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.
Two grabs in Week 11 win
WRMiami Dolphins
November 17, 2024
Waddle secured two of three targets for 37 yards in the Dolphins' 34-19 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
ANALYSIS
Waddle recorded double-digit gains on both his catches, but he was once again very modestly involved. The 2021 first-round pick hasn't topped 57 receiving yards since Week 1 despite being healthy and holding down his usual No. 2 receiver role, but he'll have a fresh opportunity to bounce back against a vulnerable Patriots defense at home in Week 12.
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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
40.5
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.80
 
% Team Air Yards
20.4%
 
% Team Targets
15.4%
 
Avg Depth of Target
8.6 Yds
 
Catch Rate
70.2%
 
Drop Rate
8.5%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
5.1
 
% Targeted On Route
17.9%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.54
 
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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

50579%
20987%
50579%
20284%
14022%
8134%
10516%
00%
7211%
5322%
376%
00%
284%
00%
274%
62%
102%
00%
102%
104%
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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 Patriots 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.
NE
vs Patriots
Sunday, Nov 24th at 1:00PM
Overall QB Rating Against
89.4
 
Cornerbacks
86.9
 
Safeties
88.3
 
Linebackers
99.5
 
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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
 
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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
Paces pass catchers in win
WRMiami Dolphins
November 11, 2024
Waddle brought in three of six targets for 57 yards and rushed once for minus-1 yard in the Dolphins' 23-15 win over the Rams on Monday night.
ANALYSIS
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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
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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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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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