Will Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle be reliable fantasy performers? – NFL Nation

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins‘ offense seems utterly revamped on paper, with an infusion of playmakers on the ability positions led by receivers Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson, and working backs Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds.

Add within the hiring of offensive-minded head coach Mike McDaniel, and the Dolphins’ assault, which ranked twenty fourth in offensive anticipated factors added final season, must be improved in almost each side.

That may translate to extra victories, however from a fantasy perspective, Miami’s finest gamers might show unpredictable because the staff’s scheme adjusts week by week.

On ESPN platforms, Hill is being drafted as WR7 and final season’s standout rookie Jaylen Waddle is being drafted as WR13. There may be cause to be enthusiastic about at the very least one of many Dolphins’ receivers contemplating what McDaniel did with versatile receiver Deebo Samuel final season because the coordinator in San Francisco.

Samuel broke out in 2021 with 1,405 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns, including one other 365 yards and eight touchdowns on the bottom. Although McDaniel lauded Waddle’s yards-after-catch capability shortly after being employed in January, it was unclear if he would ask Waddle, who had two carries final season, to fill a Samuel-type position in Miami this season.

Then the Dolphins traded for Hill (league-best 20 touchdowns of 50-plus yards since 2016) in March, and it appeared like they discovered their do-it-all gadget participant — or at the very least the closest factor to it. Hill has averaged 7.7 yards and scored six speeding TDs on 93 profession carries.

“There’s in all probability going to be some overlap to a point,” McDaniel mentioned. “However Deebo Samuel advanced into that position due to each circumstance and due to ability set whereas in San Francisco. I anticipate no distinction, actually, with Tyreek, the place we’re going to begin with the foundational components of the receiver place.

“I promise you we’re not going to restrict — or we will proceed the method of growing him and the Miami Dolphins soccer staff.”

Whereas Hill ought to dwell as much as his WR7 common draft place, what must be anticipated from Waddle?

The 49ers’ No. 2 receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, completed final season with 826 yards and 5 touchdowns on 56 catches — good for WR35 in ESPN fantasy leagues. Waddle is a greater receiver than Aiyuk, nonetheless, and would not need to share targets with final yr’s TE4, George Kittle.

Waddle was primarily used within the short-to-intermediate a part of the sphere as a rookie, in some methods to make up for the Dolphins’ ineffective run recreation that ranked thirtieth (92.2 yards per recreation). He’ll nonetheless be used on intermediate routes to fabricate house for him to run after the catch, however the hope with McDaniel calling performs is that Waddle shall be ready to take action extra effectively.

Final season, Waddle completed eighth within the NFL in receptions (104), however twenty fifth in yards (1,015) and tied for one hundred and first in yards per catch (9.8). Certainly one of Miami’s main objectives this season should be to maximise Waddle’s abilities.

“I feel it is a completely different staff, a unique scheme,” Waddle mentioned. “Clearly we will work to what we’re good at. I feel Coach McDaniel does a great job of placing gamers in positions to make performs. I belief that he is going to try this all year long.”

Miami tight finish Mike Gesicki (73 catches final season) will siphon targets from Hill and Waddle, however Samuel and Kittle completed among the top 50 flex players in ESPN fantasy leagues final season regardless of mediocre quarterback play from Jimmy Garoppolo, who ranked thirteenth in QBR (53.3), and Kittle lacking three video games.

However for these anticipating Hill to be the following Samuel as a receiver and rusher, remember the fact that Hill has completed no worse than WR11 in all however one among his six NFL seasons. That is the participant this Dolphins employees traded for, not the second coming of Samuel.

“You do not have a look at it like ‘I want the following Deebo,'” McDaniel mentioned. “Deebo wasn’t discovered by in search of Deebo. You search for good soccer gamers which are dedicated and passionate and possibly that problem you as a coach to see ‘Hey, what different approach can we make the most of this ability set?'”