The Miami Dolphins are all in on the Ryan Tannehill bandwagon as evidenced by the four-year, $77 million contract they gave him. Although Tannehill needs to be more consistent down the stretch (just 11-15 in November and December for his career), he is coming off a season in which he set career highs in completion percentage (66.4), passing yards (4,045), touchdown passes (27) and rushing yards (311).
The Dolphins expect Tannehill to take them to the playoffs this season and have beefed up their offense accordingly. The team invested the No. 14 overall pick into Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker, who ESPN Fantasy Football writer Mike Clay lists as his No. 1 fantasy breakout candidate and compares to New York Giants pass-catcher Odell Beckham Jr.
"Consider Parker's current situation: He's a top-15 draft pick entering a quality offense, but an injury has all but derailed his chances of making a significant early-season impact in what is one of the league's deepest wide receiver units," Clay wrote. "So, basically a carbon copy of Beckham's situation last year. Parker was nothing short of tremendous at Louisville and has arguably the most upside among this year's rookie class. Standing 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, Parker is Miami's tallest wide receiver by three inches, which means he'll certainly be busy near the goal line. Available late in drafts as he recovers from foot surgery, Parker has second-half breakout written all over him and is, thus, well worth stashing on your bench."
Parker caught 43 passes for 855 yards and five touchdowns last year at Louisville. But what stands out most about his final college season is his yards-per-catch average (19.9) and yards-per-game (142.5). Parker is a big play threat from anywhere on the field and adds a new dimension to Miami's offense.
Of course, getting healthy is the first concern when it comes to Parker. He was in full pads for Wednesday's practice and participated in a handful of individual drills. But officially, Parker was listed as "out" for the session.
He's a worthy stash candidate who, like Beckham, can be a boost in the second half of the season.
