Malik

Washington

Washington led all Dolphins wide receivers in snaps, but fell behind Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman in targets. He caught all three of his targets, including a circus catch to reel in a dangerous throw from Kyle McCord in the third quarter. The Dolphins also dialed up some trickery in the second quarter with Washington taking a toss and finding Jalen Tolbert downfield for a 34-yard passing touchdown. Ultimately, Washington is on the field a lot for the Dolphins and still ranks in the WR4 range for Week 11 against the Bills.

Washington wasn’t awfully involved in this game, even if you account for the Dolphins’ low-volume passing approach. He earned a 12 percent target share and added one carry for zero yards. Caleb Douglas, on the other hand, was the runaway WR1 for Miami. He earned eight targets and led the team with six grabs for 70 yards. Already completely out of the playoff race, the Dolphins are in evaluation mode with their young receiver corps. That could mean increasing workloads for Douglas, Chris Bell, and Kevin Coleman. Washington will get another week in the WR4 ranks, but he could be waiver wire fodder if he posts another quiet game against the Colts next week.

Washington continues to play well as a short-area pass catcher, though he did haul in a 23-yarder downfield. He got leveled on the Dolphins’ fifth drive, and Patriots LB Christian Ellis received an unnecessary roughness penalty for the act. It briefly seemed like Washington’s day might be over, but he returned a few plays later to score a one-yard touchdown via a quick out route after going in motion pre-snap. Today’s stat line allowed Washington to clear the century mark in career catches (103). Among NFL wide receivers with at least 100 receptions from 2021-26, Washington’s 8.4 yards per reception ranks dead last. He is a WR4/FLEX against the Lions in Week 9.

Washington’s WR4 status will continue aplomb against the Patriots in Week 8, though Caleb Douglas’ return probably has capped his ceiling case for the time being.

Back-to-back limited sessions probably leave Washington in a good spot for Week 8. He’s more likely than not to be cleared off the injury report on Friday as long as there’s not a sudden downgrade.

Washington has cooled off in recent weeks. Although his knee injury is unlikely to keep him out of the Dolphins’ Week 8 matchup against the Patriots, he is barely a WR5 in fantasy football. Washington does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues.

Washington’s previous season-low in targets was five. He had also reached at least 43 receiving yards in every game before today. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that his worst box score of the season came in Caleb Douglas’s first game back from a month-long absence. With more competition for targets on a team that doesn’t want to pass the football, Washington is trending in the wrong direction headed into Week 8. He will be a low-end WR4 versus the Patriots next week.

Washington was the most involved Dolphins receiver, leading the team in targets and receiving yards. He started things off with an 18-yard rush and saw a steady peppering of low-depth targets. Though he led all Dolphins skill-position players in snaps, Washington doesn’t see many scoring opportunities in the Miami offense. After a Week 6 bye, The 25-year-old is a volume-based FLEX play Week 7 against the Jets.

Washington remains one of the Dolphins’ primary returners despite his increased receiving involvement. His day began with a muffed punt that he successfully recovered in the end zone for a touchback. Things improved from there. Washington delivered multiple double-digit gains, functioning effectively as a weapon behind the line of scrimmage and in the flats. He also turned in a 17-yarder via a corner route on play action. Rookie WR Caleb Douglas (ankle) may return for next week’s game against the Saints. If he remains sidelined, Washington should be FLEX-viable, though his ceiling is questionable.

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.