Miami Dolphins fans and fantasy football owners shouldn't be upset with running back Lamar Miller for his performance over the first four games of this season. His lack of production wasn't due to inability; it was due to a lack of touches. For some inexplicable reason, the Dolphins called Miller's number on just 37 carries over the first month. As a result, he totaled just 131 rushing yards over that time.
However, with a coaching change Miller saw a dramatic uptick in workload, receiving a season-high 19 carries this past weekend which he turned into 113 yards and one touchdown. Assuming his role in the offense stays consistent, Miami's offensive line - which provided good blocking on 61.8 percent of Miami's rushes against Tennessee - will offer Miller ample opportunity to produce.
In fact, ESPN Fantasy Insider KC Joyner thinks Miller is a solid flex-play going forward despite Miami's tough schedule.
"To get an idea of how dominant that 61.8 percent GBR [Good Blocking Rate] is, note that the leaguewide average in GBR this year is 39.8 percent," Joyner wrote. "More importantly, Miami also leads the league in GBR this year, as its 52.5 percent mark after Week 5 made the Dolphins the only team in the league with a GBR of better than 50 percent. They had the highest GBR in the NFL last year as well, so this performance is likely not an anomaly.
"Miller's future fantasy production could be held back by a somewhat difficult schedule, as over the next five weeks the Dolphins have four road games, including three against teams that rank in the top five in fantasy points allowed per game to opponents' running backs (the Eagles, Patriots and Jets). That may cap Miller's upside potential, but when a ball carrier is getting good blocking at a 50 percent or higher clip, he's worth consideration for a flex spot every week."
