Byron Maxwell

Xavien Howard to start opposite Byron Maxwell for Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have confirmed rookie cornerback Xavien Howard will start opposite Byron Maxwell against the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday's opener.

What It Means:

Aside from a handful of snaps in the finale, Howard missed the entire preseason. The Dolphins have a dire situation at cornerback, but it's still a mighty risk to throw Howard into the fire, especially on the road against an elite offense. Howard will be tested early and often, and fantasy owners in Individual Defensive Player (IDP) leagues will want to start him with confidence this week.

Maxwell is also a locked-and-loaded IDP option this week, as our algorithms project him for 4.19 tackles, 0.54 passes defended and 0.26 interceptions in the kickoff game.