Fantasy Upside
Matt Breida finished as the No. 25 fantasy back in 2018, amassing over 1,000 scrimmage yards. He was still productive in 2019, averaging 5.1 ypc, but ran into a very crowded backfield in San Francisco. He should see more usage in 2020 now that he’s on the Dolphins, a team that had Ryan Fitzpatrick as its leading rusher last year. Breida has limited competition with Jordan Howard, and while we expect Howard to get more carries, we expect Breida to still have a big role in this offense. Breida should especially be valuable as a receiver. Howard had three 250+ carry seasons in Chicago, but never caught more than 30 passes. Expect Breida to pick up that slack in Miami.
Fantasy Downside
Breida’s role is somewhat undefined on the Dolphins. While we expect him to be a pass-catching back, he’s never truly been just that in his NFL career, catching fewer than 30 receptions in each of his three seasons in the league. Breida also has some slight injury concerns as he hasn’t finished a full season in either of the past two years. Breida will also lose out on touchdowns as that role will likely fall on Howard.
2020 Bottom Line
When it comes to Miami’s running backs, Howard has the higher floor, but Breida has the higher ceiling. He’s had high production with the ball in his hands, but he’s simply never had a large enough role where we can see if he can keep it up with more touches. Breida offers more upside than Howard, but is a riskier selection due to his undefined role. He’s still an exciting player worth drafting near the 10th round. Think of Breida as an RB3 in half or full PPR leagues.
