The Best Players to Stash in Fantasy Football From the AFC East
Jay Ajayi, RB, Miami Dolphins
The Player
Jay Ajayi was widely considered to be a top-three talent in the 2015 NFL draft, behind only Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon. He was a creative and powerful between the tackles runner with the speed to get to the edge and an exceptional pass catcher out of the backfield, profiling as a true workhorse back.
But reports about a degenerative knee condition surfaced in the spring, causing his draft stock to plummet until he was finally selected in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins. The knee injury is expected to limit the length of his NFL career, but isn't viewed by most to be an injury that will affect him in the short term.
Similar to Bryce Brown, Ajayi is undisciplined as a runner, with an eye for open space that often gets him into trouble. But in the open field, Ajayi is a Marshawn Lynch type of runner, violent and aggressive with the speed and power to be a game-changing weapon for the Dolphins. His athletic comparables include players like Lynch and Marion Barber, who ran with a similar violent style:
| Name | Hght | Wght | 40 yd | Bnch | Vert | Broad | 20 ss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Crowell | 5' 11" | 224 | 4.57 | 23 | 38" | 117" | 4.56 |
| Jay Ajayi | 6' 0" | 221 | 4.57 | 19 | 39" | 121" | 4.1 |
| Larry Johnson | 6' 1" | 228 | 4.55 | 19 | |||
| Marion Barber | 6' 0" | 221 | 4.53 | 20 | 40" | 127" | 4.17 |
| Knowshon Moreno | 5' 11" | 217 | 4.5 | 25 | 35½" | 115" | 4.27 |
| Chris Ivory | 5' 11½" | 222 | 4.48 | 36" | 119" | 4.6 | |
| Marshawn Lynch | 5' 11" | 215 | 4.46 | 20 | 35½" | 125" | 4.58 |
| Carnell Williams | 5' 11" | 217 | 4.43 | 19 | 35½" | 118" | 4.17 |
| Deuce McAllister | 6' 1" | 222 | 4.41 | 20 | 37½" | ||
| Todd Gurley | 6' 1" | 222 | 17 |
Unfortunately, training camp hasn't been kind to Ajayi, with pass protection issues and inconsistency leading the coaches to call him a disappointment. But there are still flashes of that talent, and when the lights come on, don't be surprised to see him turn heads when he gets his chances.
The Opportunity
Incumbent starter Lamar Miller is an effective back who the coaches have always seemed to dislike, sharing carries with the ineffective Daniel Thomas in 2013 and starting the season behind Knowshon Moreno in 2014 until an injury forced the Dolphins to feature Miller.
Yet, despite no real competition in the backfield last season, Miller only received 216 carries all year and never had more than 19 in a game. While he was effective as a runner, posting a Rushing NEP per rush of 0.06 (sixth in the NFL in 2014), the team seemed reticent to rely on him as a focal point of their offense. The former Hurricanes back is a quicker player who doesn't run with the power the coaching staff seemingly prefers, which makes Ajayi, a naturally more powerful back, a great option to supplant Miller as the primary back for in Miami.
While a timeshare is likely, the Dolphins are looking to feature a run-heavy attack that is attempting to mirror the Chip Kelly system in Philadelphia, a team that also jettisoned a talented "elusive" player in LeSean McCoy for the decisive, power running of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews. Miami ranked only 22nd in the NFL last season in rushing attempts, a number they would love to improve upon if they can find a power back to feature.
Miller won't disappear in 2014, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him reduced to more of a Giovani Bernard role in favor of Ajayi. The rookie is a back I love to target late in drafts, and not just as a handcuff for Miller, but as a potential breakout candidate as the season progresses.
