The resurgent 8-5 Miami Dolphins welcome the struggling 6-7 New England Patriots to Hard Rock Stadium this weekend in a matchup that’s sure to be very different from their week one game.
Since Miami’s loss to the Patriots on opening weekend, things have changed quite a bit. The Dolphins defense has turned into one of the better units in the NFL and the Patriots are on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. The Fins had a tough loss last week to the Kansas City Chiefs, but have been dominating their opponents before that. Head coach Brian Flores has also made the switch to Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. The offense hasn’t been fantastic, but it’s been enough to get the job done thanks to their defense.
New England hasn’t eclipsed 300 total yards of offense in the last three weeks. In fact, they’ve only done it eight times all season. Their passing game is virtually non-existent, averaging less than 200 yards per game through the air. The rushing attack has been better, out of necessity, getting close to 150 yards on the ground each week.
TV Info
Date: Sunday, Dec. 20
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Broadcast map
Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)
Patriots: #20 Overall — #24 offense, #21 defense, #1 special teams
Dolphins: #11 Overall — #17 offense, #11 defense, #3 special teams
DraftKings Sportsbook odds
Patriots: +2, +112
Dolphins: -2, -136
Total: 41.5
Fantasy football start/sit advice
Patriots
Cam Newton, QB, $5,500
Newton is really the only guy you need from the Pats on your roster. He has the team’s most rushing touchdowns and obviously passing touchdowns as well. He’s a monster in the red zone and particularly in goal-to-go situations.
Nick Folk, K, $5,400
I mean — this roster isn’t going to get anybody a ton of fantasy points outside of Newton. Folk has been solid this season though when given the opportunity. He’s made 23 of 21 kicks he’s attempted this season and has missed just two extra points too. He’s the best bet for easy points.
Dolphins
Dolphins D/ST, $3,700
The Dolphins have at least one turnover in every game this season and have multiple takeaways in seven games so far. The Pats offense has been quite bad throughout the course of this season, so Miami should have a great outing this weekend.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB $5,700
Tua Tagovailoa’s passing yards, for the most part, have been underwhelming when games have been close. But he has gotten into a bit of a groove over his last two starts, throwing for nearly 400 yards each time out. Plus, he’s always good for a couple of scores.