It’s not exactly Easter in Miami, but the Dolphins’ mighty offense might be experiencing a resurrection.
Tua Tagovailoa and Odell Beckham Jr. are back on the field, and the Dolphins salvaged their playoff hopes by upsetting the Rams on Monday night at SoFi. Because of Miami’s favorable schedule over the next four weeks, those two will be highly coveted on the fantasy waiver wires.
That’s because half of the NFL’s 32 teams have a bye over the next four weeks:
Week 11: Cardinals, Buccaneers, Giants, Panthers
Week 12: Bills, Falcons, Bengals, Jaguars, Jets, Saints
Week 14: Ravens, Texans, Commanders, Broncos, Colts, Patriots
The time to act is now. Here are other folks still on many waiver wires that are well worth grabbing and stashing on your roster:
>> Jaylen Warren (Steelers RB): Pittsburgh’s most talented running back has been mostly injured this season, and he has yet to reach the end zone. But he is fresh and could bust out in the next month. He had 16 touches for 95 yards last Sunday, and his workload will grow.
>> Isiah Pacheco (Chiefs RB): Kansas City’s No. 1 back broke his leg in Week 2 and was thought done for 2024. But no! He’s set to return to practice this week and could be playing in a few weeks. Could be a late, league-winning pickup for those who haven’t forgotten him.
>> Russell Wilson (Steelers QB): The stench of his past couple seasons has cleared for the still-likely future hall of famer. In three games as starter he has 737 passing yards, six TD passes and a touchdown run. And he sees Cleveland twice in the next four weeks.
>> Bo NIx (Broncos QB): He’s clearly the runner-up for rookie quarterback of the year. Ten touchdown passes and four TD runs have gotten Denver into surprising playoff contention. And the next four weeks have no daunting defenses to slow him down.
>> Demarcus Robinson (Rams WR): The veteran was mostly quiet against Miami, but he had a pair of TD catches in each of the two preceding games. He has earned Matthew Stafford’s trust and will be lightly covered now that Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are back in the lineup.
>> Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Saints WR): The former Packer mostly sat on the bench in Buffalo before landing in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. But he had 109 yards and two TDs last week for the injury-riddled Saints, and he could be Derek Carr’s favorite from here out.
Sitting stars
Dallas is dead, and with it, CeeDee Lamb’s status as a top five receiver. Houston will keep him in check. … Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris is starting to wear down, and he’ll look worse against Baltimore’s defense. … The Vikings will smother Tennessee RB Tony Pollard. … The Bears’ offense is such a mess that you should probably skip RB DeAndre Swift and WR D.J. Moore vs. Green Bay. … Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins has cooled off and will chill even more against Denver. … And forget about a nice homecoming for Cleveland QB Jameis Winston in New Orleans.
Matchup game
Everyone runs through the Jets’ defense, as will Colts RB Jonathan Taylor on Sunday. … Cincinnati RB Joe Mixon will heat up again against lowly Dallas. … San Fran receiver Deebo Samuel is also getting warm and has a nice matchup against Seattle. … The Dolphins should roll through Las Vegas, led by their sneaky-best pass catcher this year: tight end Jonnu Smith. … Chargers QB Justin Herbert is back and will shine against a Cincy defense that is not back. … And Patriots QB Drake Maye will take another step forward against the Rams.
Injury watch
It’s a relatively healthy week, with only Panthers RB Miles Sanders and Bills WR Keon Coleman being ruled out. The early questionables are Vikings RB Aaron Jones, Washington RB Brian Robinson Jr., Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby, Houston WR Nico Collins, Bengals WR Tee Higgins, Seattle wideout D.K. Metcalf, Philly WR Devonta Smith, Buffalo WR Amari Cooper, Colts WR Michael Pittman, 49ers TE George Kittle, Buffalo tight end Dalton Kincaid, Philly TE Dallas Goedert and Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence.
Deepest sleeper
His name makes you think of a Bond villain, but Broncos running back Audric Estime has emerged as a fantasy factor for the season’s final eight weeks. The rookie from Notre Dame appears to have bypassed Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin as the Broncos’ No. 1 back. He rushed 14 times for 53 yards in Denver’s near-upset of unbeaten Kansas City last Sunday, and Estime looks like he’s becoming a Sean Payton favorite.
The Thursday pick
Commanders at Eagles (-3½):
Pick: Eagles by 7
You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.