Lamar Miller Should Be Sell-High Trade Candidate After Recent Fantasy Success

Since Week 3 of the NFL season, Lamar Miller has been one of the best running backs in fantasy football. The Miami Dolphins running back has been nearly as productive as owners expected him to be prior to the 2013 season.

With Knowshon Moreno on the injured reserve, Miller has stepped up and shined out of the backfield for the Dolphins. In fact, he's nearly been a top-10 running back over the last four weeks even accounting for the bye during Week 5.

Miller also received 18 carries against the Chicago Bears, the most of the season thus far. Even with the increased touches, he's still mixed into a rotation with Daniel Thomas, as Sigmund Bloom of FootballGuys.com notes:

Here's the thing: The road ahead for Miller is much tougher than the defenses he's faced already. Outside of this weekend's matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the fantasy stud seems destined to hit a speed bump.

After ravaging defenses like the Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, Miller will have to run even harder. Putting up double-digit points against the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets will be much more difficult.

This isn't to say that he is going to pull a Zac Stacy and lose all fantasy value, but he has several daunting tasks ahead. Below is a full look at the upcoming schedule for the Dolphins.

Week	Matchup	Fantasy Points Allowed (RB)
8	Jacksonville Jagaurs	20.87
9	San Diego Chargers	18.07
10	Detroit Lions	14.96
11	Buffalo Bills	11.27
12	Denver Broncos	16.65
13	New York Jets	15.17
14	Baltimore Ravens	11.66
15	New England Patriots	21.67
16	Minnesota Vikings	22.67
17	New York Jets	15.17

Part of the issue for Miller not taking over the feature role is likely due to his fumble issues. He has coughed up the ball three times already this season, and all three resulted in turnovers for Miami.

Reliability might not mean much in fantasy, but it means everything to NFL coaches.

What really might concern owners is the risk of injury for Miller after coping with a knee injury. Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel noted the back was wearing a brace earlier this week:

It doesn't appear to be serious at this point, but a knee injury might be an issue that slows Miller down on the field.

At this point in the season, Miller has been a reliable running back in a year when many have been letdowns. Trading him away might not seem like a smart decision, but the return now should be much more promising than later in the season.

Rather than hoping that his recent streak holds up, selling high now will lead to a strong finish. Getting back another solid position player and running back would make for a more complete lineup. For those who have a wealth of running backs, this seems like a no-brainer.

Expect Miller to once again post big numbers against the lowly Jaguars, but the slate ahead makes him a difficult start. Selling high on him, as difficult as it may seem, will be a move that comes to fruition when the games count.

All fantasy stats courtesy of NFL.com.

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