Jaylen Waddle

Jaylen Waddle

26-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Miami Dolphins
Questionable
Injury Knee
Est. Return 12/22/2024
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Taken sixth overall in the 2021 draft, Waddle mostly served as a high-volume possession receiver his rookie season, with a 7.1 aDOT, 74.3 percent catch rate and 9.8 yards per catch on 140 targets. Then the Dolphins brought in coach Mike McDaniel and WR Tyreek Hill during the 2022 offseason, which resulted in Waddle seeing 23 fewer targets but adding 341 yards and two TDs to his rookie-year totals, with his aDOT jumping to 11.8 and his yards per catch to a league-high 18.1. His third season looked more like this second than his first, only with three missed games and the efficiency dropping from dominant to merely excellent (69.2 percent catch rate, 14.1 yards per catch, 9.8 YPT). Waddle's best performance came Week 15 against the Jets when Hill was out of the lineup with an ankle injury. An 8-142-1 receiving line against Sauce Gardner and Co. reaffirmed Waddle's No. 1 WR talent, but Hill returned the next week and Waddle then suffered an ankle injury of his own. While not quite as fast as his superstar teammate, Waddle is similar in terms of size (5-10, 185) and likely would've run a sub-4.4 40-yard dash if he'd tested before his rookie year. The biggest drawback is that he's averaged just 7.1 targets per game under McDaniel, whose offense has been more fantasy-friendly for Hill and the running backs. And as much as Waddle clearly is capable of more, there's not much reason to expect him to go beyond 7-8 targets per game so long as Hill stays healthy. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a three-year, $84.75 million contract with the Dolphins in May of 2024.
Won't practice, day-to-day
WRMiami Dolphins
Knee
December 18, 2024
Waddle (knee) won't practice Wednesday, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
Head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that the knee injury Waddle sustained in the Week 15 loss to the Texans is "not major, not surgery-related," and McDaniel referred to the wideout as day-to-day Wednesday. The coach added that he's hopeful Waddle could be available this weekend, but the receiver's status for Sunday's game against the 49ers is still undetermined at this juncture. If Waddle ends up sidelined in Week 16, Malik Washington would step into an expanded role behind No. 1 receiver Tyreek Hill.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Jaylen Waddle's 2024 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
47.7
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.97
 
% Team Air Yards
23.2%
 
% Team Targets
15.5%
 
Avg Depth of Target
9.0 Yds
 
Catch Rate
73.0%
 
Drop Rate
5.4%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
5.1
 
% Targeted On Route
18.9%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.79
 
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Miami DolphinsDolphins 2024 WR Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

72881%
22386%
69277%
18772%
25228%
11243%
11112%
3915%
10512%
00%
556%
4517%
455%
83%
313%
42%
283%
00%
101%
00%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Jaylen Waddle lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the 49ers pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?
The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
SF
vs 49ers
Sunday, Dec 22nd at 4:25PM
Overall QB Rating Against
67.8
 
Cornerbacks
75.8
 
Safeties
41.0
 
Linebackers
64.5
 
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2024 Jaylen Waddle Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Jaylen Waddle's measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine).
Height
5' 10"
 
Weight
185 lbs
 
Hand Length
9.13 in
 
Arm Length
30.38 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jaylen Waddle See More
Target Breakdown: WR & TE Usage Report + Week 16 Waivers Preview
Yesterday
Jaguars WR Brian Thomas and TE Brenton Strange both got double-digit targets in Sunday's loss to the Jets.
NFL Injury Analysis: Mild High Ankle Sprain for Mahomes
Yesterday
Jeff Stotts discusses injuries this week that will likely have ramifications on both Super Bowl and fantasy championship aspirations, starting with Patrick Mahomes who was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.
Box Score Breakdown: Week 15 Snaps, Routes, Personnel and Usage
2 days ago
Jerry Donabedian breaks down all the Week 15 action, including a slew of huge games from superstar wide receivers like Mike Evans and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
NFL Waiver Wire: Week 16 Early Watch
3 days ago
Jim Coventry offers an early look at players to keep an eye on for the upcoming waiver wire run, including Jalen McMillan, who has two strong games in a row.
NFL Reactions: Week 15 Recap
3 days ago
Jim Coventry reacts to the Week 15 action, including A.J. Brown, who had his best game since early in the season.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
Waddle drew 23 more targets as a rookie than he did in his second season, yet finished his sophomore NFL campaign with 141 more yards on the strength of 11.6 YPT and a league-high 18.1 yards per catch. The trade for Tyreek Hill had a massive impact on Waddle's role, pushing him to the perimeter more often and decreasing the attention he faced from defenses while also costing him volume. Given the unlikelihood of a repeat in those efficiency stats, even from a player of Waddle's caliber, the hope for 2023 is that he can somewhat close the volume gap between himself and Hill, who finished last year with 53 more targets. Both are among the handful of fastest wide receivers in the league, if not the two fastest, and they'll again account for a massive share of the passing volume in an offense with sketchy complementary options like Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson and Durham Smythe. In fact, Wilson is the only other guy on the roster with even a 450-yard receiving season on his resume, and he had 62 percent of his career yardage in 2021 with the Cowboys before falling flat last season in Miami.
With his 140-target rookie season marked by an especially impressive finish last year, Waddle might have been a candidate to lead the league in targets this season. Then he became the No. 2 wide receiver on his own team after the Dolphins gave up five draft picks to acquire Tyreek Hill from the Chiefs. Last year, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was either injured or working with an injury-depleted receiving corps, and without much help from one of the worst offensive lines in the league. This year, he'll have Hill, Waddle and Cedrick Wilson at wide receiver, plus tight end Mike Gesicki and a second massive offseason addition — LT Terron Armstead, formerly of the Saints. Tagovailoa is positioned to succeed, and the Dolphins probably won’t need Waddle to take on double-digit targets every week the way he did throughout the second half of last season. Based on what we saw last year, though, it might only be a season or two before Waddle surpasses fellow speed demon Hill as the No. 1 guy in Miami. The Alabama product opened his career working the slot and saw steady volume from the jump, but it wasn't until later in the year — when he got more snaps outside — that Waddle really broke through for the Dolphins. He scored four of his six receiving TDs from an inside alignment, but he also had less than half his yards there despite seeing 60 percent of his routes and 57 percent of his targets in the slot. That's encouraging, to say the least, especially with new additions Hill and Wilson likely to take some of the slot work. Waddle has already proven he's comfortable on the perimeter, or inside, and the improved team around him could help with efficiency to partially offset his reduced volume projection after the Hill trade.
Waddle’s final season at Alabama was cut short due to a dislocated ankle, but prior to the injury he had 567 yards and four scores in his first four games. He returned for a brief appearance in the College Football Playoff title game, catching three passes for 34 yards, but then opted against working out at a pro day. At 5-10, 180, Waddle is small, and while he wasn’t timed in the 40, the GPS data apparently showed he was the fastest receiver in the country. His lack of size could be an issue as it has been for players like DeSean Jackson and Marquise Brown, but keep in mind Tyreek Hill and Antonio Brown are also of similar frames. Waddle will take his talents to Miami after the Dolphins drafted him sixth overall, reuniting him with former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Waddle will see targets right away, but he’ll have to compete with veteran DeVante Parker and free-agent acquisition Will Fuller.
More Fantasy News
Avoids long-term injury
WRMiami Dolphins
Knee
December 16, 2024
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that the knee injury Waddle sustained during the team's Week 15 loss to the Texans is "not major, not surgery-related," David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
ANALYSIS
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Hurts knee Sunday
WRMiami Dolphins
Knee
December 15, 2024
Waddle exited Sunday's game against the Texans after sustaining a knee injury.
ANALYSIS
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Cleared to play Sunday
WRMiami Dolphins
December 13, 2024
Waddle (hamstring) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Texans after being limited in practice Friday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
ANALYSIS
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Stays limited in practice
WRMiami Dolphins
Hamstring
December 12, 2024
Waddle (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
ANALYSIS
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Limited by hamstring issue
WRMiami Dolphins
Hamstring
December 11, 2024
Waddle was a limited participant at practice Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could be top receiver sans Hill
WRMiami Dolphins
November 9, 2024
Waddle would be the top target for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during Monday's game against the Rams if Tyreek Hill is sidelined due to a wrist injury, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Waddle caught his first touchdown pass of the regular season during the Dolphins' Week 9 loss to the Bills, but he finished with just two catches for minus-4 yards after being credited with a 23-yard loss on the game's final play. The 2021 first-round pick has logged at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of the first three regular seasons of his NFL career, but he's behind pace to do so for a fourth time in large part due to Tua Tagovailoa being sidelined with a concussion. However, Waddle has a chance to right the ship Monday and would be the Dolphins' No. 1 wide receiver if Hill is sidelined.
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