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Dolphins vs. 49ers, Week 5: How to watch, what to watch

The Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers face off in Week 5 of the 2020 NFL season. We break down how to watch the game, odds for the matchup, key injuries, and notable fantasy football start/sit considerations.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) catches the football against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cre’von LeBlanc (34) and safety Marcus Epps (22) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday’s game between the Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers will bring together two teams currently sharing the same question: Who is our quarterback? The 49ers replaced Nick Mullins with C.J. Beathard late in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Might he get the start, or is Jimmy Garoppolo ready to return to action?

Ryan Fitzpatrick has been keeping the starter’s seat warm for rookie Tua Tagovailoa in Miami. Dolphins head coach Brian Flores didn’t commit to Fitzpatrick as his starter on Monday, one day after Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions in a 31-23 loss to the Seahawks. He finally did tab Fitzpatrick as the starter on Tuesday, but the hesitancy makes one wonder that if Fitzpatrick is erratic again, might this be the week we see the No. 5 overall pick?

TV Info

Date: Sunday, Oct. 11
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Broadcast map

Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)

Dolphins: #26 Overall — #22 offense, #31 defense, #2 special teams
49ers: #9 Overall — #15 offense, #6 defense, #15 special teams

DraftKings Sportsbook odds

Dolphins: +9, +320
49ers: -9, -420
Total: 50

Injury report

Dolphins

OUT: DE Shaq Lawson (shoulder), TE Durham Smythe (knee)

QUESTIONABLE: WR Jakeem Grant (illness)

49ers

OUT: DE Ezekiel Ansah (biceps), CB Dontae Johnson (groin), CB Emmanuel Moseley (concussion), CB K’Waun Williams (knee, hip)

QUESTIONABLE: RB Raheem Mostert (knee), WR Deebo Samuel (illness), CB Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring)

Fantasy football start/sit advice

Dolphins

Myles Gaskin, RB, $4,800

Gaskin’s production took a big step back in Week 4. One week after racking up 95 yards on 27 touches, the University of Washington product took on just 13 touches, gaining 62 yards. The good news is that Gaskin still dominated the snaps in Miami’s backfield as he was on the field for 46 snaps; Matt Brieda was second with 17. The Niners are strong against the run, but given San Francisco’s offensive struggles, the game script here should be in Gaskin’s favor. And he’ll always complement his rushing stats with at least a few receptions.

DeVante Parker, WR, $5,900

If there is a quarterback change in Miami, hopefully Tua can keep up the connection that Fitzpatrick has established with Parker. The former first-rounder took advantage of a good matchup against Seattle, recording 10 receptions on 12 targets for 110 yards. That type of usage makes Parker a good WR2 this week.

49ers

Jerick McKinnon, RB, $5,800

McKinnon scored for a third consecutive week on Sunday and recorded 97 yards on 21 touches. There’s a chance that Raheem Mostert returns from his knee sprain in Week 5, but if not, McKinnon is a fantastic play against a Dolphins defense that allowed two touchdowns to No. 1 running backs in each of the past two weeks.

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, $5,200

We know he’s a hurdler, but this rookie can play a little bit of football, too. Aiyuk wasn’t as dynamic as a receiver in Week 4 as he was in Week 3, but he has now scored as a rusher in back-to-back weeks, and the Niners will continue to find ways to give him the ball. In a decent matchup, Aiyuk is a nice value option in DFS.