Wide Receiver · Denver Broncos
Jaylen Waddle — 2026 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis by Shawn Childs, from his 2026 guide — his words, unedited.
The case
- · Waddle peaked in 2022 (75/1,356/8 on 117 targets – 8th in PPR fantasy points) in his second year with Miami.
- · He regained his big-play ability (14.2 YPC) last season, helped by Tyreek Hill getting injured.
- · Miami ranked 29th in quarterback fantasy points (310.60 – 6-point passing TDs in the NFFC) last season, compared to 14th by Denver (412.05).
- · Waddle came to the NFL with some qualities in the realm of Tyreek Hill.
- · He scored under 10.00 PPR fantasy points seven times in 2025.
- · Surprisingly, Bo Nix led the NFL in pass attempts (612) last year.
Question marks
- · Does Waddle become the Broncos’ WR1 in 2026 at the expense of Courtland Sutton?
- · Will Troy Franklin draw enough targets away from Denver’s top two wideouts to lower their ceiling?
- · Waddle missed six games over the past three seasons.
Shawn's conclusion
Waddle should be an excellent fit for the Broncos’ offense. He helps Denver become more explosive in the passing game, while also drawing some coverage away from Courtland Sutton and potentially a safety from run support on some plays. With 17 starts, 80 catches for 1,100 yards with seven touchdowns seems like a reasonable floor, which is about one game higher than my early projections.
More on Waddle
Waddle opened his NFL career with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He set career highs in catches in his rookie campaign (104/1,105/6 on 141 targets) while shifting into a more explosive role in 2022 (18.1 yards per catch – 9.8 in 2021) after the Dolphins added Tyreek Hill to their offense. As a result, Waddle set a career-best in receiving yards (1,356) with 75 catches and eight touchdowns on 117 targets.
His 2023 season (72/1,014,4 on 104 targets) was competitive when adding that Waddle missed three games. He offered the most fantasy value in Week 8 (7/121/1), Week 12 (8/114), and Week 15 (8/142/1), with the latter two coming against the Jets.
Miami failed to get Waddle going in 2024, resulting in his worst season (58/744/2 on 83 targets) while missing two games. Between Week 1 (5/112) and Week 12 (8/144/1), he only had 28 catches for 298 yards and one score on 42 targets across nine games. Waddle flashed again in Week 14 (9/99) against the Jets, but a knee injury the following week led to a zero-day, followed by two missed starts.
The Dolphins failed to give Waddle double-digit targets in any game in 2025. He had a floor of five catches in eight of his 16 starts, leading to over 10.00 PPR fantasy points in each matchup. His best fantasy value came in five contests (5/68/1, 6/110/1, 5/99/1, 5/84/1, and 5/71/1. A rib injury in Week 17 (0/0 with a seven-yard rush) forced him to miss Miami’s final game and a chance at his fourth 1,000-yard receiving season (64/910/6 on 100 targets).
On the downside, over the past three seasons, Waddle has had only 10 catches for 166 yards in weeks 16, 17, and 18 due to three injuries late in the year.
Waddle is an intriguing wideout in the 2026 fantasy draft season. As the 25th wideout selected by ADP (47) in the National Fantasy Football Championship, he only needs to match his last year’s stats to be a par player for his price point. His new home and opportunity paint a mid-tier WR2 player at minimum if Waddle can stay upright for 17 games.
He brings speed and experience to Denver’s passing game, suggesting his best year since 2022. An 80/1,200/8 season is well within reach. For early BestBall drafters, there is value backed into the Broncos’ passing attack, highlighted by a favorable schedule over the back half of the season.
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