The Miami Dolphins will face the Houston Texans in Week 15. 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 15 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB
It’s all happening at the perfect time. Tua Tagovailoa has been a top-10 QB in four straight games (top-five finishes in two of those weeks) and is rounding into the form that we drafted him for this summer.
Last week’s game plan was a concentrated one from the jump and that’s exactly what we want. In the first half against the Jets, Tagovailoa funneled 122 of his 165 passing yards (73.9%) to Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle.
Chef’s kiss.
The Jonnu Smith production came in overtime and with three legitimate pass catchers to compliment the explosive backfield, this is an offense set to peak at the perfect time for us. The Texans allow the fourth-most YAC yards per short completion this season — look for Miami to pick at that scab with bubble screens and, eventually, double moves that open up downfield potential.
I have Tagovailoa ranked as my QB7 — I’m more worried about being too low than too high.
De’Von Achane, RB
This run with Tua Tagovailoa under center has resulted in De’Von Achane’s name being mentioned in the first half of Round 1 when it comes to projecting 2025 redraft results.
Achane’s mix of versatility and explosion is not only rare, but a perfect fit for this offense. On Sunday, he had six touches on Miami’s first eight plays on his way to a fourth straight top-15 finish at the position. He’s successfully graduated from very good player to matchup-proof asset, which is why I’m not sweating him facing the NFL’s fourth-best run defense.
I’ve bet this game to be the highest scoring on the Sunday slate, and I’m not sure you can get too much exposure to it. Enjoy this Achane run — you’re going to have to pay a premium next season if you want to experience this ride again.
Jaylen Wright, RB
The Dolphins have gone all in on the De’Von Achane experience, and while that has rendered Jaylen Wright useless, I still think the rookie should remain rostered.
Raheem Mostert isn’t healthy (hip), and that means that the Achane role if vacated for any reason is all Wright’s. There’s no stand-alone value in this profile — he’s strictly a strategic piece to hold at the end of your roster.
Raheem Mostert, RB
Raheem Mostert was a DNP last week due to a hip injury and can be left on fantasy waiver wires at this point.
Not only is the veteran back battling a predictable injury, he doesn’t have a role available for him. Jaylen Wright has been more involved lately, and with Tua Tagovailoa finding his form through the air, this is an explosive offense that is likely to continue to prioritize De’Von Achane in a significant way.
Mostert’s 2023 stat line was a thing of beauty, but none of those touchdowns are going to help you down the stretch of this season. I’d rather hold onto a Sean Tucker type to conclude the 2024 season.
Jaylen Waddle, WR
The 20.9 PPR points from Jaylen Waddle were encouraging, but the result is not what has my attention. He posted 20.3 expected fantasy points on the back of strong volume (12 targets after averaging five targets per game over his previous six contests) and the elite execution of timing routes was promising (nine catches on 10 targets that came less than 15 yards downfield).
This — this is the Waddle we drafted with confidence over the summer, and those who held onto this stock appear positioned to benefit greatly at the perfect time.
I prefer Tyreek Hill this week by a decent amount (I had them ranked within seven spots last week) because I think he has more of a ceiling upside in a matchup against the best defense in terms of sub-15-air-yard completion percentage, but considering that only the Falcons allow touchdown passes at a higher rate than the Texans this season, there’s enough food for both of these stars to eat.
Tyreek Hill, WR
Tyreek Hill has touched the ball in the red zone in five straight games, has cleared fantasy expectations by at least 10% in four of those contests, and has seen 23 targets in his past two games.
The Cheetah has scored in four of five games and seems to be operating at full strength, something the Dolphins need in the worst way as they cling to their postseason hopes. The Texans are coming off of their bye, but I’m not sure that if you gave this defense a month of time to prepare for a positive-trending Miami offense it would matter.
Slot usage with Tua Tagovailoa (2024)
- Tyreek Hill: 89 routes, 26 targets, and two TDs
- Jaylen Waddle: 92 routes, 15 targets, and zero TDs
Houston allows the fifth-most yards per slot pass attempt this season (8.6) and the fifth-lowest opponent average depth of target when viewing their pass defense as a whole. In four of five games during this 4-1 run for the Dolphins, Hill has posted a single-digit average depth of target — could this be the week-winning, DFS-slate-shifting Hill performance on the fast track?
I’m not going to give away all of the goods, but I have him and Nico Collins as a chalky DFS stack this week — I’ll round the edges of this lineup with value plays elsewhere.
Jonnu Smith, TE
If last week from Jonnu Smith wasn’t the embodiment of the tight end position, I don’t know what is.
The veteran tight end didn’t have a single reception during regulation against the Jets and was a non-factor for over three hours of real-time. After struggling to find any room to operate through four quarters, Smith dominated the overtime period with three catches on eight Miami plays as they kept their playoff hopes alive courtesy of, you guessed it, a 10-yard Smith score.
The veteran tight end has cleared 13 PPR points in four straight games for the first time in his career and has proven capable of earning consistent looks in an offense that has scored 30+ points in three of their past four.
Do I worry that there is a floor to consider here with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both getting on track last week? I do, but his usage in scoring situations for an underdog with an implied point total of over 20 points is enough for him to crack my top 10 this week and for the remainder of the fantasy season.