The fantasy football landscape shifts each week, bringing fresh opportunities and unexpected challenges that separate the prepared from the pretenders. Savvy managers know that last week’s performance tells only part of the story, and diving deeper into the underlying metrics reveals the accurate picture.
This week presents some intriguing decisions. Here’s insight about key Miami Dolphins players heading into their matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to help you craft a winning lineup.
Quinn Ewers, QB
It wasn’t a work of art from Quinn Ewers in his first career start, that’s for sure, but he did complete 14-of-18 passes on balls thrown under 10 yards downfield.
He cleared 3,400 yards through the air in consecutive seasons at Texas, and I thought we saw some decent things from him despite a 45-21 result in the wrong direction.
The interceptions came when he got too aggressive, and that’s going to happen in a debut. But I thought he largely executed the plan that was handed to him, got Jaylen Waddle as many catches as any of his teammates had targets, and didn’t make the boneheaded play when under pressure (eight pressured dropbacks: four completions and zero turnovers).
He’s a long way away from mattering, but these live reps are good, especially if you think this offense is more talented next season, should he earn a chance to open the season under center.
De’Von Achane, RB
Turn on a Dolphins game for five minutes, and you’ll understand why I spend time gushing about De’Von Achane in this space this week.
Miami is interested in a variety of looks (all three of their running backs touched the ball on the first drive against the Bengals last week), but everything they do is centered around what their RB1 brings to the table.
He caught Quinn Ewers’ first pass last week and cashed in a pitch from 48 yards out on the second drive.
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Catch the pitch, sharp cut, game-breaking speed. Cincinnati didn’t even have it defended; they created traffic in the backfield, but it didn’t matter.
It’s not fancy. It also appears unstoppable over 60 minutes. In all three of his NFL seasons, Achane has scored 11+ touchdowns from scrimmage, and we have a 526-carry sample of him picking up 5.7 yards per carry.
If you wanted to explain away some of his early career success by way of the offensive motion, fine. But he’s still doing it, and this offense hasn’t been anything but ordinary this year.
I’ve got a handful of players in my 1.01 tier, and Miami’s star is on it.
Jaylen Wright, RB
Jaylen Wright got creative work on the first drive by way of an end-around, and it’s clear that this coaching staff, as currently constructed, is interested in how his speed can impact the game.
We will see if that remains the case in 2026, but his 53 yards and a touchdown on 10 touches against the Bengals was another reminder of what he can do when given the opportunity.
In my mind, Ollie Gordon projects as the RB to play next to De’Von Achane, while Wright holds the more valuable role as a direct handcuff who would assume top-20 status should the starter miss time.
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Obviously, the state of this coaching staff could result in some role shuffling, but because I expect to be about as high as anyone on Achane in 2026, you can rest assured that I’ll be investing in Wright with consistency should my impression of his role remain intact through this offseason.
Jaylen Waddle, WR
This is a complicated profile.
With a role change and a QB change, what are we to make of 2025 Jaylen Waddle?
He has seven games with a target share north of 26% this season, an impressive mark with a 13.2-yard aDOT. Quinn Ewers was thrown into the fire this past week, and a half of his first half targets went in Waddle’s direction: there’s a clear trust in what he brings to the table.
Against a Bucs defense that is more vulnerable against the pass than the run, I think you’re flexing Miami’s WR1, even with the risk that comes attached to this limited offense. In the long term, I’m going to let the industry dictate my exposure. I do think the talent is there, but we have a QB situation to navigate, never mind the potential for Tyreek Hill to be a factor.
We’ve seen this offense lean into a run-based scheme, and even with coaching changes, it’s hard to see this team wanting to challenge Josh Allen or Drake Maye in shootouts. My initial feeling is that my current opinion (talented but underwhelming flex) is where I’ll settle for 2026.
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Darren Waller, TE
I can’t decide if Darren Waller is a physical marvel or a product of circumstance. He saw five targets on 18 routes last week against the Bengals and isn’t really being pushed for the secondary role in the passing game (WR/TE) behind Jaylen Waddle.
The quality of the targets is an issue with Quinn Ewers poised to make his second start, but this is a pass-funnel defense that could flip how the Dolphins plan for this game.
I’m still leery of the downside, but if he’s going to be targeted on one of every four routes (22-yard grab on the first drive in Week 16), he’s going to be in the low-end TE1 mix.
