In terms of name value, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. still moves the needle. When it comes to production on the field, however, OBJ has had little impact since his first season with the Cleveland Browns, when he caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns in 2019. That includes last season as Beckham posted a 35-565-3 line with the Baltimore Ravens.
There was some hope last offseason that joining forces with quarterback Lamar Jackson would usher in a statistical renaissance for Beckham, but he started slowly, suffered an ankle injury after just two weeks, and didn’t top the 50-yard mark in a game until Nov. 5. Even while Jackson played at an MVP level, it was rookie WR Zay Flowers who ended up emerging as the de facto WR1, though Beckham did finish second in yardage while averaging a career-high 16.1 yards per catch.
A free agent once again, Beckham landed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. Despite checking in as the No. 3 receiver behind receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the speed-oriented nature of head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense at least creates a level of intrigue for Beckham. As noted, the veteran hasn’t had much of an impact over the past four years, but the time he looked the most dangerous was during his postseason run with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021: 21 receptions, 288 yards, and two TDs in four games before tearing his ACL during the Super Bowl.
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Despite some lean years, it’s hard to argue that Beckham won’t have an opportunity here. Last season, the Dolphins led the NFL in passing offense, but only Hill (1,799 yards) and Waddle (1,014) finished in the NFL’s top-100 in receiving yardage. The rest of Miami’s receivers — Cedrick Wilson, Braxton Berrios, Robbie Chosen, River Cracraft, and Chase Claypool — combined for 66 receptions, 807 yards, and six touchdowns; none of them reached 300 yards on the season.
On paper, Beckham is an upgrade, and he brings a couple of silver linings from last year into his new role. First, there was his aforementioned 16.1 YPC, which speaks to some resurgent big-play ability, and second, he played in 14 games, matching his highest total since 2019. If he can stay healthy and develop some chemistry with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Beckham has a chance to emerge as a dangerous third option for the Dolphins.
Fantasy football outlook
The style and prolific nature of Miami’s offense dictates you at least keep tabs on the veteran, however, and if OBJ shows signs of being a meaningful contributor he could be worth scooping up as roster depth with a little upside. The likeliest path to fantasy production is an injury taking Waddle or Hill off the field for a long stretch of time.
Entering his age-32 season and four full years removed from his last semi-impactful effort, Beckham isn’t someone you can rely on.
