The Miami Dolphins will face the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Dolphins skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB
Updated at 1:30 PM ET on Saturday, December 28
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Tagovailoa has been downgraded to doubtful for Sunday’s game at Cleveland due to a hip injury. Tagovailoa still is pushing to play Sunday, but if he can’t, Tyler Huntley would be in line to replace him.
Tua Tagovailoa is far from a perfect fantasy quarterback. He doesn’t run (two rushing yards thus far in December), and he doesn’t stretch the field through the air. Instead, he relies fully on his playmakers to do the heavy lifting.
That’s not a profile I make a habit of investing in, especially with one of those pieces (Jaylen Waddle) battling a knee injury, but I think this has the potential to be the week — the week where you cash a nice DFS lineup courtesy of an explosive Dolphins game at low ownership.
Think about it.
Tagovailoa is unlikely to attract ownership for the reasons mentioned above. He’s also not in great form (411 passing yards with more interceptions than touchdowns over the past two weeks), and this game is being played in the Northeast.
But wait.
Is a warm front coming up the coast for the week?
But wait.
Do the Browns rank 31st in deep pass interception rate and 32nd in yards per short completion?
If either the Chargers or Broncos lose this week (both play before Miami is scheduled to kick off), the Dolphins will still have postseason life. It would be little more than a pulse, but that heart would still be beating if one of those things happens, thus giving us a high-motivation spot against a defense that is playing out the string (all four losses during their current skid have come by multiple scores).
Interesting.
Obviously, I’d prefer Waddle be healthy and to get a Denver loss on Saturday to ensure these things, but the more ambiguity that takes place, the more I like the odds of getting a condensed passing game with upside at a very low cost.
Tentative Main Slate Soppe DFS Lineup
- QB – Tua Tagovailoa
- RB – Jonathan Taylor
- RB – Jerome Ford
- WR – Tyreek Hill
- WR – Jayden Reed
- WR – Adam Thielen
- TE – Chig Okonkwo
- FLEX – Jalen McMillan
- D/ST – Indianapolis Colts
Let’s pay off some Christmas debt!
De’Von Achane, RB
De’Von Achane is just the second running back over the past three seasons to have a four-game streak with at least seven targets and seven rush attempts, joining Alvin Kamara (Weeks 4-9 earlier this season).
He fits this Tua Tagovailoa-led offense like a glove, and there’s no reason to pivot now. The efficiency on the ground hasn’t been close to what we saw a season ago, but the spike in usage through the air has more than compensated for that.
Achane has been a top-15 producer at the position in six straight games, and that feels like a near lock to continue through this week. The tricky part will be projecting for 2025 — do we middle his efficiency and keep the receiving role as is? If that’s the path you take, we are talking about a running back who is an unquestionable first-round pick.
Jaylen Wright, RB
It’s fair to question how Jaylen Wright has been used this season (65 touches), but that’s not going to change anything. I’m of the belief that we could see him carve out a Jaylen Warren-like role next season, but that’s a projection to battle in June — he’s not helping you win a title over the next few weeks unless Miami elects to call his number if/when mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.
Raheem Mostert, RB
When this game kicks off, we will be more than two months removed from Raheem Mostert’s last touchdown; not a sentence I thought I’d type following a 21-score 2023 campaign, but here we are.
There is no reason to look Mostert’s way this week; his story should serve as a good reminder that every season is its own entity. Production from the past is certainly something to consider, but overweighing it will land you a great 2024 team and out of the 2025 playoff picture.
Jaylen Waddle, WR
Updated at 7:30 AM ET on Sunday, December 29
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Waddle, listed as questionable with a knee injury, is not expected to play today.
Jaylen Waddle seems to get dinged up consistently, and an ailing knee held him out of Week 16’s win. Malik Washington stepped into his role and gave Miami all of 28 yards, so I don’t think you’re at any risk of losing looks should he return to action.
This is a read-and-react situation for me. There’s a decent chance the Dolphins will be eliminated from playoff contention by kickoff, and that would obviously impact Waddle’s appeal should he get in some work in practice this week.
That said, IF he clears all medical hurdles and IF Miami remains alive in the playoff rate, I’ll be labeling Waddle as a top-35 receiver. He’s had plenty of bumps in his road this season, but in a matchup against a defense that allows the fourth-most YAC to the position and ranks dead last in both yards per attempt and per completion to the slot this season, there’s a path to viable PPR production.
Tyreek Hill, WR
Updated at 7:30 AM ET on Sunday, December 29
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Hill, listed as questionable with a wrist injury, should play today.
Tyreek Hill hasn’t had a catch gaining more than 30 yards since Week 1 and has caught just five of 14 targets over the past two weeks after pulling in 10 of his 14 looks against the Jets in Week 14. We spent a first-round pick on him this summer, hoping for groundbreaking games — we aren’t even getting flashes of it these days.
The short touchdown last week was nice, a little sprint out that seems close to uncoverable if the defense isn’t 100% willing to sell out, and gives him five in his past seven games, but that’s allowing him to stay afloat for fantasy managers instead of dominate.
I doubt you have three receivers I’d rather play, but I suppose it’s not impossible. In theory, this is as good a spot as any to break out – the Browns have intercepted deep passes at the second-lowest rate this season, so why not try?
You’re playing Hill, even if it’s not as comfortable as we had hoped. There aren’t expected to be any weather issues, so I’ll refrain from spamming you with “Tua in the cold” numbers. I’ve already bet this game to go over the total; if I cash that ticket, I feel good about the position of all fantasy teams with Hill exposure.
Jonnu Smith, TE
Since 2021, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Jonnu Smith are the only tight ends with a dozen PPR points in six straight games. I’m not calling him Tom Brady, but like the GOAT, Smith is breaking all sorts of age curves.
An age-29 career year?
At this point in the season, I’m past asking questions and just impressed by the profile. Smith has earned at least a 24% share of targets when he’s on the field in four of his past five games and has found stability in this quick-strike offense.
Smith’s athletic gifts were initially his calling card, but with just three games of 50+ air yards, I like his fit in Miami’s offense more than the hope for him to make a play down the field. We are looking at one of the cheat codes for successful fantasy teams in 2024—there’s no reason to shy away now with your season on the line!