It’s been a rough year for the Miami Dolphins. Sitting at 1-5, they have a lot of questions to ask. Is Mike McDaniel going to last much longer as head coach? Can Tua Tagovailoa remain the starting quarterback for the future? How far do they have to tear things down before they can get better? For fantasy football owners, many questions remain. One of the more immediate concerns: can Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II hold any standalone fantasy value going forward?
Analysis
The Dolphins selected. Gordon in the sixth round of this past draft to backup incumbent RB1 De’Von Achane. Injury concerns and Achane’s inability to shoulder a workhorse load necessitated many backup options. But Achane has flipped the script this season. So far, their lightning-fast lead back has shouldered 76% of the carries and 79% of the targets allotted to running backs. That’s a true RB1 right there.
That has left little for Gordon to do. He’s carried the ball only 23 times for 59 yards this season, and been targeted four times for a measly five yards through the air. That’s not going to cut it if you want standalone value out of Gordon. But it’s not where his fantasy story ends this season.
With the Dolphins spiraling, a lot of solutions are on the table. Achane has been their best player this season; that also makes him their most valuable trade asset. Gordon’s standalone value is looking rough at the moment, but could the Dolphins’ disappointment change his outlook later in the season?
The verdict
If you’re hoping to start Gordon in any format, don’t kid yourself. His standalone value at the moment is as dead as disco. But there’s hope still.
The NFL trade deadline is in three weeks. Achane is under control for pennies this season and next. If there was a time to sell high on a running back, it’s now. Even if they don’t trade him, they have incentive to slow down his workload if this season continues to degrade. Gordon remains a worthwhile bench stash while this situation plays itself out.
