Fantasy Impact on Jeff Wilson Jr. and Salvon Ahmed

It is not unusual to see Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert absent from practice on a Wednesday. Usually, Mostert’s absence is more about rest and workload management, but this time, it appears that things might be a little more serious. Let’s take a look at the latest injury update on Mostert and what it might mean for the fantasy football value of the Dolphins backfield.

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Latest Injury Update on Raheem Mostert

Initially, when we heard that Mostert was not practicing on Wednesday, alarm bells did not ring. Mostert frequently misses Wednesday practice, but ahead of Week 8, an ankle injury has caused him to be listed as a non-participant on the Dolphins’ first injury report of the week.

At this stage, we have no idea how serious the injury is but it very well could be that Mostert could have practiced today in some capacity but didn’t need to because of his usual schedule. We will get a better idea of Mostert’s status on Thursday when we get an updated practice report.

If Mostert is absent again on Thursday, alarm bells will really start to ring for Dolphins’ fans and fantasy managers.

Will Mostert Play in Week 8?

Until we hear a definitive answer on his health we have to assume that Mostert is 50-50 for Week 8. Mike McDaniel did not address Mostert’s injury in his pre-practice press conference, but he also did not address Tyreek Hill’s injury and that seems to be reasonably concerning.

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What we know right now is that Mostert is on his usual pattern of missing Wednesday practice. The only difference this time is that it is listed as an ankle injury rather than a rest situation. If he is limited on Thursday, there is a good chance Mostert will play Sunday. However, if he is absent again on Thursday, it will likely all ride on Friday’s practice report.

Should Fantasy Managers Target Jeff Wilson Jr. or Salvon Ahmed on Waivers?

Last week saw Jeff Wilson Jr. activated from injured reserve ahead of the Dolphins’ Week 7 game against the Eagles. However, it was Salvon Ahmed who got the bulk of the backup work. Granted we are talking four opportunities to one opportunity, but it is still worth noting.

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The other thing to note is that Mostert dominated the backfield work with nine carries and three targets. The starting RB dominated more than 70% of the touches from RBs in Week 7.

Therefore, until we know the extent of Mostert’s injury, you should not invest too much in acquiring Wilson or Ahmed at this stage.

Out of the two, Wilson has the better pedigree as a starting RB. Ahmed does not fit the profile of this Dolphins offense and the prevailing belief for many is that he is more of a change of style or gadget option for the unit. Therefore, the expectation would be that if Mostert missed time, Wilson would be in line to draw the start on Sunday.

Based on what we know Wednesday, fantasy managers should look to quietly add Wilson to their roster as a backend of the bench-type option. However, if Mostert is also absent tomorrow, then that urgency would increase with Wilson potentially in line to be a starting RB for one of the best offenses in football.

When the Dolphins faced the Patriots in Week 8, Mostert rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 18 attempts. Granted that was because the Patriots were designing their defense around the electric playmaking of Hill, who could also be missing. Even so, the potential starting RB for the Dolphins should be an option for fantasy managers to consider adding this week.