Hafley: ‘One day at a time’ with Douglas (ankle)

The Dolphins will be without Douglas, one of their two talented rookie wide receivers, against the Vikings’ top-tier defense today. He is sidelined by an ankle injury. Joly, the Dolphins’ rookie tight end, is inactive after making his debut last week. Cook wil serve as the team’s emergency third quarterback.

Douglas will miss his second straight game with an ankle injury, paving the way for fellow rookie Chris Bell to build on his Week 3 performance in which he went for 4-67-0 on eight targets. Bell and all Dolphins pass-catchers will be tough for fantasy managers to trust as anything more than WR4s on the road against a Vikings defense that could give them fits all afternoon.

We expect to see Douglas listed with a second DNP next to his name today, putting him on the wrong side of questionable for Week 4 against the Vikings. Were he indeed to miss this week’s game, WRs Chris Bell (knee) and Malik Washington would benefit. Washington’s target volume is somewhat intriguing, but Bell looks like the far more talented player.

Douglas, who has shown flashes in limited action so far this season, did not suit up in Week 3 against the Chiefs and looks like a long shot for Week 4 against the Vikings. Douglas’ absence would be a potential boost for Malik Washington, who leads the Dolphins in targets and air yards through Week 3. Minnesota’s defense, while elite, has allowed the fourth most air yards this season and profiles as a pass-funnel.

Douglas wasn’t able to get on the practice field this week and will officially be sidelined in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. The rookie receiver has caught seven passes for 110 scoreless yards this season and is second among Dolphins receivers with 10 targets. Rookie Chris Bell (knee) is expected to play and could see a slight increase in targets this week, but this is a tough group of pass-catchers to trust against a solid Chiefs defense.

We expect Douglas to be listed as a non-participant today, just like yesterday. Douglas got his ankle rolled up on in Week 2, which is always a concerning injury. Fortunately, his foot was only planted for a moment, so he may have avoided the worst-case scenario. He was later seen wearing a boot. The prudent move is to expect Douglas to miss Week 3. Fellow Dolphins WR Chris Bell (knee) will either be listed as a non-participant or limited, but it sounds like it would be a very light limited, if so.

Douglas suffered an ankle injury in Miami’s Week 2 loss to the 49ers and did not return. He was spotted in a boot after the game. Hafley has been noncommittal when talking about Douglas’s Week 3 status, though we suspect he won’t suit up versus the Chiefs. Malik Washington is locked in as the team’s No. 1 receiver now, giving him some appeal as a FLEX option this week. Rookie Chris Bell should also see an uptick in routes, making him worth stashing in deeper leagues.

So it sounds like this wasn’t just a ding and in fact has a chance to keep him out for the week. He left Week 2’s game in a walking boot after catching 2-of-3 targets for 19 yards. Jalen Tolbert could replace Douglas on the active roster in Week 3 for those of you in 75-team leagues.

Douglas left the stadium in a walking boot, and while it is likely precautionary, it’s certainly something to monitor. The rookie got his ankle rolled up on while blocking late in the second half. He did escape being pinned quickly and was walking on the sideline, so perhaps it’s not a serious injury. Douglas appears to have the WR1 role for the Dolphins, playing on 51 of the team’s 56 snaps and running a route on 26 of Malik Willis’ 30 dropbacks, even counting the time missed with the ankle injury. The results may not be there early on, but Douglas remains worth a bench stash given his role.

Willis stood in the pocket, holding onto the ball too long when trailing the Raiders in the second half last week. He is currently nursing a toe injury, though scrambling faster, or at least throwing on the run, might help him achieve his new goal. Checking down to explosive RB De’Von Achane would also be smart, but the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s David Furones instead highlighted Willis’ strong connection with rookie WR Caleb Douglas in his article on the subject. Getting the ball out of his hands quickly to either player would be a smart move. Willis’ Dolphins will likely be trailing often in the second half. Developing go-to responses to this situation would help out all involved for fantasy purposes.