Chris Bell Fantasy Football Outlook With Miami Dolphins
Justin Carlucci analyzed the fantasy football impact for Chris Bell after he was drafted by the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins grabbed Chris Bell at pick No. 94, and the first thing every fantasy manager should do is check the calendar. Bell tore his ACL and had surgery in December 2025.
Before that, he was a full-time WR1 at Louisville with a 30% target share, 83 receiving yards per game and 6 TDs. The talent and the senior-year breakout are real. The timeline is the problem, and that's the piece fantasy managers have to price in before anything else.
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Chris Bell Fantasy Football Outlook With The Miami Dolphins
At 6-foot-2, 222 pounds, Bell is a boundary receiver who lived on the outside in college—91% of his snaps came wide, per our Rookie Super Model.
Bell averaged 83 yards per game and scored 6 TDs before the ACL injury, on a career-high 30% target share. McFarland has his senior-year RYPTPA at 2.47—the kind of number that suggests a real late-college breakout.
Bell’s stock would be higher if he weren’t going to miss a chunk of time recovering. He could have some sneaky long-term keeper and dynasty value. Bell could be a late-round dart throw in best ball and redrafts, if your roster construction or depth can afford a zero out of him for part of the early season.
You have to factor in him ramping back up to game speed, adapting to the NFL level and having an actual opportunity late in the 2026 season. He’s a stash for 2027 and beyond.
Should You Plan to Draft Chris Bell this year?
He’s likely a pass in redraft leagues, unless you're in a deep league with IR spots. An ACL tear in late November 2025 means a realistic return timeline that likely bleeds into the middle of the 2026 season.
Dynasty and deep keeper leagues are different conversations. Rookie draft capital discounts will apply because of the injury, which is exactly when value opens up for managers who can wait for production.
The Dolphins aren’t going anywhere this season, as has been talked about all offseason. Buy into Bell now in long-term formats for a chance to have a future WR2 with ambitious WR1 upside. Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill are out of Miami, and the receiver room is for the taking moving forward. Caleb Douglas was taken earlier in the third round at 75th overall
Dwain McFarland had Bell as the WR9 in his Rookie Super Model at a 74 rating, with a Round 3 projection. There is some serious longer-term appeal if you can afford to wait or your roster is in a total rebuild.
2026 Scouting Report For Chris Bell
Bell is a possession receiver with YAC juice. McFarland notes a career aDOT of 10.7 and a target distribution that skewed heavily short—57% of his career targets came at 0-9 yards, 21 percentage points above the average WR prospect. He earned 5.8 yards after catch per reception, 0.8 above expected given his target depth.
The contested-catch work is a real plus. Bell pulled in 56% of his contested targets against a 46% average, and that held up even as his contested-target rate ran higher than you'd expect given his short target depth. His drop rate improved every year—9%, 7%, 3%—finishing at 5.8% for his career.
Lance Zierlein, cited in Dwain's profile, described Bell as a plus crosser who struggles against press and "lacks salesmanship and disguise" as a route runner. That's the player. Buy low for the future while you can.
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