What You Need To Know:

• Fitzpatrick came alive down the stretch last year, ranking as the QB2 over the final 5 weeks.
• He dealt with the league’s worst O-line in terms of pressures allowed.
• Entering a contract year, Fitz projects as the Week 1 starter while Tua Tagovailoa develops. Don’t expect anything other than spot-start value from the vet this fall.

Fitzmagic appears in ‘19

It’s hard to believe, but Fitzpatrick was a major asset down the stretch in 2019.

The 37-year-old reached 25 fantasy points 7 times, with 5 of them coming over the final 6 games. He fired off the hot streak even with upstart WR Preston Williams sidelined (torn ACL). It helped that Fitz actually led the Dolphins in rushing on the year (243 yards, 4 TDs).

Overall, Fitz averaged just 7.0 yards per attempt with a 4.0% TD rate. Not impressive, but it’s worth pointing out the thin supporting cast Miami rolled out — especially along the O-line. No team allowed more pressures than the Dolphins. The Fins also led the league in dropped passes (28).

All told, 2019 was among Fitz’s most impressive seasons to date. That said, he still finished only 20th in fantasy points per game.

How many starts in 2020?

Miami added Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa in Round 1, so Fitzpatrick’s time as the starter is nearing an end.

2020 is the final year of his deal. And, without question, Tua has the talent to push him right away. After leading a comeback win as a freshman in the national championship, Tua set Alabama single-season records with 3,966 yards and 43 TDs as a sophomore. He’s widely regarded as a hyper-accurate, pro-ready prospect.

His medicals are the only holdup. A dislocated right hip with a posterior wall fracture surfaced after taking a sack on November 6. There’s optimism he’ll be ready for Week 1, but how much practice time will he have before then? And does Miami want to risk putting him behind a transitioning O-line?

Th…