Lamar Miller

Last season was Miller's best yet in Houston. He added nearly a full yard to his YPC from the season before, and he failed to reach 1,000 rushing yards for the third time in his career only because he missed a couple games with minor injuries. Improved offensive line play was a factor, and while the line overall still wasn't good, the interior opened more holes for Miller than it had in 2017. That gave him more opportunities to use the speed that's his only standout trait, as he lacks the elusiveness to make tacklers miss or the power and balance to stay on his feet after contact. While Miller got more support up front after the Texans used two of their first three draft picks on a pair of offensive tackles, he won't see the benefit of those improvements after tearing his ACL in the third full week of the preseason. Without Miller, Houston's backfield will rely on Duke Johnson in a defined role as a pass-catching back, but the early-down runner may not be determined for some time. The possibility exists of an addition via trade, but for the time being the remaining backs on the roster are Buddy Howell, Josh Ferguson, Damarea Crockett, Taiwan Jones and Karan Higdon.

Miller topped 1,000 scrimmage yards for a fourth consecutive season, but 2017 was hardly a rousing success for the 27-year-old. His YPC was a career low, and in Week 11 his starting job -- or at least his touch volume -- appeared to be in serious jeopardy when third-round pick D'Onta Foreman steamrolled the Arizona defense. Foreman then tore his Achilles tendon on a touchdown run late in that same November game, and with the second-year player ruled out for at least the first six weeks of 2018 after landing on the PUP list, Miller will maintain the top backfield gig by default to begin this season. Speed is still his best asset, but Miller had few chances to display it last year running behind a ramshackle offensive line. Miller failed to break off a run of 40 yards or more for the first time since he was a rookie, and his average-at-best elusiveness made it tough for him to pick up positive yards in traffic. A healthy Deshaun Watson under center will take a lot of pressure off the running game, and the front office did its best to rebuild the offensive line in free agency and the draft, but another sluggish start from Miller would open the door for Foreman -- if healthy -- to eventually force an even timeshare. Miller at least has pass-catching skills working in his favor.

After four years of having his touches scaled back in Miami, Miller fled to Houston as a free agent on the promise of a full workload and handled the ball 299 times over 14 games before he missed the final two regular-season contests with an ankle injury -- though he was able to return for the playoffs. The 26-year-old wore down as the campaign progressed and tied his career low with a 4.0 YPC, with the team's struggles in the passing game making it difficult for him to find running room against stacked fronts. He still possesses the straight-line speed that landed him on the track team in college, but he's never proven to have much elusiveness in the NFL, forcing him to rely on his offensive line or offensive coordinator to get him into open space where he can use that speed effectively. Miller can also be an asset in the passing game, although Houston's quarterback issues cut into his production in that area. With Tom Savage on top of the depth chart at QB heading into 2017 and the front office failing to do much to reinforce the O-line, things may not change much for Miller, at least until Deshaun Watson is ready to take the reins. The Texans did add D'onta Foreman in the third round to take some of the backfield load, though, so in terms of touch volume Miller could find himself right back where he started.

It's hard to get fantasy owners to agree on anything, but most roto heads couldn't stand the Dolphins last year. Mind you, it's a strike against the two long-gone head coaches and their underlings. Although Miller was an efficiency ace for his Dolphins career, he was curiously underused much of the time. Consider the last two seasons, when Miller racked up 4.8 yards per carry but made it to 20 rushing attempts just once. Feature your best players, man. Miller bolted South Beach during free agency, signing a four-year, $26 million package with Houston. The Texans have been run-committed during the Bill O'Brien era, finishing first and fifth in rushing attempts during that period. Miller specifically mentioned Houston's backfield usage during his introductory press conference, and reportedly he left some money on the table in order to sign with the Texans. It looks like we might finally have the right fit between player, scheme and offense. Houston also boasts an above-average offensive line. Miller's 215-pound frame might be a little undersized for four months of inside pounding, but he's more than capable as a receiver (career-high 47 grabs last year, and a personal best YPC). There are different ways to get him the ball. Into his age-25 season and free of the Miami restraints, Miller looks primed for a career year.

Miller's third season in the NFL was his coming-out party. Beginning the year as the lesser half of a committee with Knowshon Moreno, Miller took over starting duties after Moreno dislocated his elbow Week 2 and then tore his ACL Week 6. The Dolphins carefully managed Miller's workload, as he didn't see 20 carries in a game once, but despite the restricted touches he proved a weapon in the ground game. Miller's built like a power back, but his biggest asset is actually his top-end speed, and when the former college sprinter sees green he has another gear few players can match. His balance and agility are also assets, allowing him to pick his way through traffic, and he's a very good receiver. He doesn't run with a lot of elusiveness or power, but his elite burst allows him to run by and through a lot of defenders, and that explosiveness netted him more than three-quarters of Miami's carries inside the five. Moreno is gone, but the Dolphins drafted Jay Ajayi, another back with a three-down skill set, in the fifth round, so Miller might not see a large increase in his touches this season. Even without 300 carries, though, Miller's productivity could continue to rise as he further hones his craft.

Winning the top rushing role for the Dolphins last year didn't yield a huge spike in fantasy value for Miller, who saw his small-sample 4.9 YPC from 2012 drop to 4.0 in his sophomore campaign while remaining minimally impactful in the passing game and at the goal line. The free-agent signing of Knowshon Moreno – more of a prototypical three-down back – initially did not bode well for Miller's chances of claiming the team's No. 1 RB duties. However, Moreno was slowed by knee soreness in June that required arthroscopic surgery, giving Miller's candidacy new life. While the 5-10, 218-pound runner has an elite 4.34 40 time to his credit, he wasn't able to do much with that speed last season and didn't run with any great degree of physicality, either. He did break off three runs of 30 yards or more, but ultimately, had only four games all year that were truly fantasy-relevant, and those were more than offset by the numerous duds he put up. Miller gained 20 or fewer yards on the ground seven times, failing even to crack double digits four of those times. He also dealt with a late-season concussion, though that didn't seem to affect his game much. Moreover, some of his shortfall can be chalked up to the Dolphins' issues on the offensive line last year.

After just 51 rushing attempts as a rookie, Miller comes to Dolphins training camp this season with an excellent chance of winning the starting job. The Dolphins didn't pursue re-signing Reggie Bush because they view Miller as a bigger version with as much speed and versatility. Coach Joe Philbin's staff is also more invested in Miller than 2011 second-rounder Daniel Thomas, whom it did not draft. At 6-1, 233, Thomas may factor in at the goal line, but this is Miller's backfield to lose. In a rookie class loaded with gifted running backs, Miller was the fastest with a 4.4 40 at the 2012 Combine. Miller never really had much of a chance to display his game-breaking speed last season, but he averaged 4.9 yards per carry. At 5-10, 218, he boasts the strength to rip through arm tackles, and with his lateral quickness and acceleration to the second level Miller is an ideal fit for Miami's zone-blocking scheme. In an offense that added Mike Wallace and Dustin Keller to the passing game, that puts Miller in an enviable position.

The Dolphins took Miller with the No. 97 pick of the draft after he ran for 1,272 yards and nine touchdowns during his final year in Miami. Despite being 5-10, 218, Miller’s 4.40 40 time was the fastest among all backs at the NFL Combine, but he struggles in pass protection and has dealt with durability issues in the past. It’s hard to see how he fits into a Dolphins backfield with Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas ahead of him on the depth chart. Miller will help on special teams immediately, but he’s a project in the short term.