Miami Dolphins DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has an enticing Week 5 matchup in a road tilt against the New England Patriots. Waddle -- along with the other Dolphins skill players -- has been one of the more disappointing fantasy assets through the first month of the season as his team works through their offensive challenges down their starting (Tua Tagovailoa [concussion]) and backup (Skylar Thompson [ribs]) quarterbacks. However, New England's defense presents as an excellent opportunity for a bounce-back effort. The Patriots have been porous against opposing passing attacks through four weeks, allowing the fourth-most pass yards per play. Additionally, the Dolphins could be forced into a pass-heavy script, as New England has been one of the better teams at stopping the run. While it hasn't translated to on-field production, the 25-year-old has been one of the better separators in the league, garnering an "OPEN" score of 76 per ESPN analytics -- a top-six score in the NFL and ten points better than his running-mate Tyreek Hill. Waddle is RotoBaller's PPR WR44 in this week's rankings.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has a juicy matchup lined up this Sunday when his team hits the road to square off against their division-rival New England Patriots. The veteran speedster has seen his production dip over the last few outings since a massive seven-catch, 130-yard performance in the team's season opener. Not only has Hill had his offensive woes with quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) and Skylar Thompson (ribs) shelved due to injury. Also, Miami has faced three top-six defenses regarding net passing yards per play since then. Everything is working against the 30-year-old wideout, but he'll have an opportunity to get right against a New England defense that has been beaten by the pass all season. Touchdowns might be tough to come by, with the Pats allowing 21.8 points per outing, but the 1,016 passing yards they've let up are the sixth-most in the NFL. Hill is the WR28 this week in RotoBaller's Week 5 PPR rankings, with as good a chance as any to bounce back before Miami's Week 6 bye.

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane will have his work cut out for him this week when the team takes on the New England Patriots in Foxborough. The second-year back started the season off hot with back-to-back seven-catch games and 20+ fantasy-point outings. However, he's cooled over the last few weeks, with Miami posting just 15 total points combined over the two contests. New England has been one of the more stout defenses against opposing rushing attacks thus far, allowing just 4.0 YPC -- the seventh-best mark in the league. Despite this, the Texas A&M product could still leave his mark on this game if he can recapture his work in the passing game from early September. The Patriots' D has been easier to throw on this year, letting up the sixth-most yards and fourth-most yards per play (7.1) through the air, and that's likely where Miami will have to beat them to succeed. Achane is RotoBaller's PPR RB17 in this week's rankings and projects as an RB2 with upside.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) is on the Injured Reserve list after suffering another scary-looking concussion in the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Despite the concern after suffering yet another head injury, the belief is Tagovailoa is expected to return when he's eligible in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals. "[Tua] has been symptom-free and he has been meeting with neurologists," NFL insider Adam Schefter said. "And I don't believe that anybody's told him anything right now to dissuade him from wanting to play." Tagovailoa has missed two games so far and will be required to miss the Week 5 game against the New England Patriots. The team goes on a bye in Week 6 before a game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7. Fantasy managers with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De'Von Achane are likely to have to deal with a lack of production from those three stars for now, but based on the latest information, it would be surprising if Tagovailoa does not return to start later this month.

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright toted the rock nine times for 32 yards in the team's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans, failing to bring in his lone target. The rookie running back averaged 3.2 YPC on his nine touches, out-gaining backfield mate De'Von Achane on his ten carries (1.5 YPC). For the second week in a row, Wright has been the more efficient runner than Achane, albeit on fewer touches. It's unclear what type of role the fourth-round pick will have when running back Raheem Mostert (chest) returns to the field. However, no Dolphins skill player can be trusted for fantasy purposes in this version of the team's offense. They'll square off against one of the better defensive matchups in their Week 5 outing when they hit the road and travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots. Despite this, Wright is not in consideration for fantasy managers, and the remaining Dolphins' offensive pieces will continue to receive downgrades until (if) quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) returns from injured reserve.