Miami Dolphins Team Report by Chris Smith
| Mia Projections (9/3) | Passing Stats | Rush Stats | Receiving Stats | Fantasy | |||||||||||
| Change | Name | Pos | Att | Comp | % | Yds | TD | Int | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | Pts |
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#fname# #lname# | #pos# | #NumberFormat("#pts#", '__,_____')# | ||||||||||||
| Totals | #NumberFormat("#tot_patt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pcmp#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#evaluate(100*tot_pcmp/tot_patt)#", '_____._')#% | #NumberFormat("#tot_pyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ptds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_int#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ratt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ryds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rtds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rec#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_cyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ctds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pts#", '__,_____')# | ||
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Quarterbacks Starter - Jay Fiedler Backups - Ray Lucas, Sage Rosenfels Starting Quarterback: While the Miami Dolphins aren't as blessed as they were during the Dan Marino era, Jay Fiedler has quietly developed into a pretty solid quarterback. Much like Raider quarterback, Rich Gannon, it has taken Fiedler many years to become a starting NFL quarterback and he has made the most of the situation. What makes him worth selecting in fantasy football is his ability to run for both yardage and touchdowns in addition to decent passing skills. Last season, Fiedler surprised the fantasy community when he ended up as the ninth highest rated quarterback. His 322 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns had much to do with the performance and he should be able to put up good numbers again. He is a serviceable # 1 and a good backup for a fantasy squad. Backup Quarterback(s): There are people out there who believe Ray Lucas is the better quarterback and deserves to start for the Dolphins. He is not but he certainly gives the Dolphins a decent backup in case of injury. Lucas brings some experience as a starting quarterback and lots of athletic prowess to the table. The Dolphins traded with the Redskins and acquired 2nd year quarterback Sage Rosenfels for a draft pick. Some people are proclaiming Rosenfels a potential starter for the Dolphins and he does have ability. Before you get excited though remember that he couldn�t unseat Tony Banks last season and the Redskins decided to go with journeyman quarterbacks Danny Wuerffel and Shane Matthews along with a rookie drafted this season. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. He is unlikely to play much this season. Running Backs Starter - Ricky Williams Backups - Travis Minor, Robert Edwards Starting Running Back: The Dolphins have upgraded the running back position in a big way with the addition of Ricky Williams, formerly of the Saints. Williams is a very talented player who had become disillusioned in New Orleans and needed to start over with a clean slate. He dropped several pounds in the off-season and is now in the best shape of his life. His speed has improved and that will help him rip off some longer runs this year and he want to be the workhorse that the Dolphins so desperately need at the position. He will end up with over 300 carries and will carry the team deep into the playoffs. Look for an excellent fantasy season from him in 2002. Backup Running Back(s): It is clear that the man in Miami this season is Ricky Williams. He will be on the field a ton and will have the majority of the touches for the team. However there is an interesting battle shaping up in the backup race between second-year player Travis Minor and comeback kid, Robert Edwards. There was a time when nobody thought Edwards would be able to run again at all, let alone try out to make a football team again. He has looked good in camp and appears to have his confidence and ability to cut back. Minor is a smaller running back with excellent quickness and the ability to make a defender miss. As of right now, Footballguys has Minor in as the backup but keep your eyes on this battle in training camp to see who emerges as the # 2. Fullback(s): Rob Konrad, Deon Dyers, Obafemi Ayanbadejo: The Dolphins are loaded for bear at the fullback position. All three bring something different to the table and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. I believe that the team would like to use Dyers the most this season because of his awesome blocking prowess. Konrad and Ayanbadejo bring pass-receiving skills to the table. No matter who starts for the team, there won't be too much value in fantasy leagues. RBBC is a risk, FBBC means completely avoid. Wide Receivers / Tight Ends Starters - Chris Chambers, Oronde Gadsden Backups - James McKnight, Dedric Ward Starting Receiver(s): Last season, the football world saw some of the awesome potential that Chris Chambers brings to the field. He is strong, fast and has a real nose for the football. He will continue his improvement this season and will end up with over 1100 yards receiving at a minimum of 7 touchdowns. He is going to be one of the top receivers in the game by next year. Oronde Gadsden starts at the other receiver slot for the Dolphins. What he brings to the table is consistency and the ability to make the clutch catch. He will never be considered a top player but the team loves his play week in and week out. Expect similar numbers to years past for him. He should end up most likely around 700 yards and a few touchdowns. Backup Receiver(s): James McKnight was brought to the Dolphins to become a starter and the go-to player in the offense. Unfortunately it never developed and he finds himself looking up at Chris Chambers in the depth chart now. He will still see some action as a #3 receiver but his fantasy value will be minimal at best. Look for a few hundred receiving yards to go along with a couple of touchdowns. The other main receiver will be Dedric Ward who has talent but has never put it all together to shine at the NFL level. There is very little fantasy value from Ward. Tight End(s): Randy McMichael [r], Jed Weaver, Alonzo Mayes A couple of weeks ago it appeared that Jed Weaver would be the starting tight end and the position would have little value again in Miami. However there is a rookie tearing it up in training camp by the name of Randy McMichael who has been catching everything in site and making the coaching staff drool in anticipation. Too early to expect 40+ catches from him but make sure to keep an eye on his progress during the pre-season. He could be a very nice value pickup by week one. Jed Weaver and Alonzo Mayes are not good fantasy options even if they are starting. Neither of them is very good in the receiving game. Place Kicker Olindo Mare: Mare has been one of the top kickers year in and year out. It is impossible to predict which kicker will get the most attempts from season to season but it is possible to tell which one can kick the majority of his attempts through successfully. Mare is one of those talents and is top five at his position in my books each season. Defense What was once considered to be one of the top units in the league now has some question marks to deal with. The defense still has a lot of talent but will need a few young players with little playing experience to step up their game and fill holes left by departing veterans. This defense can be a top-level fantasy team if they play to their potential. Veterans such as Jason Taylor, Daryl Gardener, Zach Thomas, Derrick Rodgers, Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain and Brock Marion is one heck of a base to build on and young players such as Morlon Greenwood and Arturo Freeman are ready to become excellent players. The defense should have little problem ending up in the top ten fantasy teams at seasons end with a solid upside to boot. Coaching Many NFL fans scoffed when the Dolphins hired Dave Wannstedt a few seasons back. Not only has he proved his critics wrong, he has taken an older, underachieving team and turned the ship around so the team is built on younger talent with more hunger to do well. Wannstedt has proven himself to be one of the best coaches in the game. A welcome addition to the Dolphins staff is offensive guru, Norv Turner who will turn Ricky Williams into a stud and Jay Fiedler into a consistence presence in the backfield. The coaching staff is solid all around and will keep the team playing at a playoff level. Intangibles This team has a couple of obvious intangibles. The first one is Ricky Williams and his wanted to prove himself to his new team. The entire offense will be keyed around him and for the first time in his career, he will have an offensive game plan that helps his style of play. Another one is the team's drive and determination to not fizzle out in the playoffs. The entire team is hungry for more and that will help the team reach the next level of play. |