What We Saw: Week 2

New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins 

 

Miami Dolphins

 

Quarterbacks

 

• Ryan Fitzpatrick: 11/21, 89 Yards, 0 TDs, 3 Interceptions
• Josh Rosen: 7/18, 97 Yards, 0 TDs, 1 Interception

 

If you used a Dolphins quarterback this week, you are both in a super deep league and a super bad mood. Ryan Fitzpatrick started the game, and he looked like his gunslingin’ self, but maybe a few years past his prime, with some rusty six-shooters. He couldn’t hit anything but the Patriot’s defense, as showcased by his completion rate barely above fifty percent, also absorbing three interceptions on his daily resume, before being lifted for Josh Rosen. Rosen didn’t fare much better, but at that point the Patriots had the momentum, entirely demoralizing the Dolphins fanbase and 53 man roster. There is not much to glean from this squad in terms of a quarterback for fantasy, and if you want to pull anything of the position for Miami, it’s that Rosen will likely get his chance to continue starting sooner rather than later. Rosen has potential, so keep an eye on this as the year progresses, but don’t expect much for weeks, if not the season.

In if you want a solid laugh, watch a fast-play version of the two pick-six plays made by Miami, then followed by a pass finally on the mark towards the end of the game that ends up giving a fly on the windshield in terms of ball-on-facemask throw donking Jakeem Grant. This was a painful one.

 

Running Backs

 

• Kenyan Drake: 6 carries, 19 yards | 6 targets, 5 receptions, 29 yards
• Mark Walton: 3 carries, 15 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 12 yards
• Ryan Fitzpatrick: 1 carry, 6 yards
• Kalen Ballage: 4 carries, 6 yards | 5 targets, 1 reception, 6 yards
• Jakeem Grant: 1 carry, -4 yards

 

Oh well, uh, this was none too beautiful either. Continuing to live in squalor, Fitzpatrick averaged the highest yards per carry today in this matchup. Kenyan Drake again continues to lead the backfield, even while in meager overall carries, as the Dolphins again find themselves quickly behind the carriage, removing themselves from the running game early and attempting to build their air game. While his yards per carry averages over the first two weeks are just slightly over 3, Drake is the clear workhorse back if Miami ever gets their play together. The problem arises from the fact that with Miami having a pretty putrid team on paper, something under-discussed before drafts is how little they may spend running the ball, as they attempt to take it to the air while in a huge point deficit. Once again we also see the Dolphins attempt to make Kalen Ballage a thing, hoping to find something similar to how he looked in the preseason, either to move him in a trade or move Drake, attempting to move their third straight starting rushing leader.

Like the quarterbacks, I am avoiding this running game unless I can buy extremely low on Drake (potentially under top 25/30 running backs), and see if I can sit on him until his value separates or someone in that backfield is traded or cut.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

 

• Preston Williams: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 63 yards
• Durham Smythe: 1 target, 1 reception, 24 yards
• Jakeem Grant: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 22 yards
• Allen Hurns: 2 targets, 1 reception, 13 yards
• Mike Gesicki: 2 targets, 1 reception, 11 yards
• Nick O’Leary: 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards
• Devante Parker: 7 targets, 0 receptions, 0 yards

 

Down 13 at the half and 23 by the third quarter, a lot of the air yards could be seen as air-out plays, attempting to play catch up and failing, but Preston Williams may well be something. Undrafted out of Colorado State, the 6 foot 5 monster has proven he has staying power, quickly outplaying zero catch noteworthies like Devante Parker or even one of their more known free agency pickups in Allen Hurns, who only saw one catch on 2 targets. Williams caught 66 percent of his passes he was targeted on, from two erratic and pressing quarterbacks. IF Williams is on waivers, I’d give him a back of bench flyer, and I’d even be willing to trade a low-end top 40 wide receiver for him if someone is afraid of wading in the nuclear Fallout that is Miami professional football.

 

New England Patriots

 

Quarterback

 

• Tom Brady: 20/28, 264 Yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

 

HE IS TOO OLD. OVER THE HILL. Does this sound like something we’re supposed to be saying about Tom Brady, but instead could Mad-Lib that section out and replace with Ryan Fitzpatrick, because Brady is sucking out football souls to fuel his career like gridiron Betty White. 20 for 26, Brady looked in control the whole game, while also avoiding letting preseason phenom Jarret Stidham, as we may once again be seeing a backup quarterback spending his whole rookie contract watching the best quarterback of the last couple decades, maybe ever, finish up his career in front of him. Solid seat to watch it from.

Brady connected to seven different receivers and looked in total control doing so. As is the case over the last few years, he may not exactly be the best quarterback to play in a fantasy league, as the game scheme may just call for slow clock play and consistent rushing between the roughly 15 running backs they currently have, but Brady could be a sneaky top 5 to 7 finishing quarterback if he remains on this trajectory, while also adding incredible pieces like the returning from rehab Josh Gordon or traded in enigma, Antonio Brown. OH HEY! Julian Edelman is still potentially the best pair of hands in the National Football League. Wow.

 

Running Backs

 

• Sony Michel: 21 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD
• Rex Burkhead: 5 carries, 21 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 47 yards
• James White: 3 carries, 10 yards | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 19 yards, 1 TD
• Antonio Brown: 1 carry, 5 yards
• James Develin: 2 carries, 3 yards
• Tom Brady: 2 carries, 1 yard, 1 TD
• Julian Edelman: 1 carry, 1 yard

 

Sony Michel came home, with a list of names. I sure hope they were coaches who could help him with his abysmal showing, coming out of Week 1, averaging under 1 yard a carry and being completely outplayed by James White and Rex Burkhead in the backfield. Not going to lie, as someone who has Michel in a few leagues, notably my family and friends league I have gone back to back as runner up, there’s nothing I want more than to hit a gold mine at a middle of the draft back, as we all know it can make the difference between a championship or not. Michel brought a box of tools and manipulated the Dolphins consistently on the ground today, hitting between the tackles, and even squeezing his way in for a short-yardage touchdown before the Patriots fully settled in. Burkhead did his usual thing, spelling those in need of rest, while White once again goes mostly out as a dominant wide receiver. While the Patriots look amazing and obviously will regress to the average, Michel will continue to contend for goal-line carries and is capable of some end zone rushes. My lone worry is that he is not a great receiver out of the backfield, therefore limiting his case to be a top-five running back, but he should gain you his top 15 value you drafted him with. White is the best option for points per reception, so continue to use him until the wheels fall off.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

• Antonio Brown: 8 targets, 4 receptions, 56, 1 TD
• Julian Edelman: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 51 yards
• Phillip Dorsett: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 39 yards
• Matt LaCosse: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 33 yards
• Josh Gordon: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 19 yards

 

This game played out as a total variety pack, as Brady found himself connecting on 20 passes to 7 different receivers, looking to Antonio Brown on 8 targets, and catching as many passes as Brady’s personal favorite, Julian Edelman. Brown toe tapped his feet on the left end zone edge, starting up a high-velocity game, as the Patriots didn’t slow down from the minute Brown boomed his way into the front row of the stands. Entertaining and precise, Brady continued to show poise, hitting White on one scoring drive in a touch screen pass that was thrown so slowly and high in the air to the edge of the end zone I almost questioned if I had hit the pause button on my television. Almost too many mouths to feed, Josh Gordon and James White both took back seats to Antonio Brown, and some extra love to Rex Burkhead, proving that the only true consistent fantasy weapons from the week into week out is Tom Brady and Julian Edelman.

 

–Matt Bevins