Bolt Up Fantasy’s Backfield Breakdown: Miami Dolphins
Written By: Damian Paton (@boltupfantasy)
Intro
The Miami Dolphins have arguably had the splashiest offseason of any franchise in the NFL. The team hired a new head coach, former 49ers OC Mike McDaniel, traded for All-Pro WR Tyreek Hill, added talent to the offensive line by bringing in OT Tyron Armstead and OG Connor Williams, and completely revamped their RB group by adding RB Chase Edmonds, RB Raheem Mostert, and RB Sony Michel . All of these moves indicate that Miami is poised to have one of the flashiest offenses in the NFL. Let’s talk about how to view this backfield as a fantasy manager.
Analysis
Edmonds will likely be the lead back to begin the 2022 season. Edmonds was the first running back to sign in free agency and is the highest paid back by a significant margin, as listed below.
Mostert: $2,125,000 annual average
Michel: $1,750,000 annual average
Edmonds: $6,050,000 annual average
(averages per sportrac.com)
I view Edmonds (My RB37) as a great player in bursts, I don’t view him as a true starting RB in the NFL, although he possesses favorable receiving ability. I believe that new HC Mike McDaniel will be creative in his use of Edmonds.
However, Mostert (My RB49) and McDaniel have a history with the 49ers and Mostert has shown to be one of the most explosive players in the league over the last few years. Despite Mostert’s talent, he carries one of the highest injury risks in football. Since 2017, Mostert has appeared in 45 of 81 possible games (55%).
Sony Michel (My RB52) proved to be a competent player when given the opportunity as the Rams starter (11.91 PPG). I believe he has the potential to be the team’s go-to RB in goal-line and short-yardage situations. Of the three, Michel is last as far as being a true scheme fit, as he lacks explosiveness.
Outro
Ultimately, I believe that this offense will feature a balanced amount of attempts split between the three, with Edmonds having a slight edge. I see Edmonds finishing with the most productive and have the highest overall upside. If Mostert is able to remain healthy for a large portion of the season, he has the talent to take a stranglehold over the starting role in this offense. I personally am hedging my bets. As for Sony, I view him as nothing more than a complimentary piece in this backfield that is more likely to be considered a vulture in the fantasy community as opposed to a weekly starting option.
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