Best to stay away from remaining Miami backs
The Miami Dolphins made the difficult decision earlier this week to trade Pro Bowl running back Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles. When a deal of that magnitude takes place, it usually means fantasy owners should rush to whomever is set to replace the traded party, pick them up and get them in the lineup.
Not so sure that’s the case this time around.
Ajayi’s backups, Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake, seem like the guys who will see the lion’s share of the rushing opportunities going forward for the Dolphins. And they’re both solid enough backs.
Williams has been with Miami since 2014, and though he’s seen more action as a pass-catcher than a runner, he’s been productive with his touches. As colleague Hal Habib pointed out earlier this week, “Williams had six touchdowns in 58 touches last season, which equates to about one TD every 91/2 times he had the ball.”
Not too shabby.
Drake is faster and more of a home-run hitter, which seems surprising given coach Adam Gase’s apparent frustration with the dearly departed Ajayi’s desire to try to hit a home run with every run, rather than taking the 3 or 4 yards more easily at his disposal. Drake hasn’t seen as much action, though he has shown some spark as a kick returner.
There are two problems, though. First, the two have combined for just one NFL start in their careers — Drake last season. And second, whoever sees more of the ball will still be doing it (1) in Adam Gase and Clyde Christensen’s 32nd-ranked offense and (2) behind the Dolphins’ banged-up and already lessthan-stellar O-line.
So what kind of ceiling can we really expect?
The Raiders allowed a season-high 166 rushing yards to LeSean McCoy and the Bills last week. On average, the Oakland run defense is allowing 120.4 yards a game, 22nd in the NFL.
Gase would kill for numbers like that Sunday night, especially given that the Fins ground game hasn’t come close to hitting that mark this season and is averaging just 76.4 yards a tilt.
And we haven’t even mentioned the fact that we’re not clear on who — Williams or Drake — will lead the way. Perhaps it will be the dreaded running back-by-committee. Maybe Gase will play the hot hand. It’s possible he doesn’t know himself.
“We’ll just kind of see how it goes from here on out,” Gase said Wednesday of his running back situation, “but as for right now, I like the group I’ve got.”
When asked Friday about whether he’s ready to take advantage of the opportunity in front of him, Williams said, “I’ve had great patience from my rookie year to now . ... It’s all about patience and opportunities. I’ve been patient, and opportunities came. Now, what will I do with it?”
That’s the question everyone is asking. And without any clear answer, tossing either Williams or Drake into your fantasy lineup against the Raiders is little better than a complete crap shoot.