Fantasy Index

header banner img
OUR FANTASY BASEBALL MAGAZINE IS BACK! PRE-ORDER NOW
Win here.

Around the NFL

Miami Dolphins

Report indicates Watson trade could happen soon

Guess it's time to make sure Deshaun Watson is on fantasy rosters? The Houston Chronicle reported yesterday that the Texans and Dolphins have agreed on terms of a deal that will send the quarterback to Miami. The Dolphins, apparently, are seeking clarity on a possible suspension.

That's a pretty big potential stumbling block, and could still prevent a deal from going down. Miami's draft pick compensation would reasonably be affected by the prospect of not having Watson this season.

But the NFL itself has showed reluctance to actually suspend Watson, or place him on the Commissioner's Exempt list, with everything out there at this point just accusations, rather than charges. It's a little odd (the NFL has certainly acted with less in the way of official charges in the past), but here we are. The Dolphins are struggling, the Texans aren't planning on playing Watson, and it sounds like a deal -- and Watson actually starting games this season for Miami -- are realistic possibilities.

Sure there'll be a PR hit for the Dolphins, but they're 1-6, so what's a little PR hit against the possibility of landing one of the league's more talented quarterbacks? Innocent until proven guilty and all that.

Watson, in Miami, would undoubtedly make the Dolphins more entertaining to watch, and get more out of their offense. The quarterback will look to throw the ball downfield, getting the most out of the team's receiving corps, far more than Tua Tagovailoa.

Among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts the past two seasons, only four quarterbacks have averaged more yards per attempt than Watson last season. Nobody did it a year ago; all four are in the midst of those seasons, so could still wind up behind Watson.

Then there's Tagovailoa, who was one of the least aggressive passers in this regard a year ago, and is the same this year. Miami backup Jacoby Brissett, incidentally, is even worse, at the very bottom of the list for his work this season. (Data compiled using the search tools at pro-football-reference.com.)

PASSING YARDS PER ATTEMPT, 2020-2021
PlayerYearY/ACmpAttCmp%Yds
Russell Wilson20219.69012572.01196
Joe Burrow20219.214621268.91956
Matthew Stafford20219.016724169.32172
Kyler Murray20219.016422373.52002
Deshaun Watson20208.938254470.24823
Lamar Jackson20218.614622564.91943
Derek Carr20218.518026667.72269
Baker Mayfield20218.511617367.11474
Dak Prescott20218.415821673.21813
Dak Prescott20208.415122268.01856
Kirk Cousins20208.334951667.64265
Aaron Rodgers20208.237252670.74299
Patrick Mahomes20208.139058866.34740
Josh Allen20207.939657269.24544
Derek Carr20207.934851767.34103
Ryan Tannehill20207.931548165.53819
Ryan Fitzpatrick20207.818326768.52091
Jimmy Garoppolo20207.89414067.11096
Aaron Rodgers20217.715122168.31710
Carson Wentz20217.714121964.41695
Matthew Stafford20207.733952864.24084
Philip Rivers20207.736954368.04169
Taysom Hill20207.78812172.7928
Jimmy Garoppolo20217.69414564.81106
Tom Brady20207.640161065.74633
Teddy Bridgewater20207.634049269.13733
Ryan Tannehill20217.614922965.11737
C.J. Beathard20207.66610463.5787
Patrick Mahomes20217.618727767.52093
Russell Wilson20207.638455868.84212
Drew Brees20207.527539070.52942
Tom Brady20217.520330367.02275
Josh Allen20217.514923064.81723
Nick Mullens20207.521132664.72437
Kirk Cousins20217.416623969.51769
Jameis Winston20217.48915158.91114
Teddy Bridgewater20217.416223170.11701
Baker Mayfield20207.330548662.83563
Lamar Jackson20207.324237664.42757
Matt Ryan20207.340762665.04581
Justin Herbert20207.339659566.64336
Cam Newton20207.224236865.82657
Mac Jones20217.217424770.51779
Justin Herbert20217.216124665.51771
Daniel Jones20217.215324163.51727
Jalen Hurts20207.27714852.01061
Jared Goff20207.237055267.03952
Kyler Murray20207.137555867.23971
Jalen Hurts20217.114824261.21716
Tua Tagovailoa20217.18211869.5835
Taylor Heinicke20217.115123564.31658
Mitchell Trubisky20206.919929767.02055
Gardner Minshew II20206.921632766.12259
Matt Ryan20216.816624468.01668
Trevor Lawrence20216.812921659.71465
Sam Darnold20216.815324961.51684
Joe Burrow20206.726440465.42688
Drew Lock20206.625444357.32933
Daniel Jones20206.628044862.52943
Andy Dalton20206.521633364.92170
Brandon Allen20206.59014263.4925
Jared Goff20216.518127466.11773
Ben Roethlisberger20216.515323565.11515
Zach Wilson20216.510418157.51168
Joe Flacco20206.57413455.2864
Alex Smith20206.316825266.71582
Tua Tagovailoa20206.318629064.11814
Ben Roethlisberger20206.339960865.63803
Justin Fields20216.27513157.3816
Davis Mills20216.111117164.91047
Sam Darnold20206.121736459.62208
Carson Wentz20206.025143757.42620
Mike Glennon20206.011117962.01072
Dwayne Haskins20206.014824161.41439
Nick Foles20205.920231264.71852
Jake Luton20205.76011054.6624
Jacoby Brissett20215.610415965.4883

I don't know if a trade is actually imminent or not, but Miami's offense would definitely be more entertaining, and guys like DeVante Parker, Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle more productive, with more big plays. A potential negative for Mike Gesicki, I suppose, though more yards and touchdowns would probably be a good thing. We'll see.

--Andy Richardson

Fantasy Index