When last season ended, the prevailing thought in South Florida was the Dolphins would upgrade at quarterback over Chad Henne. Miami was either going to draft a future starter or bring in a proven veteran via free agency.

The latter could still happen once the lockout ends, but the closer we get to August the more likely it is that Henne will remain the starter. And since he knows this could be his last chance to prove his worth, he might step up and surprise his doubters, including Fantasy owners.

Henne has done a good job this offseason to show his leadership skills by organizing player-only workouts. And he has plenty of talent around him with Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess and Brian Hartline and what should be a stout rushing game with rookie Daniel Thomas.

The Dolphins also brought in a new offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll and spent their first two picks in the NFL Draft on offense with guard/center Mike Pouncey and Thomas. Henne has the tools to be successful, and now he just has to put it all together.

Fantasy owners aren't going to draft Henne in any leagues, but if he starts out the season playing well then he would be worth adding off the waiver wire as a bye-week or injury replacement. And his success could be the difference for Miami making the playoffs for the first time since 2008 or him looking for a new job come next offseason.

Sleeper … Davone Bess, WR

Fantasy Value Chart
Player Draft Day value
Quarterbacks
Chad Henne
Running Backs
Daniel Thomas
Ronnie Brown
Ricky Williams
Wide Receivers
Brandon Marshall
Davone Bess
Brian Hartline
Tight Ends
Anthony Fasano
Kicker/DST
Dan Carpenter
Dolphins DST

Bess was another wide receiver that had a breakout year in his third season in the NFL in 2010. Bess finished last season with 79 catches for 820 yards and five touchdowns on 125 targets. Bess has improved his catches, yards and touchdowns each season, and he's hoping that trend continues this year. He has proven to be one of the best slot receivers in the NFL. He is worth drafting as a No. 4 Fantasy wide receiver in standard leagues and a No. 3 option in point-per-reception formats. He's a great under-the-radar receiver to target in the late rounds. The good thing for Bess is Marshall gets so much attention from opposing defenders that he can do damage over the middle of the field. While Marshall, who is worth drafting as early as Round 3 in the majority of leagues, remains the best receiving target for the Dolphins, Bess has now established himself as the No. 2 target.

Impact rookie … Daniel Thomas, RB

The Dolphins gave up three draft picks to select Thomas with a late second-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Miami is in need of help at running back because Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are both free agents this offseason. The 6-foot, 230-pound Thomas led the Big 12 Conference in rushing the past two years. He totaled 2,850 yards and 30 touchdowns rushing at Kansas State, and he also made 52 receptions. Thomas has the chance to be the best running back of this draft class based on his opportunity. The Dolphins could still bring back either Brown or Williams or add a veteran free agent, but with the investment the Dolphins made in Thomas he will likely start. We consider him a low-end No. 2/high-end No. 3 Fantasy option heading into the year, and he's worth drafting as early as Round 5 in standard leagues.

Late-round flier ... Brian Hartline, WR

Entering his third season in 2011, Hartline is hoping to take the next step in his career. Hartline played well as a rookie in 2009 before taking a step back last year, which ended on injured reserve after Week 13 due to a finger injury. Hartline only had one touchdown in 2010 and no games with double digits in Fantasy points. He will likely start opposite Marshall, but Hartline is actually the No. 3 wide receiver for the Dolphins behind Bess. Hartline is not worth drafting in the majority of leagues, but he could be worth a late-round flier in deeper formats. And don't be surprised if you add him off the waiver wire if he finds a way to play well early in the year.

Schedule breakdown

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
NE HOU @CLE @SD bye @NYJ DEN @NYG @KC WAS BUF @DAL OAK PHI @BUF @NE NYJ

The Dolphins have the chance for some big offensive outings this season if their opponents play like they did in 2010. Miami has quality matchups against Houston, Cleveland, Denver, Washington, Buffalo and Oakland. Sure, the Dolphins have to face some top-tier defenses like the Jets, Giants and Chargers, but Fantasy owners should still be able to get steady production out of players like Thomas, Marshall and Bess. This could be a good year to own several players from Miami's offense based on this schedule.

Training camp topics

2010 Touches Leaders
Player Touches
Ronnie Brown 233
Ricky Williams 178
Brandon Marshall 88
Davone Bess 81
Brian Hartline 45

The Dolphins have spent plenty of time working out together despite the lockout with the exception of Marshall. He first had to recover from the stab wound following the domestic violence incident with his wife, and he also was training on his own.

Marshall is expected to be fine for the start of training camp, but we hope he can develop a rapport with Henne right away. Remember, Marshall and Henne weren't always on the same page last season, and Marshall is easily the best Fantasy option on Miami's roster.

After Marshall, we want to make sure Thomas will be the starting running back for the Dolphins. Miami is still expected to add a running back to compete with Thomas, but we believe Thomas has the chance to be a special Fantasy option this year. As long as he's starting you should draft him with confidence in Round 5.

As for Brown and Williams, one or both could be looking for new teams this offseason, and where they sign will determine their Fantasy value. Brown can still be a capable No. 3 Fantasy running back worth a mid-round pick, and Williams is also worth drafting with a late-round pick in the majority of leagues.

Injury update

Brian Hartline (finger; probable for the start of training camp) ... Kory Sheets (Achilles' tendon; probable for the start of training camp) ... Karlos Dansby (toe; probable for the start of training camp)

Stay in touch with the most passionate Fantasy staff in the business by following us via Twitter . You can also follow Jamey at @jameyeisenberg . Do you have a question or a comment for our Fantasy staff? Drop us a line at dmfantasyfootball@cbs.com .