Daniel Thomas Injury: Updates on Dolphins RB's Week 4 Status and Fantasy Value

The Miami Dolphins let Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown get away this offseason because they were more than comfortable with the idea of Daniel Thomas carrying the load as a rookie.

When the second-round pick finally got on the field this season, it was apparent they made the right call.

In his first two games as an NFL player, Thomas ran for 202 yards on 41 carries and also had four catches out of the backfield. Although the Dolphins haven't been winning, they couldn't be happier with the production they were getting out of the backfield.

They won't have that this week though. According to Jeff Darlington, Thomas was not on the team's flight to San Diego:

This is bad news for an 0-3 team that now has to rely on Chad Henne to throw the ball even more than desired on the road today.

The team's second-leading rusher, ironically enough, is Henne himself.

The quarterback has run for 111 yards on 14 carries this season. Reggie Bush, one of the Dolphins' top offseason acquisitions, is averaging a disgusting 2.6 yards per carry on the year. 

Fantasy owners were just starting to trust the rookie running back, at least as much as you can with a rookie.

The Dolphins' offensive line is no dominant force by any stretch of the imagination, and Thomas' injury has to be a bit disheartening early on in his career.

Before transferring to Kansas State, Thomas was a quarterback at the JUCO level. While he possesses a good combination of size, strength, speed and power, many were curious as to how he'd handle running in the NFL.

He does have a bit of upright running style and is prone to taking hits.

The most troubling aspect of the injury is that it is a hamstring issue that will need time to heal before being able to play through it.

The Dolphins will likely scale back his work load even when he does return. They need him for the long haul, and overusing him as a rookie on a team likely heading for a coaching/quarterback change and a top-10 pick isn't a smart franchise decision.

Fantasy owners will need to tread lightly with Thomas in the coming weeks. Whenever he returns to the lineup wait and see how the Dolphins plan to use him before giving him a starting nod.