The Miami Dolphins haven’t lived up to expectations this season, and even their fantasy superstars have struggled to perform up to par. Now, superstar receiver Tyreek Hill has popped up on the injury report with a wrist issue after missing practice Friday.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Hill will play on Monday Night Football, “If his body lets him.” If Hill can’t go, wideout Jaylen Waddle will certainly see more targets, but could tight end Jonnu Smith be another beneficiary in Week 10?
Analysis
An underrated asset
While Smith isn’t a flashy name, he’s been a pretty consistent player throughout his career. His numbers have never been too impressive, with a career-best receiving line of 50 catches for 582 yards and three touchdowns last season for Atlanta. However, he’s a great real-life tight end, can catch well, and can put up the occasional big game in fantasy when given the opportunity.
This season, Smith’s first as a Dolphin, he’s on track to break his previous career-best marks. Through eight games, the tight end boasts 30 receptions for 302 yards and one score. If he appears in all 17 contests, the 29-year-old could very well enjoy his most successful season yet.
For fantasy football purposes, Smith ranks as the overall TE17 in total points and 18th among the position in points per game at 8.3. In his best game as a Dolphin, a 22.6-point performance in Week 7, Smith caught all seven of his targets for 96 yards and a TD. Over the last two games, his snap percentage has grown nearly 20 percentage points to a season-high 69% last week, so he’s been on the field more lately, too.
Week 10 matchup
This week, the Dolphins travel to Los Angeles for a meeting with the Rams on Monday Night Football. It’s a middle-of-the-pack matchup, as the Rams rank 23rd in passing yards allowed (225.0) and 17th in EPA/pass (0.03).
Tight ends often excel in fantasy based on touchdown production, and LA presents a good matchup in that regard. The Rams allow 1.9 passing touchdowns per contest, 27th in the NFL. The 6-foot-4 Smith only has one touchdown to his name this year, but he could see opportunities in the red zone against a defense which has allowed four TDs to tight ends this season.
Start or sit?
Smith has been a streamer pick thus far this season, and with most tight ends providing similar value outside of the top options this year, he’s not a bad option in lineups this week.
It should be a close game between two teams working to turn their seasons around, so Smith will likely operate in neutral game script throughout the night. Especially if Hill winds up sidelined, extra opportunities should be available for Dolphins pass catchers. Don’t be afraid to start Smith in Week 10.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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