Lamar Miller, Knowshon Moreno's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 1

Updates from Monday, Sept. 8

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald shared comments from Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor on the play of his running backs:

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Lazor said he did not even think about who should be the starter until a team official mentioned to him Monday that reporters might ask him about it during his one weekly availability.

'The question about who takes the first snap, now it’s on my mind, but I hadn’t considered it really yet,' he said. 'I expect them both to contribute. There might be days (where) sometimes they may rotate by series and sometimes they may rotate by play if there are particular things they want.

'Sometimes a guy may just need a blow for a moment and, when he comes out because he’s had a couple of plays in a row, we happen to call three straight runs. Some of it is going to be luck of the draw and the flow of the game. If a guy, if it’s his turn to play and he runs for three first downs in a row, he’s going to get to play more. They also get to earn some of it.'

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Original Text

As expected, Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin decided to use a committee-style approach in the backfield in Week 1 against the New England Patriots.  

Lamar Miller received the start, rushing twice for three yards and capping off the team's first drive with a four-yard touchdown reception.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweeted the play's progression:

Early in the preseason, Miller started well ahead of Knowshon Moreno on the team's depth chart due to his experience on the offense. However, Moreno began to make up ground after outperforming his counterpart during exhibition contests.

While Miller put up the early fantasy points on Sunday, Moreno entered the game for the Dolphins' second drive and looked good on the ground immediately. Philbin appeared to have more faith in Moreno as the game went on. A well-rounded running back, Moreno has the ability to gain chunks of yards at a time and is extremely reliable in pass protection.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill praised the running back after the game, via the Dolphins' official Twitter account:

The difference in production from the running backs by the end of the game was staggering:

Player	Carries	Yards	TDs	Avg
Moreno	24	134	1	5.6
Miller	11	59	0	5.4

Miller certainly didn't have a poor showing on Sunday; however, considering Moreno's impressive production—which helped result in a huge 33-20 victory over a division rival—he should be expected to be the more viable fantasy option going forward.

Miami will travel to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Consider Moreno a solid starting option at running back from this point onward. As for Miller, he still retains some value; however, he shouldn't be considered more than a low-end RB2.