Malcolm Brown

Week 6 at Jacksonville Jaguars

After giving Malcolm Brown nine touches in Week 4, the Dolphins didn't give Brown the ball once in Week 5. He did play, seeing just five snaps, but his performance just continues to add confusion to Miami's backfield. Brown played on 67% of the offensive snaps in Week 4 before playing just 9% in Week 5. Our best guess is that Miami is simply going matchup-based because Tampa Bay's run defense is so stout.

We'd expect Brown to have a bigger role this week against the Jaguars who aren't so tough against the run. Jacksonville has given up a league-high eight rushing touchdowns to running backs this season, and Brown is the only Dolphins running back to score a touchdown on the ground this year. Still, it's tough to trust Brown coming off of a 0-touch game. He's a desperation flex play at best in Week 6.

Week 4 vs. Indianapolis Colts

Malcolm Brown pulled off an impressive 24-yard touchdown run in Week 3, but that's about all he did. Outside of that run, Brown finished with six carries for seven yards and no receptions on just one target. Brown did play a season-high 41% of the offensive snaps, but he's averaged just 22.7 yards per game and has no receptions on the season. He's pretty much off the fantasy radar unless there's an injury to Myles Gaskin.

Fantasy Upside
Malcolm Brown is coming off a career-best 581-yard season with the Rams. Brown was solid on the ground with 419 yards and five touchdowns. But he also made an impact out of the backfield, hauling in 23 of his 33 targets for 162 yards. He’s projected to be the direct backup to Myles Gaskin after joining the Dolphins this season.

Fantasy Downside
While Brown was a nice role player for the Rams, at the end of the day he only averaged 36 yards per game. He joins a Dolphins team where he’s the obvious backup, and even then he’ll likely be fighting with Salvon Ahmed or rookie draft pick Gerrid Doaks for backup touches.

2021 Bottom Line
Brown is really only valuable as a handcuff to Gaskin. It’s hard to see him carving out a role large enough to warrant fantasy consideration. We’re only projecting him to finish with around 31 scrimmage yards per game, with limited scoring opportunities. If something happens to Gaskin, which could since he missed time last year, then Brown becomes intriguing. But as of now he’s outside the top 50 running backs and is mostly waiver wire material.