced dime defense a league-leading 15 percent of the time.
- 14 of Denver’s 18 rushing scores occurred inside an opponent’s 10-yard line (2nd in NFL).
Besides, Moreno will be coming off a microscopic knee surgery, and was also overweight entering OTAs. This could be an opportunity for Lamar Miller, but speed doesn’t always translate to success, and he wasn’t very good last year, despite many big expectations. Until this offensive line can show me something, I won’t be touching any of these running backs, most likely.
Wide Receiver
Can Mike Wallace and his quarterback finally get on the same page?
Wallace, a speedster who can stretch the field, received plenty of deep looks, but quantity didn’t necessarily translate to quality. Via ESPN, Wallace’s 32 stretch vertical targets were the 4th-most in the NFL, so there was plenty of big play opportunity. However, his 30 fantasy points on such passes ranked just 30th among fantasy wide receivers, as Tannehill continues to progress as a deep ball passer. And last year, Miami ranked just 21st in football in passing plays of 20 yards or more, and under Lazor, that rank may be lower in 2014, as he wants to implement a quick-hitting offense. Hopefully Wallace can develop a more diverse route tree this year so he isn’t just depending on the deep ball.
Meanwhile, Brian Hartline has been pretty underrated. Over the last two seasons, he’s caught at least 70 balls for 1,000 yards in both campaigns, and has accumulated almost 130 targets in both years as well. Tannehill likes to look his way quite a bit, and the only reason he isn’t getting more love is because he’s scored only five touchdowns during that span. Still, don’t sleep on him toward the back end of your draft.
Tight End
The hybrid.
Charles Clay, a tight end, fullback and sometime running back, was a big piece to the puzzle last year. He ranked inside the top-10 in tight end targets (101), catches (69), yards (759) and touchdowns (six). There isn’t a lot to be excited about with Clay, as he likely won’t win you a week with a monster performance. But he’s a terrific pass-catcher who serves as a strong security blanket for the young Tannehill, and should offer weekly consistency, especially in PPR formats.
Adam Pfeifer is a lead fantasy sports writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
