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Miami RB Situation (1 Viewer)

Fair point... Drake isn't an option in my dynasty leagues and I don't play much redraft, so by all means, go after Kenyan Drake.  I guess I let my own league bias influence my take there.

That said, I'm skeptical Drake can be a 3-down guy...
I don't disagree. Not sure that Drake can be a 3-down guy either, but it's happened before when guys get an opportunity. I have Ajayi (not Foster), so I'm just hopefully going to get Drake and see what happens. :shrug:  RBs in the Gase system can be very productive, particularly catching balls out of the backfield.

 
I just heard on NFL network a reference to Gates saying Ajayi may not even be active this week against the Browns.

I went to pick up Drake and saw someone already did 2 hours ago.  I'm slippin.  Can't believe I'm this desperate for an RB in week 2.  I will not start Forsett again.

But yeah, Drake is suddenly a very attractive option this week against the Browns.  Doesnt sound like coaches have any confidence in Ajayi and he "may not even be up" is what I think Trey Wingo said.

 
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Just a little more fuel to the Drake fire.. 

Last year there was a back selected in the 4th round, who per draft profile had an NFC East scout say this about him "I don't see him as a starter. I think he can be a backup or compete as a third down back, but he doesn't run tough enough to be able to project him as a starter in really any scheme."  The bottom line per NFL.com "He has some speed and creativity, but without an ability to maximize his yards with each carry, teams could peg him as a "committee back" with an ability to play on third downs."

Sound familiar?  That guy was Jeremy Langford.  Who was featured last year by Adam Gase to a tune of 17 rushes and over 6 targets per game in the 3 games that Forte sat last year and still averaged 13 rushes and 4 targets per game over his last 10 overall which included playing behind a pro bowl caliber player.  

In addition to having the exact same "3rd down back at best" marginalization, they both have very similar physical profiles (Langford: 6'0" 208lbs, Drake: 6'1" 210lbs), while scoring very similar combine scores.   

If your scouting says that Drake just can't make it at the NFL level, fair enough.  I'd argue that he has a better pedigree than Langford, and what I see on tape is a guy that has the size, far more draft capital and also game breaking ability to dominate touches in this backfield.   We need to evolve the concept of a feature back simply being a guy who can power through the tackles.  I'll paraphrase Vic Fangio, who this weekend said this about the Bears drafting of DE Leonard Floyd, who basically said that there will be plays that show up on tape where you are like damn if only he weighed 20 more pounds, and then you will see tape where you are like wow nobody else on our team can make those types of plays.   I feel like this idea applies to the Miami backfield.   Let's not pretend that Ajayi is a workhorse or 3 down back and also that Drake is a 3rd down back who is best served with limited touches. 

Ajayi is not Forte.  Anyone letting this guy fall past early 2nd is making a big mistake. 

 
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One thing I have learned about the media and journalism in the NFL is that almost everything has one original source and that everyone just parrots what the source said as they copy their colleges. This turns into an echo chamber.

Did Jay Ajayi do something really dumb on a kick return?

I saw this play that looked really bad with a player getting in the kick returners way just as he is crossing the goal line, but since it was Damien Williams returning the kick, if that was Jay it must have been last season. I hadn't seen that before. It was a really dumb play.

SSD posted videos of Ajayi and Drake from week 2. I have watched each of these once. I thought both players looked alright aside from Jays fumble which was bad. One of the receptions Jay makes he has to come back for the ball because RT throws it from his back foot under pressure. Jay makes the play but he had to come back pretty far for the ball because of the rushed throw. He has another catch which looked like a pretty solid play, but his foot was out of bounds.

Coach Gase in the press conference praised Jay Ajayi for staying focused in meetings and handling the pass protection well. He also says some good things about Drake, but gives me the impression that Drake still has a lot to learn. Now that doesn't mean anything as far as what his intents are for the RBs moving forward. That fumble may be a bigger deal to Gase than he lets on during the press conference. Just saying his attitude seemed positive in how he talked about Jay Ajayi.

If the concern is fumbles I am not sure Drake is the guy you want to be relying on.

 
I don't know if I buy that. I see some similarities between Drake and David Johnson, another pass-catching specialist who faced questions about his inside running and three down potential before he proved himself. In fairness, Johnson has 14 pounds on Drake at basically the same height and that's not insignificant. Drake is quite lean. When I watched his college clips, he seemed to really struggle against firm contact on interior runs and behind the LOS. He is best running to the edge, where he can use his speed and agility to gash people for big gains. I don't see him as an obvious three down back in the NFL, but he is a lot like Johnson in terms of his quickness, burst, receiving ability, and agility. If nothing else, I think you have to consider him as a waiver guy in redraft. I'm definitely thinking about trying to make room for him.
EBF; longtime reader but posting today...

are you suggesting that Drake is "worth the risk" (sort of speak), if he's in the FA pool? i'm wondering if you have heard Waldman's take on Drake and if so, what is your take in compiling the Waldman take with what you presented in the quoted material (above)?

 
Dude on sleeperbot says miami beat writer is saying they are working on a trade which would send Pead and 2017 picks for Charles....

 
Dude on sleeperbot says miami beat writer is saying they are working on a trade which would send Pead and 2017 picks for Charles....
if this comes to fruition, this is certainly an interesting in-season deal. is there any link to this type of rumor?

 
if this comes to fruition, this is certainly an interesting in-season deal. is there any link to this type of rumor?
I can't find any, just reporting what I read on sleeperbot messages. 

I guess Miami could be trying to buy low....they wouldn't get him for Pead and picks under normal circumstances obviously.

 
Dude on sleeperbot says miami beat writer is saying they are working on a trade which would send Pead and 2017 picks for Charles....
An 0-2 team with an old back recovering from an Achilles trading for an old back recovering from an ACL.  I hope not.

 
Man this is a mess. Thank you all for your insight. I have no idea which RB is worth owning in Miami. I'm dropping Ajayi as soon as possible though. 

 
EBF; longtime reader but posting today...

are you suggesting that Drake is "worth the risk" (sort of speak), if he's in the FA pool? i'm wondering if you have heard Waldman's take on Drake and if so, what is your take in compiling the Waldman take with what you presented in the quoted material (above)?
Yea, I grabbed him in my redraft. Not expecting much, but definitely worth a shot IMO. He's a flawed player, but an exciting player. He can make big plays.

I don't know anything about Waldman's opinion of Drake. Is he high on him?

 
Yea, I grabbed him in my redraft. Not expecting much, but definitely worth a shot IMO. He's a flawed player, but an exciting player. He can make big plays.

I don't know anything about Waldman's opinion of Drake. Is he high on him?
Waldman is very critical of Drake and did not rank him very high.

 
This is not as messy as people make it.

Ajayi on early downs and GL, Drake on 3rd down and other downs. Williams is just a guy.

 
Seems pretty clear that Ajayi will get first crack at being the #1 (3 down, GL, receiving etc) but his hold on that position is extremely tenuous and Gase will not hesitate to reduce his touches, or outright bench him, if he doesn't at a near flawless level.  I'm not talking about having a low YPC, or even a fumble (they didn't bench him last week) rather if Ajayi is consistently hitting the wrong gaps for the play call or freelancing.  Heaven help him if he misses an assignment that gets Tannehill rocked.

Foster wasn't exactly lighting it up, he had one huge gain on what I believe most will agree was a blown coverage by Seattle (he literally didn't have a defender within 5 yards of him for the first 28 yards, then he made a decent move on Earl Thomas to pick up the rest Link play starts @ 14 seconds), in fact he was looking pretty awful, but the coaches clearly trust him to always make the smart decision even if his body is not capable of getting much out of it. So if you believe that Ajayi has the mental part of the game down then you should start him against the Browns with confidence, they won't bench him for low yardage but they will absolutely #### can him if he makes stupid decisions.

ETA: When I say "start with confidence" I wouldn't expect too much out of him, he's a RB 3 at best in a neutral match-up, but with this match-up the upside is there, it is possible that Miami crushes the Browns and Ajayi gets lots of opportunities.

 
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if this comes to fruition, this is certainly an interesting in-season deal. is there any link to this type of rumor?
This was talk around NFL draft time this year, but it was fans and writers just speculating, like what they think should happen. I see zero web or Twitter chatter about a possible trade.

 
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King of the Jungle said:
Waldman is very critical of Drake and did not rank him very high.
Yea, well he also had Demaryius Thomas as like the #25 WR in his class, so...everybody has misses.

To be fair, Drake is no Thomas. He's not a great all-around back. Weird body type. Very limited inside running/power. All the same, if you give him 15-20 touches, he might be able to do something with it. For all his glaring weaknesses, he also offers great versatility and explosiveness.

 
Yea, well he also had Demaryius Thomas as like the #25 WR in his class, so...everybody has misses.

To be fair, Drake is no Thomas. He's not a great all-around back. Weird body type. Very limited inside running/power. All the same, if you give him 15-20 touches, he might be able to do something with it. For all his glaring weaknesses, he also offers great versatility and explosiveness.
I think he's way better in RBs. That's what I look to him for.

 
I overdrafted Drake really badly in one dynasty league and drafted him in another at a more reasonable spot. The truth is that I think he has very little chance of developing into a long-term enduring starter. But we're talking redraft. This is a barren Miami situation in which anyone who flashes talent might be able to pop for a while. I have minimal expectations, but they can get creative with him. They can get him runs on the edge and split him out wide to hide his weaknesses. It's going to be interesting. He's not totally dissimilar to guys like David Johnson and Darren McFadden, and they've each had periods where they've been useful.

 
I don't see the situation as barren unless you are completely overlooking Jay Ajayi. I would expect Damien Williams to be active again with Foster out. Pead seems like a back up for Drake.

What is your opinion of Jay EBF? I don't recall ever hearing you talk about him.

 
What is your opinion of Jay EBF? I don't recall ever hearing you talk about him.
Just an average player, IMO. Overrated going into the draft, and some people still value him based on what they thought he was back then, not based on the information we have now. He's a 5th round pick of the old regime who didn't do anything to stand out as a rookie. No reason to think he's more than average.

That being said, he's more powerful than Drake and better equipped to run inside.

 
Seems pretty obvious to me the guy to own in this backfield is whoever they draft in the 1st or 2nd round next year.  Foster will be 1 year older and he's done, Ajayi is a JAG and Drake is a 3rd down specialist who might have a role depending on who they take.  They aren't super needy at any other position except maybe CB, but I don't know who they might be losing.  I wouldn't be buying anyone in this backfield.  

 
Just an average player, IMO. Overrated going into the draft, and some people still value him based on what they thought he was back then, not based on the information we have now. He's a 5th round pick of the old regime who didn't do anything to stand out as a rookie. No reason to think he's more than average.

That being said, he's more powerful than Drake and better equipped to run inside.
The problem with Jay as an inside runner is that he has no lateral moves and poor vision so while physically he might be better equipped to handle the inside running wear and tear, I don't know if he he is better equipped to produce on inside runs.  And for the mostly 0-2 yard runs he doesn't have gamebreaking ability to pop off big plays.  Then there is the fumbling issues so he's hard to count on for clock killing where those 0-2 yard runs are fine.  

 
I overdrafted Drake really badly in one dynasty league and drafted him in another at a more reasonable spot. The truth is that I think he has very little chance of developing into a long-term enduring starter. But we're talking redraft. This is a barren Miami situation in which anyone who flashes talent might be able to pop for a while. I have minimal expectations, but they can get creative with him. They can get him runs on the edge and split him out wide to hide his weaknesses. It's going to be interesting. He's not totally dissimilar to guys like David Johnson and Darren McFadden, and they've each had periods where they've been useful.
`He does remind me of Darren McFadden too.  In PPR, in the right situation, he can have fantasy value.

 
Seems pretty obvious to me the guy to own in this backfield is whoever they draft in the 1st or 2nd round next year.  Foster will be 1 year older and he's done, Ajayi is a JAG and Drake is a 3rd down specialist who might have a role depending on who they take.  They aren't super needy at any other position except maybe CB, but I don't know who they might be losing.  I wouldn't be buying anyone in this backfield.  




 Someone in one of my leagues dropped Arian Foster to the waivers yesterday.   In this league I happen to be splitting a team with a friend of mine. (long story but he was away on business and he wanted me to draft for him, so he just said I could have half of any winnings)

 Anyway he texts me this morning, and said "Do you think we should put a claim in for Foster??"  Keep in mind we have second priority. I said "absolutely not".

 I want to save my eventual #1 priority on that one "must have" player down the stretch, I'll be damned if I am wasting that waiver priority on the corpse formerly known as Arian Foster.

 My buddy never texted me back... I think he got my point.    :)

 TZM

 
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Ian Rapport posted on Twitter this morning

With Arian Foster out, the #Dolphins are treating rookie RB Kenyan Drake as the starter today, source said. Opportunity awaits.

 
:lmao:

Armondo Salguero Tweeted in game from Gilette that he wouldn't put Ajayi on the field again, it's the Drake show. I have a feeling if Foster is out for a while that the situation will be shared but that Drake is going to look better doing it. 

-Ajayi was a 5th round after thought by the previous guy Phibin, he rushed for 100 yds as a rookie(For the ENTIRE SEASON) and sprouted a 30+ page thread in this forum...preposterous I tell you.

-The only snake oil salesman in these threads are Jay Ajayi sour grapes, don't be fooled by these con men broadcasting from their 1 bunk Hilton down in solitary.

I will be grabbing Drake off waivers and begin reaping my rewards. 

Don't let Drake's ship sail away on you, now is the time to get on board.

Miami is 0-2, they will be 2-6 at some point, it's going to be a rookie fest or 2nd year fest as we get thru the season, more time will be allotted for Drake to see what he can do and if they have a RB they can rely on moving forward. If Drake isn't their bell cow by Week 6 then it's just a matter of time. I'm urging people to get out ahead of this. 

-Also, All Pro Center Mike Pouncey has been OUT the first 2 games, his return will help all RBs but also Drake will have even bigger holes to push thru, right now he looks good and he doesn't have the best in the business blocking in front of him.   

You just heard the word
Now Drake my still bite the big one but he vaulted to being the starter today.

I expect both RBs to see the field today. 

 
Seems pretty clear that Ajayi will get first crack at being the #1 (3 down, GL, receiving etc) but his hold on that position is extremely tenuous and Gase will not hesitate to reduce his touches, or outright bench him, if he doesn't at a near flawless level.  I'm not talking about having a low YPC, or even a fumble (they didn't bench him last week) rather if Ajayi is consistently hitting the wrong gaps for the play call or freelancing.  Heaven help him if he misses an assignment that gets Tannehill rocked.

Foster wasn't exactly lighting it up, he had one huge gain on what I believe most will agree was a blown coverage by Seattle (he literally didn't have a defender within 5 yards of him for the first 28 yards, then he made a decent move on Earl Thomas to pick up the rest Link play starts @ 14 seconds), in fact he was looking pretty awful, but the coaches clearly trust him to always make the smart decision even if his body is not capable of getting much out of it. So if you believe that Ajayi has the mental part of the game down then you should start him against the Browns with confidence, they won't bench him for low yardage but they will absolutely #### can him if he makes stupid decisions.

ETA: When I say "start with confidence" I wouldn't expect too much out of him, he's a RB 3 at best in a neutral match-up, but with this match-up the upside is there, it is possible that Miami crushes the Browns and Ajayi gets lots of opportunities.
Well...so much for that.

:shrug:

 
If Drake is starting, Get Tannehill, Landry, and Parker in your lineups.  Sounds to me like the game plan is to pass, pass, and pass again.  

From everything I have read, Drake is a COP, 3rd down type who can be a factor in the passing game and outside runs.  My guess is that while he may play on the first down of the game, we will still see plenty of Ajayi on early downs, and I do expect Miami to pass the ball a lot.  Great week to sneak Tannehill into a lineup IMO.

 
Whats the actual weather starting to look like    Yahoo was calling for Thunderstorms w/70% chance of precipitation

It didnt really sound like a lot of passing to me.

Drake could be in for an actual workload eh

 
If Kenyan Drake is the answer, the dolphins don't even know how to read the question.  

I lose a lot of respect for Miami and their he.  U thought this guy would be different but it's the same old "let's try to be what everyone else is" without understanding what they have and don't.  Let Miller go and then immediately try to be what Miller is except they use situational jags. 

 
Whats the actual weather starting to look like    Yahoo was calling for Thunderstorms w/70% chance of precipitation

It didnt really sound like a lot of passing to me.

Drake could be in for an actual workload eh
Not being cute here, but that really is the forecast in Miami almost every day.  They often last 10 minutes and then stop.  I havent looked at the weather report, but unless it says rain all day at 70% plus, then I would be wary of making my fantasy decisions based upon that.

 
Drake weighs 210... that hasn't stopped guys from being weak between the tackles before but this whole rhetoric that he can't do it is foolhardy. I'm holding both through today for redraft but I'll take the unknown entity with long speed picked by the current staff over the leftovers who have been in the dog house for awhile now. 

Also, the only reason Ajayi may have been active last week is because Pead and Williams both missed a meeting and were made inactive as punishment.

 
Naw I appreciate it Chuck   Ive been down there and seen how ya cant tell it even rained   I thought that was bs until I seen it

Good news I guess eh

(Parker owner)  I have Drake too  lol

 
I dont expect him to go nuts, this is the Dolphins. Very few players go nuts. Now every player in the passing game will.

 
I'm glad I didn't trade him earlier this week.
Trading him when he hasn't done anything is one thing.  Trading him after  big game vs a brutally terrible team is another.  

Just to unpack my little thought a bit:

I don't own Drake anywhere.  Predraft, I wasn't impressed with him as a potential fantasy starter.  He was a COP guy in ALA, specialist types in college tend to fill the same role in the pros, and I believed the scouting reports that he wasn't a good inside runner in college.  If you can't run inside, you can't be a lead dog in the pros.  When he was drafted by Miami, my interest didn't go up much.  I don't like the organization, I don't trust them to make good decisions, and they play in a division with three defenses I don't like my running backs going against.  

If he had an amazing summer, like a Tajae Sharpe, I might have changed my mind, but he didn't.  The Dolphins dragged Arian Foster off the scrap heap, hoping his hammys would hold up, which was a fool's errand, confirming my fears about the organization making dumb moves, and installed him as the starter.  

Now he's gone, and Drake is gonna get some run this week.  

If Drake has a good week vs. what might be a historically bad CLE team, I would dangle him, and try and get a 2017 1st rounder plus.

 

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