Dolphins trade for 49ers running back Matt Breida

The San Francisco 49ers had a huge stack of running backs heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, and they’ll walk away with one less. The team traded Matt Breida to the Miami Dolphins for a fifth round pick. The 49ers then used that pick to draft offensive tackle Colton McKivitz.

With the trade, the Dolphins have boosted their running back depth. Breida will compete with offseason acquisition Jordan Howard for touches a season removed from Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the Dolphins with 243 rushing yards.

Breida rushed for 623 yards over 13 games, averaging 5.1 yards per carry but dealing with ankle injuries. Howard played in 10 games for the Eagles last season, rushing for 525 yards. They join Kalen Ballage, Myles Gaskin, Samaje Perine, and others, but this will be the Breida and Howard show.

For fantasy football purposes, Breida has more upside than Howard, but neither is the clear starter at this point. Prior to last season, Howard was the Bears starter. Last year, Breida was the sometimes starter for the 49ers. Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert got starting snaps at times as well. With Breida’s departure, Mostert likely has the slight edge as starter, but Coleman and Jerick McKinnon will get plenty of opportunities as well.m