Jaylen Waddle

Jaylen Waddle

25-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Miami Dolphins
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.
Snaps TD drought in loss
WRMiami Dolphins
November 3, 2024
Waddle caught both of his targets for minus-4 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Bills.
ANALYSIS
Waddle wasn't targeted until just 2:34 remained in the fourth quarter, when he made a 12-yard catch to convert a third-and-7. He had an injury scare on the very next play, when Waddle stayed down after Damar Hamlin fell on his leg, but the wide receiver stayed in the game and proceeded to catch a game-tying seven-yard touchdown with 1:38 remaining. Unfortunately for Waddle's fantasy managers, he was credited with a 23-yard loss on the game's final play, as he got the ball on a lateral and ran backward to avoid a Bills defender, only to be tackled anyway. Waddle finally ended a touchdown drought that dated back to Week 15 of last season, but he's building a new infamous streak, with seven consecutive games of fewer than 50 receiving yards heading into a Week 10 MNF matchup against the Rams.
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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
40.1
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.69
 
% Team Air Yards
18.6%
 
% Team Targets
16.7%
 
Avg Depth of Target
7.8 Yds
 
Catch Rate
68.4%
 
Drop Rate
7.9%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
5.3
 
% Targeted On Route
20.3%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.66
 
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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

41079%
17591%
40979%
16485%
10520%
53%
9618%
6232%
418%
3217%
377%
00%
285%
00%
275%
63%
102%
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 Bills 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.
BUF
@ Bills
Sunday, Nov 3rd at 1:00PM
Overall QB Rating Against
69.2
 
Cornerbacks
66.9
 
Safeties
61.8
 
Linebackers
79.2
 
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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
 
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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
Stays quiet in Tua's return
WRMiami Dolphins
October 27, 2024
Waddle caught four of six targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 28-27 loss to the Cardinals.
ANALYSIS
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Cleared for Week 8 along with Tua
WRMiami Dolphins
October 25, 2024
Waddle (quadriceps) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Cardinals after being a full participant in practice Friday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Another limited practice
WRMiami Dolphins
Quadriceps
October 24, 2024
Waddle (quad) remained limited at practice Thursday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Limited participant to begin Week 8
WRMiami Dolphins
Quadriceps
October 23, 2024
Waddle was a limited participant in practice Wednesday due to a quadricep injury, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
ANALYSIS
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Non-factor in Week 7 loss
WRMiami Dolphins
October 21, 2024
Waddle secured one of two targets for 11 yards during Miami's 16-10 loss to the Colts on Sunday.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Bolstered by return of Tagovailoa
WRMiami Dolphins
October 25, 2024
Waddle and the rest of the Dolphins' offense is set to receive a major boost for Sunday's game against the Cardinals with the return of franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from injured reserve, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
In the first two games of the regular season when Tagovailoa started, Waddle caught all nine of his targets for 150 yards. In the four games since, Waddle has accrued just 13 receptions on 21 targets for 119 yards while catching passes from Tyler Huntley, Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle. Even if fellow wideout Tyreek Hill cannot play Sunday due to a foot injury, Waddle and the rest of the Dolphins' skill players should have more opportunities to thrive with Tagovailoa under center.
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