Miami

Dolphins

The Bengals and Dolphins were initially slated to play on Sunday night in Week 16. They will now move to a standard 1:00 PM EST slot, while the Ravens and Patriots will prepare to play under the lights in a game that could still carry major playoff implications for both teams. As is the case with every Sunday night game on NBC, we will be waiting all day for this game.

McDaniel said on Sunday that it was his decision to hold out Achane after he exited in the second quarter with his rib injury. Speaking on Monday, McDaniel again reiterated that Achane could have re-entered the game if needed, but that moment never came. Achane is hoping to play in Week 15’s game against the Steelers, but this situation is setting up to be a headache for fantasy managers. With the Dolphins not playing until Monday night, fantasy managers may need to figure out a backup plan for Achane if he isn’t cleared or ruled out before the weekend. Achane’s status will be one to monitor throughout the week, but it sounds like he’ll at least have a chance to suit up.

McDaniel said Achane would have been available to return in the event of an emergency after the star running back exited in the second quarter. When asked if Achane would be available to play in Week 15 against the Steelers, McDaniel offered a not-so-reassuring, “I promise you, he’ll be in there if he’s ready,” as his response. He did, however, note that initial X-rays did not reveal a fracture of any kind. It doesn’t sound like this is a major injury, but the proof will be in the practice report. With the Dolphins not playing until Monday, we’ll keep our eyes out for Thursday’s practice report, assuming we don’t hear anything before then.

Patterson also made all four of his extra point attempts as the Dolphins trounced the Jets. He saw a lot of scoring opportunities and gave fantasy managers a productive day with two field goal kicks of 43 and 53 yards. Patterson will have fewer scoring opportunities against the Steelers in Week 15, but is productive enough for fantasy managers to keep him in lineups.

Dulcich out-snapped Darren Waller and tied him for targets as the Dolphins continue to utilize both in the passing game. He made a catch-and-run of over 20 yards into the red zone that was nullified by penalty and kept his yardage to 41 on the day. Dulcich is difficult to trust on a weekly basis and is on the TE2 borderline for Week 15.

Waller also received one carry for four yards. He was mainly quiet with the passing game having a low volume day in a blowout win. Greg Dulcich out-snapped Waller, 35 to 24 on the day. Waller’s receiving output will vary with the Dolphins’ passing volume as his one-catch day comes just one week after leading the team with 47 yards in Week 13. With Dulcich involved, Waller is squarely in the TE2 ranks for Week 15 against the Steelers.

The Dolphins passing game was not needed after the first quarter against the Jets, leaving Washington to total 10 yards on four targets for the game. Nothing new here, Washington is the screen/check-down wide receiver and clear No. 2 pass-catcher on the team. Higher volume passing games could certainly give him a good PPR fantasy game, but Washington is a touchdown-dependent WR5 heading into Week 15 against the Steelers.

Waddle was the lead receiver for the Dolphins yet again, tallying seven targets and also getting one carry for 21 yards. He caught a three-yard touchdown on the first possession of the game and was mostly quiet in the second half with the Dolphins up big. Waddle was briefly grabbing his calf and limping on the sidelines, but he quickly returned to the game. As the No. 1 receiver in the Dolphins offense, Waddle is a low-end fantasy WR2 for Week 15 against the Steelers.

Gordon did not get into the game until after De’Von Achane left with a rib injury. He fumbled his first touch but was able to recover the ball for the Dolphins. Jaylen Wright took on the workhorse role after Achane left, though all three backs scored on the day. Gordon’s touchdown was a seven-yarder in the fourth quarter to put the game away for good. He still has a role as the Dolphins’ short-yardage back, but Wright seems to be the primary beneficiary of Achane missing time. Gordon has FLEX upside if Achane is out in Week 15 against the Steelers.

Wright took over the backfield when De’Von Achane exited with a rib injury in the second quarter. He saw a whopping 24 carries and gashed the Jets for his first career 100-yard rushing game. Wright was also targeted three times, but did not catch any of the passes. Even with Achane healthy, Wright has a role, scoring a touchdown in the first quarter from two yards out. He operated ahead of Ollie Gordon this game, making Wright the waiver wire add out of this backfield should Achane miss time. Wright is a fantasy RB2 for Week 15 against the Steelers if Achane does not play.