Miami Dolphins DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington will most certainly take a back seat in their Week 18 matchup. Jaylen Waddle (knee) was a full practice participant on Friday and looks more likely than not to play on Sunday. Miami will travel in Week 18 to take on the New York Jets, who rank ninth in total fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this year. That alone diminishes Washington's fantasy value tremendously. Tua Tagovailoa (hip) is also doubtful this week, which means Tyler Huntley would draw the start for the second straight game. With this being a must-win game for Miami, it's safe to assume he won't see a similar snap count he's had with Waddle sidelined. He is best left on the bench for anyone fighting for a fantasy championship.

Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders has been the hottest kicker in all football throughout the second half of the season. He has made 25 straight field goals and is the fifth-ranked kicker in fantasy football. Sanders and the Dolphins will travel to East Rutherford to take on the New York Jets in Week 18. With Tyler Huntley likely the starter, it's not farfetched that Miami could settle for a few field goals this week. The Jets struggle giving up fantasy points to kickers, ranking 31st in fantasy points per game, on top of allowing a 90% field goal percentage. If you're a fantasy manager in need of a kicker for your fantasy championship, he could be a very viable option.

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane will be looking to bounce back as a strong RB1 for fantasy managers in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival New York Jets in a must-win game for Miami. Achane put up a dud for fantasy managers with a 10-carry, 25-yard performance in the win over the Cleveland Browns last week, adding two catches for 13 yards. While that was a frustrating performance for those in championship matchups, the 23-year-old has been a top-10 fantasy RB this year and needs to remain locked into starting lineups this weekend, even with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip) looking likely to miss a second straight game. Achane has seen double-digit carries in all but two games this year and should see as much work as he can handle against the Jets in a game Miami must win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith remains an appealing fantasy option ahead of Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New York Jets. There are many moving parts ahead of the Dolphins' regular-season finale, including the injury statuses of key offensive weapons such as Tua Tagovailoa (hip), Jaylen Waddle (knee), and Tyreek Hill (wrist, illness). As it stands, Tagovailoa is expected to be sidelined, leaving Tyler Huntley as the Dolphins' starting quarterback for the second week in a row. Smith saw a significantly reduced target share with Huntley under center last week, catching three of four targets for 26 yards. He had his lowest target total, reception total, yardage total, and snap share since Week 10. However, he managed to snag a touchdown pass in the win, salvaging his fantasy performance and giving him seven consecutive games with double-digit fantasy points (PPR). He ranks as the overall TE4 this season, and while the insertion of Huntley under center does lower Smith's ceiling and floor, we still view the 29-year-old tight end as a top-eight fantasy option at his position heading into Week 18.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison is on track to lead the backfield in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers. While Mattison had taken a backseat to Ameer Abdullah (foot) lately, Abdullah has already been ruled out for Sunday's contest, leaving Mattison in line to draw the start. The Raiders' only other healthy running backs are rookies Dylan Laube and Chris Collier, who have combined for just four touches throughout the entire 2024 season. We can't rule out Las Vegas giving some extra touches to Laube and Collier so that they can get more film on the rookies, but we still anticipate Mattison getting the bulk of the opportunities out of the backfield. He's facing off against a Chargers defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to running backs in 2024, but the seventh-most receptions. Mattison, who is averaging 2.5 catches and 0.4 touchdowns per game, ranks as a low-end RB2 option in fantasy football as he essentially gets the backfield to himself this week.