Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker didn’t have had an opportunity to do much during the early stages of the 2018 NFL season. But injuries led to a big role for the former first-round pick in Week 8 against the Houston Texans, and he made sure to make the most of his opportunities.
On the surface, Parker looks like a home-run fantasy football waiver wire adds, or even a trade target. But there’s much more to this situation than meets the eye. While the former Louisville standout has tremendous upside and playmaking ability, he’s found himself squarely in the doghouse of head coach Adam Gase.
The issues between Gase and Parker made Thursday’s game against the Texans just the third time this season the 25-year-old was active. He only saw extended work due to injuries suffered by both Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills. Unfortunately, the drama between these two sides likely isn’t over either.
Trade Rumors and Off-Field Drama
The Dolphins were shopping Parker not long ago, but a deal hasn’t worked out to this point. After Gase opted to make the receiver inactive in Week 7, ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe revealed Parker’s agent called the coach out publicly.
“Coach Gase is incompetent — period — and not telling the truth when it comes to DeVante, who is totally healthy and was needed big-time today,” agent Jimmy Gould said. “This is the third game he has done this to DeVante this year. It’s sickening and a grossly unfair characterization of my client.”
Parker did confirm that he didn’t know his agent would make these comments in a statement to ESPN’s Wolfe.
“I can’t control what people are saying. He’s a grown man. He says what he said,” Parker said. “I can’t control what he says. I didn’t feel that way about Coach. That’s his own opinion.”
The issue here isn’t so much about his agent, but more about the fact that Gase doesn’t seem to have much interest in playing him when other receivers are healthy. From a fantasy football perspective, the best thing that could happen would likely be Parker getting traded out of Miami.
There hasn’t been much in terms of trade talks as of late, but Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald revealed the Philadelphia Eagles have shown interest. He even went as far as reporting the two sides spoke about a potential trade for Parker.
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DeVante Parker Fantasy: Adding Dolphins WR Comes With Risk