Miami

Dolphins

He’ll be a FLEX dart throw against the Bengals. Bell continues to get listed with his knee injury as the Dolphins bring him along slowly, but he seems wheels up for Sundays as things currently stand.

Douglas has not practiced or played since Week 2. If only there were some sort of “injured reserve list” he could be placed on. Ah well.

Wright was limited on Thursday and Friday after seemingly reinjuring his foot. He feels like a true wild card for Sunday. Ollie Gordon-reliant managers would benefit if Wright were ruled out, as it appears Kaytron Allen, who was just claimed on waivers today, would be the backup if Wright can’t go.

This move makes sense for the Dolphins. Allen was an intriguing 2026 prospect, albeit one who lasted until the sixth round. Jaylen Wright fell short of expectations last week, while Ollie Gordon exceeded them. Gordon should get the starting nod in Week 5, but it is not out of the question for Allen to begin competing for touches fairly soon. He can be stashed in 12-team formats. This could end up being a messy committee, though, and there is no guarantee that Allen will turn out to be the best of the bunch.

It’s unclear if this was related to the foot that was giving Wright problems earlier this year, but a mid-week downgrade is never great news for a player. Wright has a real chance to miss Week 5. We’ll probably have a better sign of how likely it is that he plays Friday morning if no national reporters pick up the story earlier than that.

The Dolphins have been managing Bell’s practice reps for a few weeks, but it hasn’t been an issue on Sundays. He ran 85 percent of the routes in Week 4 and his route share has gone up in every game. He is in the WR5 range headed into Week 5 versus the Bengals.

Dolphins coach Jeff Halfey said Douglas is “doing better” but is not ready to practice yet. It sounds like the rookie will miss another week. Malik Washington will continue to operate as the Dolphins’ No. 1 receiver, putting him in the WR3 mix for Week 5. Fellow rookie Chris Bell has seen his role grow every week, but the fantasy numbers aren’t there to match. He was held without a catch on three targets in Week 4. Bell is a solid long-term stash but barely cracks the WR5 ranks for Miami’s matchup with the Bengals.

It’s hard to know what to make of this, but Douglas has missed back-to-back games with his injury and could be at risk of missing a third straight game if he can’t get on the practice field ahead of Week 5’s game against the Bengals. Douglas did not practice at all last week, so even getting on the field in a limited capacity would be an improvement. His name will be one to keep an eye on when the Dolphins release their first injury report on Wednesday.

The best thing we can say about Wright’s day is that he got the start. The Dolphins kept him out there for the first drive, giving him a chance to keep his position, but he was unable to do so. Ollie Gordon outplayed him as the game progressed, rushing nine times for 100 yards and one touchdown, while Wright was relegated to unproductive offensive snaps and five kick returns for 97 yards. Wright is a zero-floor FLEX against the Bengals next week.

Gordon entered the game on the Dolphins’ second drive, generating one yard and two receptions on three touches during that possession. Things improved from there. After letting nominal starting RB Jaylen Wright and Gordon each play their own drives, the Dolphins eventually began rotating them in and out until Gordon separated on the first drive after halftime. Gordon notched three carries in a row, breaking off a 53-yarder on the second one by navigating traffic and making his way to the left sideline, shedding a jersey grab along the way. On the seventh drive, he had what could have been a breakaway touchdown run blown dead by officials, who thought Gordon was down by contact as he stumbled through the box. It was a close call. He then touched the ball on two-of-four plays on the ensuing drive, including a touchdown run up the middle from 12 yards out, in which Gordon acrobatically vaulted over a downed lineman. Tentatively expect Gordon to be the Dolphins’ starter in Week 5 against the Bengals and treat him as an RB2/FLEX.