Knowshon Moreno's Updated 2014 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 5
Knowshon Moreno was an absolute stud in fantasy football last year, but owners only got a brief glimpse of that magic in 2014 before he suffered an injury.
In fact, Moreno looked just like the running back who ran for 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns in Denver last season when he dashed the New England Patriots for 134 rushing yards and a touchdown in his Miami Dolphins debut in Week 1.
Unfortunately, he dislocated his elbow early in the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills and hasn’t been back on the field since. Wide receiver Mike Wallace commented on the injury and what Moreno means to the team in the immediate aftermath.
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"I just seen him on the ground," Wallace said, via James Walker of ESPN.com. "I know it wasn't good because he never really stays on the ground like that. It was quiet for a little while, but it was early in the game and we had to keep playing. We definitely missed his intensity."
The good news for the Dolphins and fantasy owners is that Miami has a bye in Week 5, so Moreno has an extra week to recover. If Moreno is going to return to the lineup soon, it makes plenty of sense to come back after the bye when he is theoretically fresh.
Hal Habib of The Palm Beach Post provided an update on Tuesday that wasn’t exactly encouraging:
Of course, that doesn’t mean Moreno won’t be on the field or in your fantasy lineup in Week 6, but it is a situation worth monitoring.
There was a general assumption that Moreno was a product of the system in Denver last year. It was nearly impossible for defenses to focus on the rushing attack with Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas and Wes Welker leading the aerial game, so there was plenty of room for Moreno to run.
However, Montee Ball hasn’t busted out yet this year like so many thought, and Moreno looked the part again in Miami in one game before getting hurt. Perhaps it’s time to recognize Moreno’s talent?
If you are going to do that and feature Moreno in your fantasy lineup soon, you need to keep an eye on Lamar Miller.
Miller ran for 108 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs and then 64 yards and two touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders in Moreno’s absence. You can either look at Miller’s success as proof that the Dolphins can move the ball on the ground behind their offensive line, which is good for Moreno’s fantasy value, or a signal that he will see more carries in the future, which is bad for Moreno’s fantasy value.
Habib clearly thought that Miller had his eyes on the starting role during the Week 4 contest with Oakland:
Miami can’t just ignore Miller now that Moreno is returning soon. Miller definitely earned some more carries, and he will likely vulture some yards and touchdowns from Moreno in the future.
The advice here would normally be to wait and see before inserting Moreno back into your lineup. It would be smart to give it a week to see if he is fully healthy and how the carries are delegated between the two backs when both are active.
However, we are going to go against that logic and suggest putting Moreno back in your lineup right away in Week 6 if he actually plays.
Miami goes up against the Green Bay Packers, which just happens to be the worst team in the league against the run thus far. You are not going to get many golden opportunities like that for your running backs throughout the fantasy season, and it would be a shame to miss that lightning in a bottle when it comes to Moreno.
The Dolphins are sixth in the NFL in rushing yards, so the offensive line is ready to go. Moreno will rack up those fantasy points right away, even if he is sharing some carries with Miller.
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