Just a few hours ago, Sony Michel looked like he was a sure-fire RB1 for Week 2. Michel is going up against an atrocious Miami Dolphins defense and, for a second, looked like he’d have complete control of the backfield. James White’s wife is pregnant and expecting a child, and some believed he might not travel for Week 2’s matchup. However, White made the trip to Miami and should play. With White on the field, what is Sony Michel’s fantasy football outlook against the worst team in the league?
Fantasy Football: Sony Michel Outlook With James White Active
James White is going to cut into Michel’s snaps, but this is still going to be a Sony Michel game. Owning Patriots running backs in fantasy football can be frustrating, as Bill Belichick has a tendency to swap his running back usage on a weekly basis. However, it’s actually fairly easy to predict how each running back is going to be used on a game-by-game basis. James White is the pass-catcher, Sony Michel is the runner, and Rex Burkhead can do a little bit of both but will never be the star.
Based on everything we know, New England is going to run the crap out of the ball in this contest. New England wins by attacking opposing weaknesses, and Miami’s biggest weakness is their run defense. Say what you will about the complete lack of talent throughout the roster, but the Dolphins have a few interesting pieces in the secondary. Xavien Howard is an above-average starter and Minkah Fitzpatrick has some interesting playmaking promise. The front seven, meanwhile, is a trainwreck. The Patriots have one of the best offensive lines in the league while the Dolphins have one of the worst defensive lines. I could probably start for New England and average five yards per carry in this matchup.
Additionally, this game script is going to be beneficial to Sony Michel. The Dolphins aren’t capable of keeping up with New England’s high-powered offense and elite defense, so New England is going to spend most of the game running out the clock. This means Michel is going to get a lot of touches, which means garbage time yards and potentially an extra touchdown or two.
The Run Game Will Succeed
As previously mentioned, the Patriots offensive line is significantly better than the Dolphins defensive line. Michel’s more than capable of being productive when the blocking is there, as evidenced by his six-touchdown postseason run in 2018. James White probably won’t play a big role, but Rex Burkhead might. However, you shouldn’t worry about Burkhead making Michel completely irrelevant.
Last week, Rex Burkhead was considerably more productive than Sony Michel. Burkhead received eight carries for 44 yards and an additional five receptions for 41 yards. Despite the relatively high usage, Michel still saw a majority of the carries. He only recorded 14 yards on his 15 carries, but the opportunity for success was there. Pittsburgh has a talented front, and Michel wasn’t able to overcome subpar blocking. He should have more opportunities in Week 2, and he’s in a better position to capitalize on said opportunities. Even with James White in the lineup, make sure to start Sony Michel in all formats. He has the floor of an RB2 and a ceiling of a top-five running back.
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