Miami’s preseason opener in Chicago ended 24-24, but the real story was depth. The Dolphins leaned on their backups on the offensive line and at cornerback, with the parade of drills exposing some leakage but also notable growth. The run game produced 101 yards on 26 tries, yet missing Jackson and Ingold left a short-yardage void near the goal line. Inside the trenches, Gay Jr. and Benito Jones supplied early disruption, underscoring a bright front-seven floor. At edge, Chubb, Phillips and Robinson generated pressure, while the Bears’ limited success in the red zone kept the tie in play.

Miami’s quarterback shuffle provided nuanced fantasy angles. Tagovailoa’s opening drive was clean and controlled, while Wilson guided two scoring drives before some inconsistency crept in. Rookie Ollie Gordon II flashed with 33 rushing yards, and Mattison added a 1-yard TD, giving the ground game a workable today-to-week-two arc. Eskridge and Ezukanma supplied returns and a few catches, and Henning showed upside in contested looks. Ewers’ debut was rough, but the backup CBs didn’t get carved up, lighting a path for several depth players to earn roster spots. Overall, depth across the roster looked viable for late-round fantasy considerations, especially on defense and at the RB/WR depth lines as teams trim rosters toward Week 1.