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How to watch, what to watch for Dolphins vs. Cardinals in Week 9

The Dolphins and Cardinals face off in Week 9 of the 2020 NFL season. We break down how to watch the game, odds for the matchup, key injuries, and notable fantasy football start/sit considerations.

Christian Wilkins #94 of the Miami Dolphins jumps over Brandon Jones #29 to celebrate after a defensive play that resulted in a loss of yardage for the New York Jets in the second half of their game at Hard Rock Stadium on October 18, 2020 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The winner and the runner-up in the 2018 Heisman Trophy voting will take center stage Saturday afternoon as Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals will host Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins.

Kyler, the 2018 Heisman winner, was on bye in Week 8. He entered the break following what was arguably the most productive game of his young career. He threw for 360 yards and three scores over a career-high 48 passes in a 37-34 victory versus the Seattle Seahawks. The win pushed the Cardinals to 5-2 overall and featured a 103-yard, one-score performance from wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and two touchdowns from wide receiver Christian Kirk. Running back Chase Edmonds racked up 145 yards from scrimmage on just 12 touches — five rushes, seven receptions — and he will be counted on to carry a heavier load this week with Kenyan Drake likely sitting this game out due to an ankle ailment.

Tagovailoa didn’t shine in his first career start this past Sunday, but he didn’t really have to. Facing off against the Los Angeles Rams, Tagovailoa completed just 12 of 22 passes for 93 yards and a score. The Dolphins gained only 145 total yards of offense, but since they got touchdowns from their defense and special teams, Miami’s offense didn’t need a big effort to lock up a 28-17 win. Running back Myles Gaskin was the only other player of note who chipped in on offense. He recorded 63 yards on 21 touches, but his short touchdown in the third quarter gave Miami a 28-7 advantage and effectively put the game out of reach. No other Dolphin gained even 20 yards of offense.

TV Info

Date: Sunday, Nov. 8
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Broadcast map

Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)

Dolphins: #9 Overall — #21 offense, #11 defense, #2 special teams
Cardinals: #11 Overall — #10 offense, #10 defense, #15 special teams

DraftKings Sportsbook odds

Dolphins: +4.5, +190
Cardinals: -4.5, -220
Total: 47.5

Fantasy football start/sit advice

Dolphins

Miami D/ST, $2,800

After a dominant performance in Week 8 over the Los Angeles Rams, the Dolphins defense finds itself as the 16th-priciest option for DK lineups. They emerged from their outing versus a Sean McVay offense unscathed, forcing four total turnovers from Jared Goff. The Cardinals offense, currently ranked 10th in DVOA, will present them a challenge, but considering the ceiling we saw in Week 8, this basement pricing still seems like a bargain.

Preston Williams, WR, $4,100

It’s difficult to make any concrete judgements on Miami’s passing corps after one game and 22 throws from a rookie quarterback. But just from what we saw Sunday, Williams was Tua’s favored target out wide; his five targets were the second-most on the team, trailing only Gaskin’s six. The matchup with Arizona’s cornerbacks is not daunting, so he has a chance to return value with his low price tag. He’s $1,100 cheaper this week than Miami’s other starting wideout, DeVante Parker.

Cardinals

Chase Edmonds, RB, $6,800

Drake’s injury has already been factored into Edmonds’ DraftKings price as his cost has taken a big leap from his Week 7 listing of $4,600. Miami allows the ninth-most DraftKings points to RBs per game, and Edmonds, who has caught at least five passes in three of his last four games, is in line to get a lot of work here. He took on 29 touches in a three-score game against the New York Giants last year, so Edmonds may be worth that price in full-PPR formats if the Cardinals trust him equally as much in Week 9.

Christian Kirk, WR, $5,300

Kirk has registered more than 20 fantasy points in each of Arizona’s last two games, thanks in large part to his four touchdowns during that time. A wideout’s TD frequency is generally volatile from week to week, so don’t bank on another multi-score game. Fortunately, his price remains reasonable and is only $200 more than where it was in Week 7. Kirk may be able to rip off some big plays against a defense that is giving up about 13.5 yards per reception.