Tua Tagovailoa NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds: Dolphins name him Week 8 starting quarterback vs. Rams

SportsLine has posted odds a few times this season on when the Miami Dolphins would give rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa his first NFL start. Coming out of the bye was always the betting favorite and that is the winner as Coach Brian Flores has announced that Tua will get the start over Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 8 (Nov. 1) at home vs. the Los Angeles Rams with the Fins off Week 7. Tua is still a +1500 longer shot to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at William Hill sportsbook simply due to the late start to his career compared to Joe Burrow and Clyde Edwards-Helaire starting Week 1 and Justin Herbert Week 2.

That the Dolphins chose after the bye week is no shock because that way Tua can get first-team reps all next week once players return to practice. In one regard, though, this is a surprise because Fitzpatrick has led the Dolphins to three wins in the past four games and the team is just a game behind Buffalo (4-2) for the AFC East lead.

In fact, Miami is the only team in the division with a positive point differential (plus-47). That said, Fitz does have seven picks on the season and three games with at least two. He will now serve as the backup – which Fitz is well used to over his well-traveled career.

Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick out of Alabama, made his NFL debut in the Week 6 24-0 win over the sorry Jets. Flores allowed Tua to throw two passes late in garbage time, and he completed both for nine yards and a first down. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said "oh gosh yes" there were "real positives" he gathered from Tagovailoa's five snaps.

Tagovailoa wrote about the experience on Instagram, saying, "Come a long way. The journey continues."

Fantasy impact from SportsLine expert Jacob Gibbs: "Just as in 2019, Ryan Fitzpatrick has been terrific for Fantasy purposes this season. He ranks as the eighth-highest scoring Fantasy QB, and he's thrown for 300 yards or three touchdowns in over half of his last 13 games. Fitzpatrick's gunslinging ways -- he ranked seventh in average depth of target in 2019 and is currently 11th in air yards per game in 2020 -- has helped to enable several of his weapons to be highly productive Fantasy options over the past two seasons."  

Miami will catch a huge break in Week 8 because not only are the Fins on extra rest, but the Rams will be on a short week after hosting the Chicago Bears on Monday in Week 7 and then have to play at 10 a.m. ET Pacific time in Miami on Nov. 1.

Then again, Tua will have to face off against the best defensive lineman in the NFL and among the best ever in the Rams' Aaron Donald, a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a favorite this year for a third. 

Here were some William Hill Tua betting specials before the season (will not be reposted):

• Over 3,300 Pass Yards: -118
• Over 20 Pass TDs: -118
• 5+ Rush TDs: +300
• Over 27 Pass TDs (Rookie Record): +333
• Over 4,374 Pass Yards (Rookie Record): +450
• Over 28 INTs (Rookie Record): +800
• Over 4,500 Pass Yards & Dolphins Win AFC East: +2500
• Regular-Season MVP: +20000

Who wins every NFL game this week? And which teams cover more than 50 percent of the time? Get picks here from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and ranked in the Top 10 on NFLPickWatch three of the past four years on straight-up NFL picks.