Plenty of fantasy football owners suffered a blow Monday night when Tyreek Hill suffered a devastating season-ending knee injury.
Once a fantasy juggernaut who recorded back-to-back 1,700-yard seasons, the Miami Dolphins wide receiver’s stock cooled significantly after he failed to reach 1,000 yards last year. Still, he finished the 2024 season as a top 20 fantasy receiver and was a pretty early draft pick in most fantasy drafts. In September, he was the Dolphins leader in receptions (21) and receiving yards (265).
In Hill’s absence, Jaylen Waddle is the unquestioned No. 1 receiver for the Dolphins. But should the next two receivers on the depth chart be scooped up by fantasy owners?
Should you add Malik Washington or Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to your fantasy team?
When the Dolphins added Westbrook-Ikhine to the roster in free agency, he seemed well-positioned to be a productive third option for Tua Tagovailoa.
The former Tennessee Titans deep threat caught nine touchdown passes last season, tied for ninth most in the NFL. He also averaged 15.5 yards per receptions, the seventh best rate in the league.
But even with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both sidelined for stretches in August, Westbrook-Ikhine made little impact. In his first four regular season games, Westbrook-Ikhine has only four receptions for 26 yards.
The absence of Hill could mean more snaps for Westbrook-Ikhine, but much of the 6’2 receiver’s value is offset by the arrival of tight end Darren Waller in Miami who caught two touchdowns in his debut Monday.
The much better roll of the dice for fantasy owners is Malik Washington.
Washington spent the offseason blowing Tua Tagovailoa’s mind with his football IQ and he’s earned the quarterback’s trust. He averaged four offensive touches per game in September, but that number should rise as the 5’8 receiver is likely to step into the starting lineup in Hill’s absence.
It may be a little early to confidently throw Washington into your starting lineup. But there’s a lot of potential for Washington to become a productive player sooner rather than later in the Dolphins offense.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Should you add Malik Washington, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in fantasy after Tyreek Hill injury?
Reporting by Adam Stites, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
