Josh said Jaylen Waddle is a priority WR3 in dynasty starts because Miami’s target tree should tighten after the Johnu Smith trade. He reminded listeners that Waddle finished WR22 in points-per-game in 2023 but WR11 the season before, proving top-12 upside is still in his range. Despite last year’s ‘forgotten’ narrative, Waddle remains the league’s 10th-highest paid wideout and is only 26, giving a multi-year runway. Josh believes stacking him with other Dolphins pieces captures an offense that will once again emphasize its two star wide receivers rather than the 2024 backfield-heavy approach.

Josh chose Jaylen Waddle as his WR3, banking on a bounce-back after Waddle was 'almost totally forgotten' in Miami’s 2024 attack. He blamed last year’s dip on Mike McDaniel shifting away from vertical receiver usage to feature Devon Achane and the backfield in the quick game. At only 26, Waddle still boasts elite speed and chemistry with Tua Tagovailoa. Josh anticipates the Dolphins reincorporating downfield concepts, expecting Waddle to push back toward a 120-target pace and reclaim every-week WR2 value at a startup discount.

Hayden Winks explained that Miami’s depleted secondary will create weekly shootouts, giving Jaylen Waddle a constant upside path. With Storm Duck penciled in as CB1 and virtually no depth behind him, Winks anticipates busted coverages that lead to long scores and rapid possessions. The South Florida heat plus Miami’s offensive speed amplifies YAC chances, so Waddle becomes a player Winks will "rank extremely aggressively" whenever the Dolphins are healthy, viewing him as a premium ceiling play for best-ball tournaments and weekly season-long line-ups.

Best Ball Guy predicted Jaylen Waddle could smash his current ADP and deliver a true league-winning ceiling. He outlined a scenario where Tyreek Hill 'fell off a cliff' and Tua Tagovailoa stayed healthy for all 17 games, allowing Waddle to 'go for 1,500 yards this season' by recapturing and improving on the production he flashed in his sophomore campaign. Because that level of output would vault Waddle into the overall WR1 conversation during Underdog’s playoff weeks, Best Ball Guy urged drafters to prioritize him over similarly priced wideouts in this tier.

Jon Warner proclaimed he is "Jamo for life" now that Jaylen Waddle routinely falls into the late-4th/early-5th rounds. Warner thinks the market is over-penalizing Miami pieces for Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion history, noting the quarterback has actually played as many games over the past three seasons as several other starters. Warner expects Mike McDaniel to again funnel targets almost exclusively to Tyreek Hill and Waddle, producing the hyper-concentrated offense that made both players league winners in 2022. With most drafters paying full freight for Hill and De’Von Achane, Warner believes Waddle is "the discount ticket" to Dolphins ceiling outcomes and is comfortable drafting him standalone or as part of a full Dolphins stack.

Adam Ronis chose Jaylen Waddle over Travis Hunter and Zay Flowers, arguing that 2024 was an outlier created by a stalled Dolphins attack and injuries to Tua Tagovailoa. He pointed out Miami shifted to quick-hit passes that fed Jonnu Smith 20% of the targets, suppressing Waddle’s down-field role. With Smith gone and a healthy Tagovailoa, Ronis expects Waddle to return to the form that produced 70-plus catches and 1,000-plus yards in three straight seasons prior to last year.

Jakob Sanderson said Jaylen Waddle is a screaming value at his 53rd-overall Underdog ADP (WR29). Waddle averaged over 2.0 yards per route run and a 25% targets-per-route rate in both 2022 and 2023, numbers usually attached to Round-2 fantasy picks. Sanderson blamed 2024’s face-plant on a non-functional offensive line, in-game injuries to Waddle, Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa, and Mike McDaniel spamming hand-offs and Jonnu Smith screens just to stay afloat. With Jonnu gone, the underneath tree re-opens for Waddle, and Hill—now 31 with declining usage (21% TPRR, sub-2.0 YPRR)—could finally be slowing down or even traded thanks to his movable contract and lingering off-field questions. Sanderson sees two clean paths to a smash: (1) the Dolphins return to their 2022 pass-rate and Waddle reprises a hyper-efficient No. 2 role, or (2) Hill declines/misses time and Waddle becomes the clear alpha. Either outcome pushes him at least a round and a half above current cost, easily ahead of DeVonta Smith, Zay Flowers and the other “wishy-washy” Round-4 receivers. In Best Ball Mania he wants heavy exposure, predicting Waddle will beat WR29 “with his eyes closed.”

Rich Cooling cautioned that contending rosters should trim volatility by moving high-ceiling but riskier assets like Jalen Waddle. Waddle’s value still bakes in his rookie-year top-10 finish, yet his week-to-week target share fluctuated dramatically in 2023 and the Dolphins remain one of the league’s most concentrated offenses around Tyreek Hill. Cooling prefers pivoting to steadier wideouts such as DeVonta Smith or Terry McLaurin—players with similar seasonal projections but narrower range-of-outcomes—while picking up an extra piece (second-rounder or usable depth) in the trade. The goal is to lock in reliable production during the playoff push rather than riding the roller-coaster of boom-bust profiles.

Pat Kerrane pushed back on the Waddle enthusiasm, calling him "kind of a tough click" now that his Underdog price has drifted from the late-fifth into the mid-fifth round. Kerrane argued that even if Tyreek Hill is aging, Waddle was still the less efficient receiver last year, which makes it hard to project a takeover. He remains concerned Miami will again lean on ultra-quick, low-aDOT passes because Tua Tagovailoa is prioritizing an even faster release behind a bottom-five offensive line. In that setup, Waddle stays the clear WR2 on a passing game that already dropped from explosive to "scary" for fantasy wideouts in 2023. Kerrane is actually hoping the market keeps pushing Waddle into the early-fifth so he can confidently fade, preferring similarly priced options like Calvin Ridley or Christian Kirk who don’t need multiple things to break right just to reach a ceiling.

Jakob Sanderson said Jaylen Waddle is still worth clicking whenever he settles in the mid-fifth round of Best Ball Mania drafts. Sanderson zoomed out from 2023 and reminded listeners that Waddle averaged 2.50 yards per route run in both 2021 and 2022 under two different play-callers—a profile that usually signals future WR1 seasons, not collapse. Last year’s dip, in his view, was triage football: Tua Tagovailoa’s injured ribs forced even quicker throws, Tyreek Hill was battling his own decline, and Waddle himself was on the injury report nearly every week. Those overlapping issues pushed Miami into "do the easiest thing" mode and masked Waddle’s talent. Sanderson now expects healthier versions of Tua and Waddle plus natural regression away from the ultra-conservative concepts that capped explosive plays. If Hill’s age-31 cliff accelerates, Waddle could vacuum up a larger target share while still being drafted after receivers like Keenan Allen and DeVonta Smith. Sanderson is maintaining roughly 9-10% exposure so long as the price sits in Round 5 and will only back off if he spikes into the late fourth.

Greg Brainos cautioned against spending first-five-round capital on the Tyreek Hill + Jaylen Waddle double stack. He noted Miami failed to meaningfully upgrade a shaky offensive line and could actually regress if veteran LT Terron Armstead retires. Inside the building, Brainos hears ‘bad locker-room vibes’ and whispers that some veterans have lost respect for Mike McDaniel’s bro-first coaching style. If the line craters or Tua’s health wobbles again, Hill can still win weeks on his own, but Waddle’s ceiling becomes fragile. Brainos prefers using that fourth-round slot on non-Dolphin pieces and treating Waddle strictly as a bring-back in tournaments rather than forcing the pricey double.

Ian Hartitz doubled down on his Jalen Waddle exposure, saying the Dolphins speedster is an easy click alongside Calvin Ridley in the mid-rounds because Tyreek Hill may finally be showing wear. Hartitz rattled off the exclusive list of wideouts who eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of their first three seasons—Jefferson, Chase, Wilson, Mike Evans, Randy Moss, and now Waddle—to emphasize how rare Waddle’s start has been. He noted Hill "wasn’t great last year" and is battling off-field noise, so even a modest dip from Hill’s 30-percent target share could spike Waddle to 140-plus looks. Hartitz projected a 90-catch, 1,250-yard, 8-TD line if that redistribution happens, calling 2025 "wheels up" for Waddle. At a WR3 ADP he views the 25-year-old as a slam-dunk buy for both season-long and best-ball formats because the floor is already three straight 1k campaigns and the ceiling is top-10 if Hill truly slips.

Jake Ciely pushed Jalen Waddle all the way down to WR37, labeling him a high-end WR3 rather than a rebound candidate. Ciely compared Waddle’s recurring lower-body issues to a Grant Hill-style career detour and worries the nicks are becoming chronic. He also argued that defenses "figured out" Mike McDaniel’s scheme last year by layering umbrella coverage, forcing Miami underneath and neutralizing the speed advantage. Until the Dolphins deliver a schematic counterpunch, Ciely projects Waddle for a modest 1,000 yards and five touchdowns—solid numbers that do not justify a top-30 pick. Given the risk-adjusted profile, he is passing on Waddle for sturdier options in the same tier.

Rich Cooling advised dynasty managers in the "good-but-not-great" tier to acquire Jaylen Waddle while the market fixates on his two down seasons. Cooling noted Waddle’s first two years were “mind-blowing,” and if the 100th-percentile outcome hits—Miami leans even harder into the pass or Tyreek Hill misses time—Waddle’s proven efficiency (back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, 25% target share as a rookie) gives him a realistic path to a top-five WR finish. Because those same managers are unlikely to outgun loaded rosters by playing it safe, Cooling framed Waddle as a discounted swing that can actually move the championship needle.

Davis Mattek called Jaylen Waddle the single biggest bounce-back bet on the board. After four straight years as a Round-2 staple, Waddle has slipped into the fifth because he played through an oblique strain and ceded a 31 percent target share to Tyreek Hill, finishing 66-1,014-4. Mattek noted Waddle still ranked ninth in yards per route run (2.60) and posted the fastest ball-carrier speed of 2023, so the efficiency never left—volume did. He expects that volume to rebound above 23 percent as defenses devote even more help to Hill and as natural touchdown regression pushes Waddle closer to the nine scores he averaged his first two seasons. Mattek likened the discount to last year’s Chris Olave buy-low, emphasizing that a player capable of 1,400 yards and double-digit TDs should never last to Pick 50. His advice: smash Waddle in Round 5, especially when finishing Miami stacks.

Davis Mattek called Jaylen Waddle a "super-boring" but wildly mispriced Round-5 pick. Waddle’s worst season in 2024—72-1,003-4 on only 105 targets—still produced WR32 numbers, and Mattek noted that even a 20 % bump on that line would push him back inside the top-20 wideouts. The Dolphins have averaged 30.6 points in games where Tua Tagovailoa and both starting receivers are healthy, so Mattek thinks all Waddle needs is a healthy season rather than a dramatic role change. He compared him to an "Anthony Davis" type who frequently limps off but still posts nuclear weeks—highlighting Waddle’s 35-point explosion in Week 9 last year. With drafters now selecting him more than two rounds later than 2024’s second-round ADP, Mattek believes the boundary for mattering is extremely low, making Waddle a rock-solid floor play who can still win weeks if the Dolphins offense takes even a modest step forward.

Pete Overzet labeled Jaylen Waddle a priority target now that he’s fallen into the late-third/early-fourth round. Waddle still owns 2.47 career yards per route and plays in a Dolphins offense that ranked second in neutral-situation pass rate. Overzet emphasized Waddle’s massive contingent upside—he becomes the clear alpha if Tyreek Hill misses time or is moved—and pointed out that Waddle can still drop 30-point spike weeks even when Hill is healthy thanks to Miami’s vertical scheme. He views the discounted price as a clean leverage spot on drafters who are overly recency-biased toward last year’s injury-marred season.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound proclaimed Jaylen Waddle one of his favorite Round-5 swing picks, emphasizing how easy it is to build unique Dolphins stacks because Tua Tagovailoa routinely slips well past ADP if the Tyreek drafter already double-tapped quarterback. Pat reminded listeners that Miami’s offense averaged 29.2 points per game in contests Tua started but cratered without him, reinforcing Waddle’s dependency on a healthy quarterback—and the importance of stacking the pair. Waddle’s current price bakes in last season’s injury-marred stretch yet ignores his back-to-back 24% target-per-route and top-15 yards-per-route metrics. Pat likes pairing him with an elite QB up top or circling back for Tua in the ninth, calling it "one of the simplest ways to create 30-point spike-week upside without paying Tyreek’s first-round tax."

Davis Mattek refuses to quit Jaylen Waddle, noting the 26-year-old posted 2.50 and 2.46 yards per route run in his first two seasons with a 26% targets-per-route rate—numbers that scream upper-tier fantasy producer. Mattek thinks last year’s dip is the blip, not the new normal: Waddle is still in an explosive offense, has no underlying injury, and Tyreek Hill trade rumors remain a non-zero outcome that would unlock a WR1 ceiling. With drafters spooked, Mattek is fine paying a future third-round rookie pick equivalent today, expecting to flip Waddle for considerably more once he reverts to pre-2024 efficiency. He called it a classic dynasty arbitrage: buy a proven talent at a one-year discount and bank on regression to the mean.

Pat Kerrane shoved Jaylen Waddle down into his Courtland Sutton/Calvin Ridley tier, arguing the former first-rounder is about to shed even more dynasty value. Kerrane cited multiple structural issues: Miami’s offensive line remains a mess, forcing Mike McDaniel to lean on ultra-quick, underneath concepts that prioritize Tyreek Hill, Jonnu Smith and Devon Achane ahead of Waddle. Add Hill’s continued dominance, Tua Tagovailoa’s ongoing concussion risk, and the fact the Dolphins’ backup plan is Zach Wilson, and Kerrane sees a scenario where Waddle becomes the fourth read on a passing attack you barely want a second piece of. Another 2024-style season would crater his startup price, so Kerrane recommends cashing out now for younger assets or future rookie picks before the market fully bakes in the downside.

Nez Badge Bros said Jaylen Waddle is one of his favorite Eliminator picks right now because drafters are baking in zero contingency value despite ongoing uncertainty around Tyreek Hill. If anything goes sideways with Hill, Waddle immediately inherits WR1 duties in an offense that finished top-3 in both yards-per-route and explosive-pass rate last year. Nez reminded listeners that Waddle sat in the mid-second round of ADP each of the past two summers, so scooping him a full round later provides built-in closing-line value. Even without a Hill absence, Waddle’s 25-plus percent target share ceiling and proven spike-week profile give him the steady weekly floor Eliminator lineups crave, while holding league-winning upside if the depth chart thins.