Yeah, yeah. We know. Maybe you’ve made it a priority to target Kenyan Drake over the course of the last two seasons and you’ve been disappointed by the final product. Or maybe you’ve made a pact with yourself to avoid Miami Dolphins on your squad all together — after all, when is the last time Miami had a consistent contributor at the running back position?
But we’re here to tell you that yes, Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake should be on your fantasy football roster in 2019. Why? Because the puzzle pieces are all present for Drake to experience a nice bump in production. Not only does Adam Gase leaving help Drake’s case as a primary ball carrier — but the folks Miami has brought in to replace him as an offensive play caller hail from the northeast — where pass catching backs are very much a big thing.
Consider Drake’s production last year. Yes — he got a cheap 52 yards receiving and an extra receiving touchdown without a catch credited to his name for the “Miami Miracle”. That will boost the stats a bit, as you might imagine.
But an extra 50 yards really can’t boost your stats this much. Drake, for his limited production, was actually the 6th most productive fantasy back in football last year when you score him on a per touch basis.
And again — with new offensive play caller Chad O’Shea stepping into the role after years in New England, Drake should continue to thrive as a pass catching back. How good was Drake in the pass game? Take away his raw numbers of receiving yards and receptions for a moment and just consider this: Kenyan Drake produced the 6th highest quarterback rating of any running back in the NFL on his targets last year.
And Drake produced that figure on 73 total targets. None of the backs with a higher passer rating had more than 44 targets in 2018.
Putting the pieces of the puzzle together and Kenyan Drake should have a unique mix of opportunity and skill in 2019 — enough to grow his carry share but sustain his production in the passing game. And certainly enough to help your fantasy squad.
