Fantasy Football: Lamar Miller PPR Overview

Dec 27, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller (26) stiff arms Indianapolis Colts inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman (50) during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller (26) stiff arms Indianapolis Colts inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman (50) during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Fantasy Football
Jun 14, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller (26) catches a short pass in offensive drills during Houston Texans minicamp at Methodist Training Center in Houston, TX. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /

Fantasy Football Preview: Lamar Miller PPR Outlook

Hello all, as people begin to start drafting their fantasy football teams, I figured it would be useful to begin highlighting key players to target in drafts. I’ll continue to do provide my fantasy football rankings but will also determine some players with a golden opportunity to produce.

One key off-season player change was Lamar Miller’s move from the Miami Dolphins to the Houston Texans where Millers has the chance to thrive and out up massive fantasy numbers.

Miller is definitely not being under drafted by any means but the fantasy community is unsure if they should believe the hype. I’ll be listing various reasons to believe the hype, this time it’s PPR scoring specifically.

Next: Why Lamar Miller will be a Top 5 PPR RB

Is this the year Miller breaks out?

Miller is an interesting back for sure. As a Packers fan, I was hoping Joe Philbin (former GB offensive coordinator) would bring increased offsense to a young and promising Miami Dolphins squad. Philbin had the Packers offense in the top 10 for 5 seasons in points scored and total yards. Obviously I was not expecting the same for the Dolphins but significant improvement seemed to be on the horizon. Instead, Philbin became a laughing stock as head coach and made countless errors throughout his tenure. After 3 seasons of 8-8 or worse, Philbin was fired in 2015 after a 1-3 start.

Oct 25, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller (26) carries the ball to score a touchdown past Houston Texans cornerback
Oct 25, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller (26) carries the ball to score a touchdown past Houston Texans cornerback /

Finally, Miller can play now. Last year, he averaged a mere 12 carries per game. Even with that in mind, he finished with 10 touchdowns and almost 1300 total yards. While these aren’t eye popping numbers, it still was enough for Miller to finish as the RB5 in PPR. Once can only imagine the potential where he will actually become the featured back. I see 230 carries as a real possibility, if you can grab Miller anywhere in the second round, consider it a win. A realistic prediction for Miller’s stat line would be 1600 total yards, 10 TD, and 60 catches. All signs pointing to a successful season for Miller and I think he’s one of the safest RB picks early on.

Next: How underutilized was he?

Despite how he still finished in the #5 spot for PPR, it was still a disappointing season for Miller. He had 4.5 yards per carry but the stats didn’t match those of a “featured” back. I recall many times where I had to force myself not to bench him after weeks 3+4 he combined for 14 carries and in weeks 11-12 he had a combined 12 rushing attempts. That’s 26 rushing attempts over four games, for a STARTING RB.

With Bill O’Brien, Foster had 10 games with 19+ rushing attempts. How many did Miller have under Philbin’s reign of terror?

More from FanSided

You may want to cover your ears. Three! If those numbers don’t hurt to hear, you probably did not own Miller in fantasy last season. Hear me out though, I know I sound like I’m portraying him as the best back in the league, he’s clearly not. It’s just frustration from a fantasy perspective, most in the community recognize the potential Miller possesses. I think Miller could potentially land as the #2 fantasy RB this season in PPR, but I have him ranked as the fourth RB currently It also helps that he has a solid offense built around him and the eyes will be on Osweiler. (subject to change).

Next: Fantasy Football: 2015 Season in Review

Hop on board the Miller Express and if he fails, I’m coming down with you. Thanks for reading!