Hi everyone! Welcome to my Herman’s analysis series for team defenses. In this series, I will go over each team’s additions and losses on the defensive side of the ball, their strength of schedule, and finally, I’ll tie in their fantasy value. I hope you enjoy! Today’s article is all about the Miami Dolphins D/ST.

After allowing a league-high 29.4 points per game last season, the Miami Dolphins D/ST look to become one of the more respected defenses in the league. Their schedule doesn’t make it any easier to accomplish that, but some offseason additions may just be enough. Can the Dolphins prove that they are for real or will this year be a repeat of last year’s defensive meltdown?

Key Additions:

Byron Jones, CB

Kyle Van Noy, LB

Shaq Lawson, DE

Emmanuel Ogbah, DE

Kavon Frazier, S

Jason Strowbridge, DE

Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB

Key Losses:

Reshad Jones, SS

Chase Allen, LB

Kendrick Norton, DT

Herman’s Analysis: Strength of Schedule

AFC East:

The AFC East has been flipped upside down. The Patriots, who’ve won the division 11 straight times, are likely going to struggle this season. Jarret Stidham looks to be the starter, and the New England WR corps is lacking. A combination of an inexperienced QB and a lack of talented receivers is a recipe for a great defensive performance. The Jets have more power on offense with Le’Veon Bell, Breshad Perriman, and Sam Darnold, but I think defenses will be successful vs. the Jets because I don’t think Perriman is capable of being a WR1 all season.

Lastly, the Bills. Along with their great defense, the Bills are putting together a nice offense. In the offseason, Buffalo went out and acquired Stefon Diggs, and drafted Zack Moss. Josh Allen, Devin Singeltary, Diggs, and John Brown give Buffalo lots of options on offense. We all saw Allen’s mobility last season, and by adding Diggs, it’s going to be very hard to guard Diggs and Brown downfield, while containing Allen and Singeltray in the run game. Unlike most years in the past, the Bills have a scary offense.

Rest of the NFL:

Outside of Miami’s six divisional games, let’s take a look at their other opponents. Like the Bills, the Dolphins play some elite offenses. Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s offense is a nightmare for any defense. Pete Carrol and Russel Wilson seem to find success every year on offense, no matter who’s on the field. Stopping Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, and Kenyan Drake is already giving me headaches if I’m a defensive coordinator. Lastly, the Broncos have so many young playmakers, who are going to give opposing defenses lots of problems. If you’re an owner of the Dolphins D/ST, I would try to look for a better matchup when the Dolphins play any of these teams.

Outside of the elite offenses, the Dolphins play a decent amount of above-average offenses. The Rams, 49ers, Bengals, Raiders, and Chargers may not be as effective on offense as the Chiefs or Cardinals, but they can still make defenses pay. The matchup that I like for the Dolphins this season outside of the AFC East is against the Jaguars. Gardner Minshew has two young tackles, which should give him more time in the pocket, but I don’t see Minshew being that effective in the 2020-21 season. Although DJ Chark had a very nice 2019-20 season, I see him taking a step back. Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley are both average receivers. Leonard Fournette had a great season last year but was very ineffective in the red-zone. I see most defenses having success vs. the Jaguars this season.

Herman’s Analysis: Fantasy Value

The Miami Dolphins D/ST is one of the more interesting defenses to look at. Adding Byron Jones helps Miami’s D/ST fantasy value, but can they be fantasy relevant after such a terrible season? Jones and Howard make for a solid CB duo. Along with these two corners, Christian Wilkins and Emmanuel Ogbah look to wreak havoc in the opponent’s backfield. Miami has a good amount of young talent on defense, it’s just a matter of working as a unit.

Unlike the Bills, the Dolphins have a lot of new faces on defense, but when you’re the worst defense in the NFL, change must be made, and Miami did just that. Isaiah Ford is set to be Miami’s kick and punt returner. Ford only returned one kick last season, so I wouldn’t count on many special teams TDs. Miami has improved its defense in the offseason, but there are very few matchups where I would start Miami’s D/ST. I think that Miami’s D/ST will improve from last season. However, with their tough schedule and unfamiliarity with each other and the scheme, I don’t see Miami making a big impact in fantasy football.

Stay tuned for my D/ST analysis on the New England Patriots!

The first D/ST analysis I wrote was on the Bills. Be sure to check that out!

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