The Dolphins are inching toward a meaningful kickoff of Darren Waller’s season, with a potential practice return on the horizon after he spent weeks on the PUP list. Waller’s 6’6” frame would give Tua Tagovailoa a towering, reliable target to pair with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, potentially reshaping Miami’s aerial attack once he’s ramped up. For fantasy managers, the Waller dynamic introduces a high-upside hurdle to preexisting targets in a pass-heavy offense that has leaned on speed and playmaking from Hill and Waddle.

In camp, McDaniel is balancing caution with urgency, eager to list off the “ducks in a row” before Waller is unleashed. Meanwhile, Miami also navigates injury notes: Zach Sieler should return imminently, De’Von Achane is sidelined by a calf, and cornerback depth is thinner after Ethan Bonner’s hamstring issue. Those factors shape how aggressively to press Miami’s offense into fantasy plans, as Waller’s arrival could lift the entire passing game but also reallocate targets away from established playmakers in the short term.

As preseason practices roll on and a joint session with Jacksonville approaches, the Dolphins will need to blend patient development with push to integrate Waller. If he’s primed to contribute soon, Tagovailoa’s options expand beyond Hill and Waddle, with Waller offering a trusted red-zone weapon and a matchup problem for opponents’ linebackers. The path to a more potent Miami passing game begins with Waller’s return to practice and progresses as the team conditions him for real game action.