Matt Breida, Jordan Howard's Dolphins Fantasy Outlook After Trade with 49ers

The Miami Dolphins new-look offense added another explosive playmaker to the backfield on Saturday with the acquisition of running back Matt Breida. 

Miami sent a fifth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for Breida. 

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was the Dolphins' leading rusher last season with 243 yards and four touchdowns on 54 attempts. 

General manager Chris Grier previously addressed running back in free agency by signing Jordan Howard, and adding Breida to the mix gives offensive coordinator Chan Gailey more options. 

Breida has shown flashes of promise with the 49ers. The 25-year-old has averaged more than five yards per attempt in each of the past two seasons and had 1,075 yards from scrimmage on 180 touches in 2018. 

On the surface, those numbers would suggest Breida is in line for a big fantasy season now that he doesn't have to share as many carries as he did in San Francisco. 

As ESPN's Mina Kimes noted, though, the 49ers have one thing that the Dolphins don't:

This isn't meant to suggest Breida isn't skilled. He has tremendous speed, as evidenced by the stats from his 83-yard touchdown run against the Cleveland Browns last season:

Howard has been inconsistent throughout his career, with just one season averaging more than 4.4 yards per attempt. The Indiana alum has shown a knack for finding the end zone, with 32 total touchdowns in 57 games. 

Given the skill sets both running backs bring to the table, Breida seems like a safer bet to be Miami's starter because of his speed and elusiveness. Howard has been excellent in pass protection and has the power running style to play in short-yardage and goal-line situations. 

Breida has RB2 potential because of his speed and the potential volume of touches he will see in Gailey's offense. Howard could also reach the level of an RB2 thanks to the likelihood he's used near the goal line, but a lower volume of touches will likely make him better served in a flex role.