Buccaneers-Dolphins Week 1 Matchup Postponed

With Hurricane Irma headed toward South Florida, the NFL made the right choice in postponing the Buccaneers and Dolphins Week 1 matchup in Miami until Week 11. Now fantasy owners must adjust, as well.

The NFL announced on Wednesday that the Week 1 matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins, scheduled for Sunday in Miami, would be postponed because of Hurricane Irma. The game will be made up Week 11, when both teams were originally scheduled to be on bye.

Setting aside the danger of a Category 5 hurricane barreling down on Florida, the fantasy ramifications of the move to Week 11 are significant. Owners counting on any of the Bucs or Dolphins to play in Week 1 are going to have to look elsewhere. Mike Evans and Jay Ajayi are the headline-grabbing players in this game, and owners of Jarvis Landry, Jacquizz Rodgers and DeSean Jackson will feel their absence, too, but these issues show up most often in "onesie" positions like quarterback, tight end, kicker or defense, where owners oftentimes don't have other options available on the bench. Jameis Winston owners could pick up Carson Palmer, Sam Bradford, Carson Wentz or another quarterback with a good matchup to start Week 1. Palmer and the Cardinals visit the Lions, Bradford and the Vikings host the Saints on Monday night, and Wentz and the Eagles are in Washington for a tilt with the Redskins. Bradford, especially, is widely available in traditional one-quarterback leagues.

In addition, Doug Martin won't start his three-game suspension until Week 2, and is therefore not eligible to return until Week 5. While Martin owners will get him back one week later than originally planned, he will miss one of the team's toughest projected matchups with the Giants in Week 4. It's our opinion that owners with these types of issues who play in leagues without waivers/free agency prior to Week 1 should be allowed to make one waiver move per issue to pick up a replacement quarterback, tight end, defense or kicker. This should not be used as a way to pick up a hot running back or receiver prospect, but instead to ensure fairness in what is a very out-of-the-blue situation.