We have too many great guests on the podcast this week – make sure to check back here and to subscribe on  iTunes – to record “What’s Your Fantasy,” so here are the players I recommend starting, benching and thinking about for Week 3.

I’m Sorry… I’ll admit that I was completely wrong about Cam Newton, and in effect, Steve Smith.  I still have no idea how a quarterback who completed 42% of his passes against second-tier defenses in the preseason can up his completion percentage to 63% and throw for over 400 yards in two straight games, but consider Newton as a top-10 QB option for the rest of the year and obviously continue to ride Smith’s hot streak.

Players to Start:

Ryan Fitzpatrick is a borderline must-start against the New England Patriots, who’ve allowed opposing QBs to throw for nearly 400 yards and two TDs per game.  The Bills will almost surely be playing catch-up all game, which should allow Fitzy to continue posting great fantasy numbers.

Ben Tate has now put together back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, and faces New Orleans in what projects to be a shootout.  Arian Foster, who missed practice today, may still get some carries, but Tate is a rock-solid number two RB against a Saints defense that has given up 18 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs.

Mike Williams (Bucs) had just one catch for -4 yards last week.  It might be hard to trust him every week, but he’ll go up against a Falcons defense that was just shredded by Jeremy Maclin for 13 catches and 171 yards.  Start Williams as a number two WR and expect a nice bounce-back performance.

Players to Bench:

Joe Flacco struggled mightily against the Tennessee Titans, completing just 15-of-32 passes for 197 yards, one TD and two INTs.  While he has Ray Rice on potentially long screen plays, Flacco shouldn’t be in starting lineups against a Rams defense that has allowed less than 200 passing yards per game.

Felix Jones dislocated his shoulder last week, and even though he finished the game in a harness, there’s a good chance he won’t carry a full load against the Redskins.  He’s a poor flex option even if he ends up starting this week.

Reggie Wayne has retained much of his value despite Peyton Manning’s absence, but it’s very hard to trust him – or rather, Kerry Collins – against the Steelers.  Pittsburgh has allowed just 84 yards per game to opposing WRs, reducing Wayne to more of a flex option or third WR this week.

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In the aftermath of Sunday’s home loss to the Houston Texans, Brian Biggane of the Palm Beach Post joins us to break down the reasons behind the Miami Dolphins’ early struggles. The topics up for discussion include poor red zone execution and Chad Henne’s miscues; the backfield split between Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush; and defensive adjustments.

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Music Credit: Solo D, “DolfansNYC Anthem”

With the Dolphins facing off against the Houston Texans on Sunday, DolfansNYC collaborated with State of the Texans for an in-depth game preview, focusing on the burning topics for each team. We cover the Texans’ offseason; Wade Phillips, Mario Williams and the much-improved defense; the aftermath of the Fins-Patriots game; the match-up problems Reggie Bush and Cameron Wake pose for Houston; and much more.

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I wanted to get up the photos from our party Monday before we play more football. We had a great turnout and raised money for charity selling shirts. If you made it out to Third & Long you saw that we had some TV issues with the new HD TV system and we had to watch the first half of the game a few bars down. Luckily everything was fixed and most of us returned to Third & Long for a serious party despite the awful outcome.

This week I hope Third & Long is bumping again even though myself and the other Dolfans NYC team members will be in Miami watching the game. I am sure the die hards will hold it down for us. So come out this week and check out the photos from last week using the slideshow below. Double click on a photo if you want to save and download it.

[tylr-slidr userID=”” groupID=””]http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolfansnyc/sets/72157627563065439/[/tylr-slidr]

With Week Two of the NFL season on the horizon, it’s time for another edition of “What’s Your Fantasy,” where I break down the players to start, bench, and think about for your fantasy football lineup.  On the heels of a solid opening week, my recommendations include rolling with one of the most maligned quarterbacks in the league; sitting last week’s top wide receiver; and picking up a couple of newly-minted starters.

As always, we’ve got music and a touch of humor for your listening pleasure. Go Fins!

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Music Credit: Solo D, “DolfansNYC Anthem”

Hi guys!!

The Miami Dolphins will be making TWO trips to New York this season, and DolfansNYC is organizing outings for both games! Below are the details. If you’re interested, please send an e-mail to dolfansnyc@gmail.com with the following info:

1.) Your name
2.) Your e-mail address
3.) Which game(s) you are interested in.
4.) How many tickets you will need. (if interested in both games, please list out separately).
5.) If you are interested in the Phins @ Giants game, please let us know if you will want Option 1 or Option 2.

Dolphins @ Jets – Monday, Oct. 17th at 8:30pm

Unfortunately, we will not be coordinating transportation because it is a Monday Night game, and most people won’t be able to leave work in time to get to the stadium and tailgate.

HOWEVER, we will work on organizing a BYO tailgate as we have in past years, where we e-mail out our location and get everyone together who is there early to hang out before the game.

The price for the Upper Level seats will be $100 per ticket. Yes, it’s upper level, but you’ll still be able to see everything, and remember, the goal here is to get as many of us in the same section as possible. Depending on the numbers, it looks like we can make that happen (if we have a TON of people, we may have to split into two sections, but you’ll still be sitting with a big group of Dolphins fans).

Dolphins @ Giants – Sunday, Oct. 30th at 1:00pm

We have 2 options for this game:

OPTION 1 = Game ticket only – Upper Level = Around $140 per ticket
OPTION 2 = Game ticket + transportation to and from the game + tailgate snacks = Around $185 per person (if we have enough people interested in this option, then we will definitely make this happen).

Pick-up will be at the home of DolfansNYC, 3rd and Long on 3rd Avenue and 35th Street.

Thanks and GO DOLPHINS!!!

We’re back with another fun season of “What’s Your Fantasy” (now via the podcast!), where I break down the players to start, bench, and think about for your lineup. My week one recommendations include playing a top-tier quarterback despite a tough match-up; benching last season’s receiving leader; and keeping a close eye on a Cleveland Browns backup (or two, if you count the bonus one on the right).

As always, we’ve got music and a touch of humor for your viewing listening pleasure. Go Fins!

[buzzsprout episode=”31100″ player=”true”]

Subscribe to the DolfansNYC Podcast on iTunes and automatically download every episode.

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Music Credit: Solo D, “DolfansNYC Anthem”

We’re excited to introduce the official DolfansNYC Podcast, which will feature special guests, including many of the team’s top writers and media members, players, and most passionate fans, as well as the return of our weekly fantasy football feature.

On the premiere episode, MiamiDolphins.com senior writer Andy Kent joins us to talk about Chad Henne’s remarkable improvement, Brandon Marshall’s season outlook, Reggie Bush’s workload, the most impressive players in camp, and much more.

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Music Credit: Solo D, “DolfansNYC Anthem”

More often than not, preseason statistics are completely meaningless. Coaches rarely reveal their game-plans, test out new and sometimes faulty plays, and most importantly, give rookies and fringe players a chance to solidify their roles or make the final roster. It’s no surprise then, that through two games, the NFL passing, rushing and receiving yards leaders are Stephen McGee, Stevan Ridley and Chastin West, respectively, while Michael Vick has thrown three interceptions en route to posting a 50.7 QB rating.

With that in mind, the Miami Dolphins have yet to officially name a starting quarterback, have two new running backs to integrate into the offense, and no less than three players vying for the fifth and likely final wide receiver spot.  Let’s take a look at how the position battles have gone so far.

• After a poor preseason opener (4-of-8 passing for 77 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions) against the Atlanta Falcons, Chad Henne looked better against the Carolina Panthers (who doesn’t?) in the second contest, completing 15-of-24 passes for 194 yards with no turnovers. His biggest problem so far has come with the deep ball, as he has continued to miss open receivers downfield.
• Even though Matt Moore outplayed Henne in the opener (11-of-18 passing for 123 yards and two TDs)  and has posted a higher QB rating two games, Coach Tony Sparano has so far made it clear there is no competition for the starting quarterback job. Moore hasn’t played with the first-team offense in the preseason at all, indicating he will enter the season as the primary backup, barring a couple of disastrous outings from Henne.
• The battle for the third quarterback spot is shaping up to be epic:  Pat Devlin is 0-of-2 with two sacks in clean-up duty, while Kevin O’Connell has more kneel-downs (two) than pass attempts (0).

• Playing one half, Reggie Bush had eight carries for 48 yards and caught two passes for 33 yards in his Dolphins debut on Friday. Early reports indicated the coaching staff planned to give Bush, who averaged only nine touches per game over the last two years with the New Orleans Saints, a heavy workload on offense without using him as a punt returner, and so far, the RB looked quicker and more exciting than any RB the Dolphins have had in years.
• Daniel Thomas has sported an unimpressive 3.6 yards per carry average, busting out just one run of 10 yards.  Expected to be a power-back capable of breaking tackles and moving the pile, he couldn’t get into the endzone on two carries inside the five-yard line early against the Panthers (Lex Hilliard scored on the next play).  Thomas did have a four-yard TD run in the second quarter, and while he’ll need time to get used to the NFL, his workload should increase as the season progresses.
• Hilliard all but solidified his hold on the number three RB job after scoring at the goal line, while Kory Sheets managed only 43 yards on a team-high 17 carries against second-stringers.
• The Dolphins released Sheets on Tuesday and unexpectedly signed veteran Larry Johnson, who hasn’t played a down in the NFL since Week 2 of last season with the Washington Redskins. Johnson had five carries for two yards in 2010 and a terrible 3.2 YPC in 2009; at age 31, he makes little sense for Miami.
• Undrafted rookie Nic Grigsby hasn’t done much (2.1 YPC) to suggest he’s in the team’s immediate future.

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Hey, um, remember when this happened?  Me neither.

(Though honestly, I found the Dancing with the Stars appearance even more questionable than the New York Jets signing to begin with, but that’s besides the point).

It’s now official – Jason Traitor Taylor is coming back for his third stint with the Miami Dolphins.  He said so on his Facebook page and everything.  Aside from bringing leadership and a veteran locker room presence (and perhaps a copy of the Jets’ playbook?), the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is unlikely to see more than 15-20 snaps per game and add a handful of sacks to his 132.5 career total, barring an injury to Cameron Wake or Koa Misi.  The 36-year-old Taylor is clearly at the tail-end of his Hall of Fame career and should serve as the Dolphins’ third-down down pass rusher and outside linebacker.

Either way, pull out that aqua-and-orange No. 99 jersey from the bottom of your drawer (again) and cheer on one of the greatest Dolphins (and worst Jets and Redskins) players of all-time.  It’s yet another reason to forget all about 2010.