Ryan Tannehill - Week 9 vs. San Diego
Ryan Tannehill was a bit of a disappointment last week against Jacksonville. In what appeared to be a favorable matchup he failed to reach 200 passing yards and threw just one touchdown while also throwing an interception. The only good news is he ran for another 40+ yards in his third consecutive game. If you play in leagues that count touchdowns as four points, that's like an extra score.
He'll get a decent matchup this week against San Diego. The Chargers haven't allowed too many big performances (just one 300-yard game), but they've been far from shutdown.
Tannehill isn't exactly a great option. He's yet to have a 300-yard performance this season and hasn't thrown more than two touchdowns in any game. But with six teams on bye in Week 9 he becomes a borderline QB1.
Ryan Tannehill - Week 8 vs. Jacksonville
Ryan Tannehill now has three consecutive games with multiple touchdown passes, tied for the longest stretch of his career. He's also thrown for over 240 yards in each of those games, also tied for his career best. It's also worth adding he's rushed for 35 yards, 49 and 48 in those games, respectively.
In short, he's playing at a really high level. His high production should continue in a favorable matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville has already been a soft matchup for quarterbacks, but injuries could have them without two CBs in this matchup. Two 2013 seventh-round draft picks are expected to start against Miami.
There are a lot of positives for Tannehill this week and it makes him a borderline QB1 option.
Ryan Tannehill - Week 7 vs. Chicago
Ryan Tannehill hasn't been a great fantasy option this season. He's only topped 250 passing yards once and hasn't thrown for three touchdowns in any game. His 8-5 TD-INT ratio isn't helping matters, either (he's thrown an interception in all but one game).
He'll get a decent matchup this week against the Bears, but expect more of the same out of the average quarterback. He's a low QB2.
Ryan Tannehill - Week 6 vs. Green Bay
Before the Dolphins' bye in Week 5, Ryan tannehill had his best game of the season. He threw for a season high in yards (278) and had two touchdowns. He also added 35 yards on the ground. Still, his best game of the season is about as good as some of the elite QB's worst games.
This week he goes up against a Packers' D that has been tough against opposing QBs. Green Bay is only allowing an average of 220 yards per game. The Packers have also only given up five passing touchdowns in five games while causing seven interceptions.
Tannehill has had a whole week to prepare for this game, but he's still not a great option. He should be viewed as a QB2.
Ryan Tannehill - Week 4 vs. Oakland Raiders
Ryan Tannehill is not having a great season. He's averaging just over 200 yards per game and has a 4-2 TD-INT ratio. The worst part about his season is that he's actually throwing the ball a lot. He's attempted the second-most passes in the league.
His poor play has put him on the hot seat. Earlier this week his head coach wouldn't confirm if Tannehill was starting Sunday (in all likelihood he'll start).
Tannehill's season doesn't get much easier this week. He'll face a Raiders pass defense that is allowing an average of 198 yards per game. His poor play combined with a bad matchup makes for a bad option at QB this week.
Ryan Tannehill - Week 3 vs. Kansas City
Ryan Tannehill hasn't exactly had the best start to the 2014 season. He's only the 22nd highest scorer at his position. He wasn't awful last week as he threw for 241 yards (his first 200-yard game against Buffalo), but he only scored one touchdown.
He'll get a favorable matchup in Week 3. The Chiefs have already given up 508 passing yards and five touchdowns this season. If Jake Locker can have success against the Chiefs (266, 2 TDs) then Tannehill can, too.
Considering his season so far, we wouldn't label Tannehill as a QB1. He's a QB2 with upside and could be a starter this week if you're desperate.
Ryan Tannehill - Week 2 vs. Buffalo
Ryan Tannehill didn't have the best Week 1 performance. He did throw two touchdowns, but he only finished with 178 passing yards. The Miami Dolphins had most of their success on the ground as Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller combined for 193 rushing yards.
This week Tannehill draws a tough matchup against Buffalo. The Bills did allow Jay Cutler to throw for 349 yards in Week 1, but last year they were among the best in pass defense. In addition, Tannehill has never thrown over 200 yards in his four career starts against the Bills.
Miami will likely look to run the ball again this week. Buffalo was weak against the run a year ago, and it worked well for the Dolphins against New England. Tannehill is a poor option this week.
Ryan Tannehill - Week 1 vs. New England
Ryan Tannehill's best fantasy performance of last season came in his second game against the New England Patriots. He threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns. He had a decent performance in the first game throwing for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns. He did have two interceptions, though.
Having said that, it's important to note that this isn't the same Patriots defense as last year. They added CBs Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner to improve their pass defense.
Tannehill may be a serviceable quarterback this season depending on matchups, but this week is not it. Tannehill is at best a low-end QB2 option against New England.
Fantasy Upside
Ryan Tannehill showed improvement a year ago. He increased his touchdown total from 12 in his rookie season to 24. He also trusted to throw the ball more as he had 104 more attempts. His numbers should increase again as he heads into his third NFL season.
One of Tannehill’s biggest struggles last season was trying to stay up. The Dolphins’ offensive line allowed him to be sacked 58 times. Miami tried to help by signing tackle Branden Albert from the Chiefs and drafting Ja’Waun James in the first round. An improved offensive line could really help in the long run.
More upside is the fact Miami brought in offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. Lazor assisted Chip Kelly in developing Nick Foles. Lazor will likely give Tannehill the opportunity to throw the ball often.
Fantasy Downside
We haven’t seen anything from Tannehill that makes him trustworthy as a QB1. According to ESPN’s scoring settings Tannehill’s peak performance was 24 points in 2013. He only topped 20 points or higher three times a year ago.
His numbers were below average when compared to other quarterbacks. His 17 interceptions and 60 percent completion percentage in 2013 are nothing to gloat about, either. He’ll need to become more consistent this season.
Bottom Line
Tannehill could be due for a breakout season this year. He has a solid group of receivers around him including Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline and the return of Brandon Gibson. Not to mention tight end Charles Clay who showed promise a year ago.
This is something of a make-or-break year for the Dolphins QB. Either he improves and puts himself among the top list of quarterbacks, or he regresses and becomes a what-if story. He’s worth a look as a backup option.
