New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins
Jets head coach Adam Gase’s first trip to Miami since being fired by the Dolphins last year seemed like a great opportunity for the Jets to get right offensively. The Jets started strong, driving 80 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive before driving again but missing a field goal on the second drive. But from there it was downhill for the Jets offense, as the Dolphins scored 21 straight points. The Dolphins did give five of those points back by allowing a safety that led to a Jets field goal to end the half, but the Jets would never seriously threaten to retake the lead and the Dolphins held on for their first win of the season, also winning the time of possession battle 31:14 compared to 28:46 for the Jets.
New York Jets
Quarterback
- Sam Darnold: 27/39, 260 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 3 carries, 1 yard
Sam Darnold started strong today and looked to have put his recent struggles behind him as he led the Jets to an opening drive touchdown that he capped with a 12-yard throw to Jamison Crowder. Darnold looked solid through much of the first half until throwing an awful interception in the red zone in the last minute of the half. Darnold was moving to his left on a designed roll-out and was about to be sacked before he threw the ball right to a Miami defender. Darnold was sacked three times and was under pressure frequently, and as the game went on he seemed progressively less comfortable in the pocket. Late in the game with the Jets desperately in need of points, they snapped the ball before Darnold was ready, leading to the ball sailing past him into the end zone for a safety which ended any real chance the Jets had for a comeback. It would be unfair to blame Darnold for everything that went wrong for the Jets offense today, but he struggled in what should have been an incredibly easy matchup. Darnold was probably nothing more than a streaming option in one-quarterback leagues before this week, but after this performance, it’s probably better to look elsewhere for a quarterback fill-in going forward.
Running Backs
- Le’Veon Bell: 17 carries, 66 yards | 9 targets, 8 receptions, 55 yards
- Bilal Powell: 2 carries, 16 yards
Le’Veon Bell handled almost all of the backfield work after reportedly almost being traded earlier this week. His signature patience behind the line of scrimmage and receiving abilities were both on display today but his production was limited by the overall ineffectiveness of the Jets offense, particularly their offensive line. There also did not seem to be as much of an emphasis on getting Bell the ball as we may have expected coming into this matchup. He picked up a few receptions after the game was pretty much decided, and they did not force the ball to him at the goal line. Bell’s volume and talent make him a locked-in start at running back every week, but his fantasy upside will remain capped until the Jets offense improves.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Jamison Crowder: 9 targets, 8 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD
- Robby Anderson: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 33 yards
- Demaryius Thomas: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 19 yards
- Ryan Griffin: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 50 yards
Jamison Crowder was heavily involved early, including a touchdown on the first drive, and did most of his damage on his typical short and intermediate routes. On his touchdown, he was wide open running an out route thanks to a well-designed natural pick play. He seems to be Sam Darnold’s favorite target and is a good flex option, particularly in PPR leagues. Robby Anderson was not heavily involved, but the routes he runs typically take longer to develop and the offensive line was not giving Darnold the time to look that far down the field. He did have one route in particular where he got open but Darnold just missed him for what could have been a big game. Ryan Griffin had a strong game at tight end and appeared to have caught a touchdown in the first half before replay overturned his catch. Darnold likes to utilize his tight end, so Griffin should be useable as a streaming option until Chris Herndon returns from injury. Once Herndon returns, Griffin may have played well enough to force a timeshare situation, but if either player emerged as the unquestioned starter they would be valuable for fantasy.
Miami Dolphins
Quarterback
- Ryan Fitzpatrick: 24/36, 288 yards, 3 TDs | 5 carries, 2 yards
Ryan Fitzpatrick seems to be good for a few games a season where he looks like a good quarterback, and he had one of those games today against a weak Jets secondary. Fitzpatrick showed a lot of trust in his receivers, particularly Preston Williams, and had no hesitation throwing the ball into tight windows or making back-shoulder throws and trusting his guy to go make a play. His touchdown throws were all pretty routine plays, highlighted by a nice back-shoulder throw to DeVante Parker at the front corner of the end zone, and Fitzpatrick had a lot of success attacking the sideline coverages of the Jets. The Jets defense is a favorable matchup for any quarterback, but it was encouraging for the fantasy value of the Dolphins to see them take advantage of this spot. Fitzpatrick’s value in one quarterback leagues is limited to being a streamer in favorable matchups like this one was, or as a cheap option in DFS formats.
Running Backs
- Mark Walton: 12 carries, 29 yards | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 12 yards
- Kalen Ballage: 7 carries, 19 yards | 1 target, 0 receptions
The Dolphins were unable to get much going on the ground, and given the success, they were having through the air they did not make running the ball a priority as the game went on. Mark Walton saw most of the work and looked decent, if unremarkable. His involvement as a pass-catcher is a good sign for his fantasy value, especially since touchdowns will probably be hard to come by for him in this offense. Kalen Ballage saw some involvement but has been relegated to a complementary role behind Walton. Walton should be in the weekly flex conversation going forward, but his ceiling is probably pretty low unless he sees a major uptick in receiving work.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Preston Williams: 9 targets, 5 receptions, 72 yards, 2 TDs
- DeVante Parker: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 57 yards, 1 TD
- Jakeem Grant: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 33 yards
- Albert Wilson: 2 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards
- Mike Gesicki: 6 targets, 6 receptions, 95 yards
Preston Williams had a strong fantasy day and could have scored even more points if not for several drops including one in the end zone. Williams made several contested catches and was able to use his frame to create space from the defensive backs to secure the ball. One of his touchdowns he was wide open after a miscommunication from the defensive backs, but his second was a nice catch in traffic on a slant route between two defenders. Williams briefly left the game with a wrist injury, only to return and injure his knee. He was carted to the locker room after leaving the field, and it was unclear how severe his injury was. It would not be a surprise for the Dolphins to approach his injury with extreme caution given their record, but if he returns from this injury he has emerged as at least a flex option, particularly in easy matchups. Should Williams miss any time DeVante Parker would be the obvious beneficiary, and Parker also played well today. He had a long reception called back for offensive pass interference, but otherwise, he was solid and made a nice catch on his touchdown reception. Mike Gesicki looked great today, and while it’s too early to know if this is just a flash of his upside or the start of his breakout he makes for an interesting waiver add given the nature of the tight end position. He looked like an athletic mismatch for the Jets defense, particularly on a long reception down the sideline where he simply outran the linebacker tasked with covering him. Jakeem Grant had a few plays designed for him but remains best used as a dart throw in DFS formats, if you use him at all, thanks to his ability to break a big play on any given touch.
- Dan Adams