You came to the right place for all of your fantasy football start/sit needs. Week 18 has a critical matchup between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets that will also affect your fantasy championships. We’re here to project how the tough decisions will play out so you can bring home your fantasy-league trophy.
Two key playmakers to watch this week between the Dolphins and Jets are running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. Let’s dive into whether you should start Mostert and Wilson against New York.
Should You Start Raheem Mostert vs. the Jets?
We’ve seen some shocking performances throughout this fantasy season, and Mostert’s 136-yard showing against the Buffalo Bills in Week 10 is amongst the top. Mostert, who appeared to immediately lose the starting job to Wilson after the latter was acquired from the 49ers at the trade deadline, had only one game above 65 yards since Week 7.
Though Mostert is 180 rushing yards away from hitting 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, his volume suddenly dropped over the last two weeks despite close games. He totaled 17 carries over the last two weeks, with his biggest contribution coming last week as a receiver with eight receptions, 62 yards, and his first touchdown since Week 10.
He’ll also be playing with either third-string rookie Skylar Thompson, who has looked awful in his limited playing time, or Mike Glennon, who was just signed off the street this week.
Despite durability concerns entering the season, Mostert has been quite impressive. Everyone knew how fast Mostert is in the open field, but his power has helped him create yards after contact. He ranks 26th in yards created thanks to his 46 evaded tackles. Mostert’s far from an elite back, but he’s been more than the expected serviceable contributor Miami signed him to be.
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Starting Mostert in fantasy leagues is risky, though. Miami’s dedication to the running game wanes in the fourth quarter despite their need to run some clock. It’s a coin flip as to whether he’ll score a touchdown or get 50+ total yards based on his last seven games.
The matchup against New York is fairly favorable. The Jets are an average rushing defense, giving up 93.2 yards on the ground. It’s likely they’ll be able to key in on Miami’s running game with Tua Tagovailoa out for Miami.
But will the Dolphins commit to the run and give Mostert the most valuable carries? Wilson has seven more red-zone carries than Mostert this season, so it’s a dicey proposition.
If you have these two backs and must start one of them, then Mostert is the better play because he’s been the featured runner over the last two games. However, I wouldn’t bench a featured playmaker for Mostert since he hasn’t been consistently utilized in this offense.
Should You Start Jeff Wilson Jr. vs. the Jets?
After initially looking like a considerable acquisition for Miami when he combined for 170 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards in his first two games with the team, Wilson has recently faded in his role with the Dolphins.
Wilson’s fantasy outlook was more promising just a few weeks ago before he logged 14 carries from Weeks 13 through 16. His Week 17 performance against New England brought more volume, but totaling 45 rushing yards and 31 receiving yards on 18 touches isn’t enough for fantasy managers.
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The surprising part of Mike McDaniel’s scheme has been the lack of involvement in the passing game. Wilson is an especially solid pass catcher but has only 10 receptions on 22 targets since joining the franchise. I think that’s an area in which Miami could do a better job of creating easy offensive production. Fantasy managers would also benefit in that regard.
Wilson at least becomes a low-end option for fantasy managers this week after he regained a significant load of the backfield split last week. The Jets are vulnerable to receiving backs more than rushers, giving up almost 40 yards a game on five receptions. Though Wilson isn’t a recommended play because he has a limited red-zone upside, it’s possible he could pay off for you if you’re in a desperate situation.