The Miami Dolphins may give Jay Ajayi more carries moving into Week 11 behind Lamar Miller after the running back had a solid performance in the win over the Eagles on Sunday. Miller remains the starter for Ryan Tannehill, but Ajayi could be a fantasy sleeper option along with Rishard Matthews against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dolphins won over the Eagles on Sunday and Ajayi played in his second game since returning from the IR. Ajayi injured his ribs in the preseason and that delayed his chance to step in as the main backup for Lamar Miller. The Dolphins drafted Ajayi in the fifth round despite some concern about a past knee injury and through two games he has been solid for the team. Ajayi is averaging over eight yards per carry and he comes into Week 11 with 11 carries for 89 yards.
Dan Campbell said last week that Ajayi would continue to get work behind Miller and he made the most of that on Sunday with 48 yards on six touches. Lamar Miller is the starter and will remain in that position for Miami, but if Ajayi keeps rushing the ball with confidence like he did last week, Campbell should continue to feed him the ball. Ajayi could be a solid fantasy football sleeper for team owners down the back stretch and he could be a nice fit as an RB3 of Flex option for the final weeks of the fantasy season.
Rishard Matthews has had a solid season for Miami and he is another sleeper option for the team in Week 11. Matthews had five catches for 93 yards last week and this season he has 42 catches for 647 yards in nine games. Matthews was almost let go in the offseason, but he has emerged as a consistent number two behind Jarvis Landry ahead of Kenny Stills.
Ajayi has stepped up over the past couple weeks and he could end up as one of the top contributors of this draft class for Miami. The 2015 class has had ups and downs for the team this season, as first round pick DeVante Parker has not been able to stay healthy on a consistent basis yet. The team is hoping that Parker can make an impact over the second half of the season, while players like Jamil Douglas and Jordan Phillips have been contributing as fourth and second round picks. Ajayi has shown some potential over the past two weeks and Miami would love it if Parker can get on the field down the back stretch of the season, as he has just four catches this year.
The Dolphins are preparing to face the Cowboys this week and the team will likely be up against Tony Romo, who is expected to make his first start since going on injured reserve. Romo reportedly is "healed" from his fracture collarbone and Ed Werder at ESPN reports that he "will play" in Week 11 for the Cowboys. The Dolphins remain in the mix in the AFC playoff race after winning against the Eagles this past weekend and this is a big game if the team wants to stay in the picture. A loss for the Cowboys here likely would knock them out, as they have lost seven straight to fall to 2-7 after losing to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
