The Miami Dolphins will have quarterback Tua Tagovaila back in the starting lineup for the first time since Week 2. Tua left the game after suffering a concussion against the Buffalo Bills and has been on injured reserve over the past four games. After seeking specialists and talking with doctors, Tua is expected to make his return against the Arizona Cardinals.
Tua Tagovailoa injury status
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will start in Week 8 against the Cardinals as the team announced on Friday. According to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, Tua will officially be listed as questionable, but that is simply a formality. Given that Tua was just activated into the 21-day practice window. Per NFL rules, he has to be on the injury report as he is technically still on injured reserve until he is activated on Sunday.
What Tua Tagovaila injury means for fantasy football
Fantasy football managers will be elated to have Tua Tagovailoa back in the Dolphins starting lineup. Without Tua, pass-catchers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have each struggled for high-end fantasy production. In Weeks 3-7, Hill was the WR67 while Waddle was the WR80 in PPR formats.
Tua will provide an immediate boost to Dolphins pass-catchers. The Dolphins have very clearly missed what Tua brings in terms of timing and anticipation at the quarterback position. In Week 1 and 2 Hill was the WR17 with a 26-point performance in Week 1. Meanwhile, Waddle was the WR28.
The return of Tua should also open things up in the run game. Devon Achane looked to be off to a strong start as the RB2 through the first two weeks of the season. Since then, Achane has been the RB52 and has just one double-digit performance.
Additionally, the Cardinals defense should be a good matchup for the Dolphins and Tua’s return. The Cardinals have allowed the third-most EPA per pass and the seventh-most passing yards per game. They’ve also allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.
It’s hard to know exactly what to expect from the Dolphins offense with Tua returning after missing the last four games. However, the Dolphins offense has been one of the more fantasy friendly offenses in the NFL with Tua under center and they will have a good matchup against the Cardinals. The Dolphins offense should hit the ground running.
Tyreek Hill has been a difficult weekly decision for fantasy managers. With that said, Tua’s return should make it pretty straightforward. If you have Hill and Achane, both players should be back in fantasy lineups. Meanwhile, Tua brings his usual solid QB2 upside. It should be expected for the Dolphins offense to return to form with Tua back in the lineup.
