Jaylen Waddle Fantasy
The Dolphins traded down and then back up in this year’s draft, where they ultimately stuck with the sixth overall pick, where they selected Jaylen Waddle, a wide receiver from Alabama. With his blazing speed, the receiver from the Crimson Tide will quickly become one of the fastest players in the NFL. Of course, speed is the main element of his game, but he is so much more than that; this isn’t the Ted Ginn nightmare all over again for the Dolphins. As a true freshman in 2018, Waddle was named the SEC Freshman of the Year after grabbing 45 balls for 848 yards with seven scores. He missed most of the 2020 season with a broken ankle but returned to make an appearance in the National Championship, where he caught all three of his targets for 34 yards. The Dolphins were confident enough with his recovery that he will bounce back from the injury and return to form for the upcoming season. Even if it takes time, the Dolphins are deep at the receiver position and can afford to wait until he’s fully healthy.
SKILLSET
Waddle’s quickness should translate well to the next level, and his ability as a kick returner makes him a versatile weapon (19.3 career punt return average). He’s on the smaller side, listed at only 5’9”½ and weighing 180lbs, but for what he lacks in size, he makes up for with his ability to take the top off the defense. He didn’t run the 40-yard dash at Alabama’s Pro Day as he was still not fully recovered from his ankle injury, but teams already know what he’s capable of on the football field. When he’s on the field, defenses will have to be cognizant of where he is at all times, and with his crisp route running ability, he can line up anywhere. In addition, he can get off the line in a hurry and take a pass to the house at any given time. If there is a downside to his game, he may have to adjust to seeing more press coverage at the NFL level, limiting his route tree early on. Nevertheless, he changes the dynamic of the entire offense just by being on the field and commanding coverage.
LANDING SPOT
The Dolphins could’ve gone a few different ways with their first selection in the draft. Ultimately, they chose to address the offensive side of the ball and grabbed one of the best positional players in the draft. They reunite him with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and give the second-year quarterback a genuine deep threat that was absent last year. The Dolphins also brought in Will Fuller during the off-season and already have plenty of NFL-caliber receivers on the roster in DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, and Albert Wilson. Waddle will be given every opportunity to earn a starting spot on the field once camps open. With DeVante Parker and Will Fuller slated to start outside, Waddle figures to be the slot man, which should be fun to watch. With his speed and Tua’s accuracy, he has the potential to take a screen pass or a short out route and turn it into a big chunk play. The selection of Waddle helps the Dolphins in two problem areas from years past. It adds a speed element to the offense, which has been lacking, and they get a genuine kick returner to help on the special team’s side of the ball. Even if he struggles with routes early in the season, he can still make head-turning plays on special teams.
FANTASY IMPACT
Waddle is often compared to Tyreek Hill in size and skill set, which will be hard to live up to out of the gate. As we stated earlier, the Dolphins have no shortage of weapons on offense these days but keep in mind it sometimes takes rookie wide receivers a year to understand and grasp an NFL offense fully. With so many viable options and just one ball to go around, things may get complicated trying to project targets every week for this squad. As things sit right now, he’s at best the third option in the pecking order behind Parker and Fuller and could arguably be fourth behind tight end Mike Gesicki. It’s worth mentioning that running back Myles Gaskin also caught 41 balls out of the backfield last year as well. Having a plethora of receiving options is a good thing for teams and usually bad for fantasy purposes, but the Dolphins will also get creative and find ways to get the ball in his hands. He will be on many fantasy owners’ radars this summer during drafts, but with the current state of the Dolphins’ offense, he’s no more than a WR3/FLEX play with upside. When training camps open, we should get a better understanding of how he will fit into the Dolphins’ plans going forward.
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DYNASTY VALUE
In a dynasty format, Waddle has a lot to offer as a young, quick, sure-handed wide receiver. As arguably the second-best wide receiver entering the league this coming year, he will be one of the top non-quarterbacks selected in rookie drafts. In this type of format, you can afford to take a wait-and-see approach because the talent is there, and although it may take a year or so, he’ll make a solid addition to any squad. If the Dolphins can find ways to keep all the play-makers happy and provided Tua can take a step forward in year two, this offense has the potential to score points. Therefore, you can draft him more confidently, knowing that the future is bright as long as you have the depth to back it up.
