Which Dolphins' Fantasy Football Players Should You be Targeting After De'Von Achane? Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and More

Let's dive back into the fantasy football outlook series by going over the Miami Dolphins.

We have looked at the Steelers, Packers, Titans, Panthers, Chiefs, Falcons, Jaguars, Commanders, Texans, Cardinals, Bengals and Lions so far. We will cover other teams in the days and weeks to come, so keep checking back.

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Tua Tagovailoa Fantasy Outlook

Tagovailoa is back for another season as the Dolphins' starting quarterback.

He had another injury-riddled season in 2024, only starting 11 games. Tagovailoa had 2,867 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Tua rushed for 49 yards and no scores on just 17 attempts.

Going into the 2025 season, he's 21st on the FantasySP Average Draft Position list among quarterbacks. He's going at pick 155 on average.

That makes him an option late in standard league drafts, but more often being rostered in deeper leagues. Tagovailoa can be a top-10 fantasy quarterback when healthy, but fantasy owners are mostly out on him after what's happened over the past few seasons.

I'd also try to avoid him in standard leagues, instead looking at him as a possible waiver wire pickup and streaming option if he's turning in strong results this season. He's a fine second quarterback in deeper setups and two-QB leagues, but you need to make sure you have a third quarterback ready to go in case Tagovailoa misses more time this coming season.

Running Back Fantasy Outlook

De'Von Achane will be the team's workhorse back in 2025. Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II are some of the backup options.

Achane is one of the top fantasy backs in the game, and is RB7 and going around pick 12 this season. He was the team's No. 1 fantasy finisher last season, and was the No. 5 fantasy back overall.

Achane played in 17 games last season, which was maybe the most important stat after an 11-game rookie season in 2023. Achane rushed for 907 yards and six scores, but had an additional 592 yards and six scores as a pass catcher.

He's not a typical workhorse back. Achane will get plenty of touches, but not be as battered if he's getting a lot of his work as a pass catcher.

I love getting Achane in the second round of a standard redraft league this season. He has top-10 overall upside, and could outperform his ADP and rank among backs if the Dolphins' offense bounces back overall.

Wright will help out in the running game, as will Gordon. Wright is a second-year player, while Gordon is a rookie.

Wright had 257 total yards and no scores over 15 games and 71 touches as a rookie in 2024. The fourth-round pick should be more involved this season for Miami.

Gordon was a sixth-round pick this offseason, but was a major asset in college, so many are expecting him to enjoy a long and successful NFL career.

Wright is RB55 and is going around pick 164, while Gordon is RB76 and is being drafted around pick 259 on average.

Wright is a borderline standard league option, but I like him more in deeper leagues, just because we don't know how many touches the backup to Achane will get, plus we don't know how things will be divided between Gordon and Wright.

They are both fine options to take in some deeper setups, and I expect both to get on the field at least a decent amount this season. Landing one of them after Achane isn't the worst idea, but again with two guys being options, I don't love the idea of getting the backups.

Wright and Gordon are just lottery tickets really, and you shouldn't be expecting either to be major assets in 2025. If the Dolphins' offense surprises, then maybe one of the backups could be a flex-level option here and there. Achane is going to dominate the backfield as long as he's healthy.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are still a formidable 1-2 punch at wide receiver, even after a down 2024 campaign. Malik Washington is the other projected starter, while Erik Ezukanma, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Dee Eskridge and Tahj Washington are some depth options. Hill and Waddle are going to dominate most of the looks and production though.

Hill is WR12 and is going around pick 28 so far. That's really low compared to the past several seasons, so he's a bounceback candidate and possible draft steal.

Hill still had 1,012 yards and six touchdowns in total last season over 17 games. He dealt with an injury all year and should be healed and ready to bounce back in 2025.

If you like your picks in rounds 1 and 2, then taking Hill late in the third round is a fine option in my eyes. I like him better in the fourth round, and as your second fantasy wideout. I'd still add a few more notable receivers after getting Hill, just in case he can't bounce back in a big way.

Hill should be startable most weeks this coming season, and if he bounces back to his pre-2024 self, then your fantasy team will be set up really well.

Waddle is WR33 and is going around pick 74 on average. 

He also took a step back in 2024, and not just because he only played in 15 games. Waddle had 756 total yards and just two touchdowns.

Not only do we have to worry about another potentially low-scoring season from Waddle (especially if Tagovailoa gets injured again), but now Waddle has dealt with injuries over the past two years, missing five starts in total.

It's not a lot, but even missing a couple games could mean Waddle is a fantasy draft bust again. I still like his value around his current ADP, and wouldn't mind taking him there.

It just seems like there's a better chance at him busting again than there is in him really outperforming that mark. These Miami receivers (and most of the offensive assets) are some of the biggest what-ifs for the upcoming season. I'd be fine taking Waddle if you haven't gambled on too many others to that point of your draft.

Tight End Fantasy Outlook

Jonnu Smith is gone, and the Dolphins replaced him with Darren Waller, who was retired. Julian Hill and Pharaoh Brown are some other depth options.

Waller is TE25 and is going around pick 214 on average so far. He's on the physically unable to perform list right now as he gets back in football shape. That could lead to a slow start this season, and it's why his ADP is trending in the wrong direction so far.

In his last NFL season with the Giants in 2023, Waller had 552 yards and one score over 12 games. He played nine games the season before that and 11 games in 2021. The two seasons before that, Waller had over 1,150 yards in each year and combined for 12 scores.

Don't expect that kind of production out of him after a year off and in this Miami offense. With only Hill and Waddle being proven pass catchers though, Waller could carve out a decent role in time.

To start the year though, he's just a deep-league asset, and a depth one at that. He could become a standard league waiver wire add in time, or at least be streamable here and there. He's a player to keep an eye on, but I don't have very high hopes for him.