Dolphins at Buccaneers
Can it be September yet? The ‘Phins took a short trip up to Tampa for a few practices and a preseason game. The constant rain and uncharacteristically cloudy weather in Florida kept the teams inside for most of the week. Luckily the weather held for the game and the matchup had plenty to see. What’s the deal with the Buccaneers’ backfield? Will we see more Jameis Winston? How will Fitzpatrick fare against his old team?
Miami Dolphins
Quarterback
- Josh Rosen: 10/18, 102 yards
- Ryan Fitzpatrick: 3/9, 20 yards
Josh Rosen got the start which is an… interesting decision. It was a bit of a surprise seeing Rosen out there first considering Ryan Fitzpatrick is still atop the Dolphins’ QB depth chart last time I checked. Rosen had a pretty strong start but his first series was cut short when his receiver dropped a ball that was right on his hands. He racked up more completions, especially in the second quarter, but many of them seemed to be short passes down the middle on slants and crossing routes designed for Rosen’s current comfort level. I was never impressed when he tried to target the numbers or go deep.
Fitzpatrick started with ballsy throws that weren’t very successful. He had a slow start with the Bucs defense bringing the pressure early and often. Overall it seems like Rosen is on the rise considering Fitzpatrick didn’t even finish the game.
Running Back
- Kalen Ballage: 1 carry, 9 yards
- Patrick Laird: 7 carries, 51 yards, 2 catches, 16 yards, 1 TD
We didn’t get a chance to see many of the likely Dolphins’ 2019 starters. Perhaps this was because of Kenyan Drake’s recent foot injury and likely extended absence. It seemed the ‘Phin’s weren’t risking important injuries because they limited Kalen Ballage to only one carry, though that one carry was an impressive nine-yard gain. I particularly enjoyed watching Patrick Laird tonight–although his production could have mostly come from preseason garbage time. He showed great versatility while averaging 7.3 yards per carry and staying active in the passing attack.
Wide Receiver/ Tight End
- Kenny Stills: 2 receptions, 16 yards
- Preston Williams: 1 reception, 7 yards
Kenny Stills had a nice catch-and-run on a screen play that looked like it was designed specifically for him. I wish we could have seen more of him in this one as many fantasy players are hoping Stills can breakout this year. I think the play designed for Stills and his limited touches say a lot about how important he will be to the Dolphins in 2019.
Preston Williams was targeted six times but he didn’t manage much. One ball was right in his hands and another was a fantastic catch on a circus ball that bounced off a cornerback. The latter would have been an amazing touchdown but he barely stepped out of bounds before the catch.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
- Jameis Winston: 2/4, 24 yards, 1 rush, 5 yards
- Blaine Gabbart: 5/12, 42 yards, 1 rush, 6 yards
- Ryan Griffin: 12/17, 156 yards, 1 TD
Jameis Winston got the start, but he only had one series tonight. I wish I could report that Winston looks like a new quarterback and will take the league by storm this year, but all we really saw was more of the same from him–granted there wasn’t much of a sample size to extrapolate from. His first throw was well over Evans’ head but the wet conditions could have had something to do with that. In typical Winston fashion, he then threw a nice ball to his tight end.
It’s pretty clear that Winston has the starting job for Tampa Bay locked up this year. Blaine Gabbart came in after one Winston series and was pretty terrible. He was so terrible that Ryan Griffin looked competent coming on after him.
Running Back
- Ronald Jones: 2 carries, 7 yards
- Peyton Barber: 2 carries, 5 yards
- Dare Ogunbowale: 13 carries, 34 yards, 3 catches, 54 yards
- Andre Ellington: 6 carries, 15 yards, 4 catches, 14 yards
Ronald Jones was receiving the early kickoffs but Peyton Barber technically got the start. Barber started with a few short gains then Jones came in with a great 10-yard gain that was much more impressive. Andre Ellington showed poor awareness on his fumble. He turned around much too late for a check-down pass and barely had the ball in his hands as he turned upfield. He definitely had a better night in the passing game than he did running. Dare Ogunbowale got the bulk of the carries and looks to be a serviceable number two should one of Jones or Barber go down. His 3.4 yard average wasn’t too shabby and he had a nice gain while backed up against the Buccaneers’ own endzone.
Wide Receiver/ Tight End
- O.J. Howard: 1 reception, 16 yards
- Cameron Brate: 1 reception, 8 yards
- Bobo Wilson: 2 receptions, 48 yards
- Tanner Hudson: 6 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TD
With the likes of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin the Bucs already know who their top three receivers will be. Unfortunately there was no clear tight end frontrunner against the Dolphins. It seems O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate will continue to split touches and therefore opportunities for the foreseeable future.
Most of the young guys are battling it out for those four, five and six positions that just aren’t fantasy relevant. It’s possible one or two of these guys turns into a daily boom-or-bust type play but it isn’t likely. Bobo Wilson had a WIDE open catch for a large gain. The open space allowed him to showcase some impressive speed. Tanner Hudson was pretty busy tonight as well. He had a great touchdown catch last week and got another against the Dolphins tonight. He also had a few nice grabs in the final drive to set up the game-winning field goal.
Something to Note
The Buccaneers and Dolphins both came out with some stout defenses. I know it’s preseason and the defenses may not get many exotic looks but both of these teams were stingy tonight. This is partly why most of the quarterback and wide receiver stats were lacking.
— Ryan Kruse
Haven’t played fantasy football in awhile just wondering…besides actual talent which positions should be drafted in the early rounds? Not sure I trust ANY bears fans to give advice but I’ll go with my gut for now.
Haha, thanks for reading Aaron. In the first 4 rounds I will only draft RB and WR and I base my choices on whoever is the best player available at the moment (even if the means I get 3 rb and only 1 wr or vice versa). Travis Kelce will likely go in the 2nd round and I personally would take him at the start of the third. Typically, I’ll draft a TE in the 7th or 8th round. I’ll then go for my QB somewhere in rounds 8-10. Hope this helps!