Panthers @ Dolphins Week 6 Game Preview
Jonathan Fuller previews the Week 6 matchup between the Panthers and Dolphins from a betting perspective.
Carolina Panthers @ Miami Dolphins
I was shocked to see that Vegas didn’t have this as the most lopsided matchup of the week, but the Giants at Bills makes sense for the one game that could be even uglier.
Miami has been lights out this season, leading all teams in scoring and looking like a legit Super Bowl contender in every game except their trip to Buffalo.
The Dolphins have been breaking most offensive efficiency metrics and are pretty much in a tier of their own. They are starting to be tested by injuries, with OL Terron Armstead and RB De’Von Achane landing on IR in the past two weeks.
We will likely have to wait another week to see how much these injuries impact the Dolphins as they get to take on a soft Panthers defense and still have plenty of weapons to take advantage of the matchup.
Both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are elite options this week, checking in as the WR1 and WR10 in the Fantasy Life consensus rankings for Week 6.
In the backfield, Raheem Mostert figures to slot in as the clear lead back for now, while some combination of Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed, and Chris Brooks will slot in behind him until Achane returns.
If Wilson returns and is fully healthy, I think he has some sneaky upside, but there hasn’t been much news to this point. Regardless, he is someone I want on my rosters wherever possible.
The Panthers are still winless but have to be feeling a bit better with Bryce Young coming off his best performance as a pro with 247 yards and three passing TDs in Week 5 against the Lions.
With all the focus on the Dolphins' electric offense, their defensive struggles have flown a bit under the radar despite the fact they have given up the seventh most points allowed in the NFL through five games.
This bodes well for Adam Thielen, who continues to put up good performances, including two finishes as a top-5 WR in PPR scoring in his last three games. Keep rolling with Thielen in your lineup until he shows signs of slowing down.
If the Panthers fall behind as expected, I expect one of DJ Chark, Jonathan Mingo, or Terrace Marshall to deliver in this game, but it is difficult to know who that will be in advance. Chark and Mingo have been a bigger part of the offense, but Marshall has been really strong in terms of targets per route run and could get there in a matchup where the Panthers will likely be forced to throw to try to keep up.
The Panthers backfield has been one of the grossest committees when both Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard are playing, but Sanders is banged up, which would open the door for Hubbard to be a flex-worthy play if he has the backfield all to himself in Miami.