Dolphins Thursday Night Fantasy Football Start/Sit Decisions: Tua Tagovailoa, De'Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle, and More

The Miami Dolphins walk into Thursday Night Football staring at their final chance to salvage their season. They are 2-6, four games back in their division and three back of the final wild card spot.

Miami is probably already done. They were dealing with a lack of impact talent before injuries took away their best offensive player and ran through the offensive line, and it might only get worse as the team plays more games.

The schedule is likely to put an end to their slim hopes, as Miami's next three games are against the Ravens (with Lamar Jackson back), Bills, and Commanders (in Spain) before their bye. The Dolphins need to upset at least two of those teams to get back on track and have a chance to jump back into the playoff race; it doesn't look promising.

In the fantasy world, Miami still has a few players with real value and/or streaming potential in the right matchups. This week against Baltimore looks like a nicer game on paper, as the Ravens have given up the third-most points per game, but their rate stats are closer to the middle, so it might be a little tougher than it seems at first glance.

Use FantasySP's Who Should I Start? tool to compare players and help make your toughest lineup decisions each week!

Quarterback

Tua Tagovailoa

Tagovailoa hasn't been great this year, but he is coming off maybe his best game of the season, throwing for 205 yards on 7.9 per attempt with four touchdowns and no interceptions. That came against Atlanta, who has been one of the best defensive passing teams this year.

Baltimore ranks 13th in most yards per pass attempt allowed, but they have given up the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. That disparity comes from volume (the Ravens have faced the ninth-most pass attempts per game) and giving up 14 passing touchdowns with just two interceptions. They are likely to pick off more passes along the way, ending drives that have otherwise become TDs too often.

That leaves Tua as more of a low-to-mid-level fantasy player this week. There is a little intrigue if you're in a deep league or need to replace your quarterback on bye, but you can probably find a better option in fantasy.

Tua Tagovailoa vs. J.J. McCarthy

The only player Tagovailoa has been compared to often on the start/sit tool is McCarthy, who returns from a five-game absence to retake the starting spot from Carson Wentz, who was lost for the season while filling in for Minnesota.

McCarthy was close to average on a very low volume in his two starts, throwing just 20 and 21 passes and averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. I'm not looking for McCarthy to have too many big days, though he added 50 rushing yards and a touchdown in that span as well.

He plays Detroit this week, a team that's just a little better than average in yards per pass attempt allowed and a little worse than average in fantasy points per game given up to QBs. It's an average matchup, but I'm not excited about counting on McCarthy until we see something much bigger from him.

Advice: Start Tua Tagovailoa over J.J. McCarthy.

Running Back

De'Von Achane is a weekly starter; there's not much to question. Even on a team that has struggled hard with injuries and ineffective offensive line play, Achane has averaged 96.8 total yards per game and scored seven touchdowns in eight contests. He's a top-five RB in both standard and PPR leagues, making him a must-start player.

Backup Ollie Gordon II has been lightly involved and got double-digit touches for the first time last week in the blowout win over Atlanta. Gordon has shown flashes but hasn't been involved or effective enough for any sustained fantasy value. He's only worth considering in a super-deep league or if you are without another option.

Neither guy is showing up on the start/sit tool much because their fates are sealed: start Achane and sit Gordon.

Wide Receiver

Jaylen Waddle

Waddle is the only healthy Miami receiver worth considering in fantasy outside of the deepest leagues/highest desperation. The Dolphins just haven't been good enough throwing the ball to sustain many players, and Waddle stands out as the clear top option right now.

In the four games in which Tyreek Hill appeared, Waddle averaged 4.3 receptions and 46.3 yards per game with two touchdowns. In the four games since Hill went down, Waddle is at 4.5 catches and 79.8 yards with the same two touchdowns. He has seen his efficiency jump without a major volume shift; maybe that means he's taking on some of Hill's previous deep work, but more likely, it means that Waddle might be due a little regression.

That still makes him a fantasy-worthy player, and Waddle has been matched up against three guys most often on the start/sit tool:

• Zay Flowers is Waddle's opponent in this one, and he benefits greatly from getting Jackson back in this game. The Dolphins have allowed the seventh-most yards per pass attempt, and while they've been better against WRs in fantasy, they are very vulnerable on defense. Start Flowers over Waddle, as Flowers could be set for a big game in this one.
• Rome Odunze has taken over as the top receiver for the Bears, something many close to the team predicted before the season. He's very close to being a weekly starter, ranking in the top 14 in both standard and PPR. Odunze also has a fantastic matchup against the Bengals this week. Start Odunze over Waddle because of his better standing and matchup.
• Michael Pittman Jr. has been part of Indianapolis' offensive renaissance, ranking among the top 10 WRs in both scoring formats. He faces the Steelers this week, a team that is in the top 10 in most yards per pass attempt allowed and most fantasy points given up to receivers. Start Pittman over Waddle because of his superior matchup and performance.

Waddle isn't a bad play this week, but he tops out as middling. When compared to high-level guys, he just doesn't match up despite his strong play since Hill went down.

Tight End

With Darren Waller on IR, there isn't an appealing fantasy tight end on Miami's depth chart. Julian Hill will also miss this game, so we're looking at Tanner Conner and Greg Dulcich, who have combined for nine catches and 91 yards (all from Conner).

Once Waller returns, there will be intrigue at this position again, but until that time, this will be a spot to ignore in fantasy football.