Why Miami Dolphins vs. Carolina Panthers is an intriguing matchup for fantasy football

It’s true that not many expect this matchup — the winless Carolina Panthers on the road against the heralded Miami Dolphins — to be particularly compelling.

But it could be a big day if you’re a fantasy footballer.

Here’s a quick summary of what you need to know ahead of Sunday’s contest, which will take place at 1 p.m. at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium and will be televised on CBS.

Expect big passing days from Alabama alumni

It’s no secret that what Miami’s Mike McDaniel-innovated offense has done thus far is historic. The unit’s 2,568 yards through five weeks is tops in NFL history, and it leads the league in points per game (36.2), rushing yards per game (185.3) and passing yards per game (327.8).

All of that success flows through third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The left-handed Alabama star’s stock has risen with the rest of the offense, and that likely won’t change against the Panthers, who are battling injuries everywhere on the defense. Carolina is expecting veteran cornerback Donte Jackson to return on Sunday, but key defensive tackle Derrick Brown (questionable), safety Xavier Woods (out) and outside pass rusher Brian Burns (questionable) all showed up on the injury report earlier this week — and that’s all without mentioning the long-term injuries this team lost in star CB Jaycee Horn and soul-of-the-defense LB Shaq Thompson.

Meanwhile, Bryce Young is finding his rhythm a bit in the Panthers’ simplified offense. A lot of his career day vs. the Lions came in the second half and was sullied by two interceptions, but his progress couldn’t be denied nonetheless. In a game where the Dolphins are expected to lead from start to finish — and where the Panthers will be throwing the ball a bunch — it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Young, also a former Alabama standout, to have a good day.

Key receivers for Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers

This Miami offense has so much speed it’s almost not fair. That starts with Tyreek Hill, and goes down to Jaylen Waddle and even North Carolina native Braxton Berrios. Hill has notched 49 targets through five weeks — Top 10 in the league — and has reined in 36 receptions for 651 yards and five touchdowns. Waddle is healthy after being in concussion protocol a few weeks ago; that was proven to say the least with his five-catch, 35-yard, one-touchdown day against the Giants. Berrios has 15 receptions on 18 targets for 159 yards and one touchdown.

Despite the Carolina offense not being great, you can’t overlook what Adam Thielen has done this season. Fantasy football players have noticed (particularly those in points-per-reception leagues). He’s notched 38 receptions on 46 targets for 394 yards and three touchdowns through Week 5 — and every as the Panthers play well so does Thielen: He notched double-digit receptions and a score in each of the two biggest offensive games for the Panthers (vs. Seattle and Detroit).

What to expect from the run game

The big injury news coming out of Miami’s camp is that De’Von Achane, the team’s speedy running back out of Texas A&M, has been placed on injured reserve thanks to a knee injury. The starting running back has 460 yards on 38 carries (12.1 yards a carry) and five rushing touchdowns on the season thus far, so that’s certainly a notable loss for the Dolphins’ offense.

The positive? Miami’s rushing offense is deep — it’s what makes them the top rushing offense in the NFL.

The team will start Raheem Mostert — 58 carries for 314 yards and seven rushing touchdowns on the season — and might not skip a beat. Mostert notched a season-low seven carries for nine yards in the team’s only loss this season against the Bills. Don’t expect that to happen against the Panthers, who rank 26th in rushing defense.

As for the Panthers, expect running back Chuba Hubbard to take a few more handoffs out of the backfield. That guess isn’t solely because starting running back Miles Sanders has been listed as out with a shoulder injury — he’s received the most amount of carries in back to back weeks.

It’s worth noting that the Panthers have the 21st rushing offense in the league but performed surprisingly well in the run game against the staunch Lions defense a week ago.

One sleeper fantasy football pick

Durham Smythe, Dolphins tight end: Smyth has only been targeted 15 times on the year — which is next to nothing in comparison to Hill’s 49 targets — but he could pose some matchup issues against Carolina. The 6-foot-6, 246-pound, fourth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame has proven his value as a blocker in McDaniel’s innovative offense scheme, but if history is any indication, he could have a big day against the Panthers. Lions tight end Sam LaPorta had three catches for 47 yards and two scores last week, and Vikings TE TJ Hockenson was second in the team in receptions and yards (behind Justin Jefferson) the week before.