Update, Sept. 15 — Waddle got in a second straight full practice on Friday and has been removed from the final injury report. He’s good to go for Sunday.
Update, Sept. 14 — Waddle was back to a full practice on Thursday and appears destined to be removed from the injury report on Friday. Play him in fantasy as you usually would.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was limited in Wednesday’s practice with an oblique injury. The Dolphins take on the New England Patriots in Week 2.
#Dolphins say RB Raheem Mostert has a knee injury and did not practice today, while WR Jaylen Waddle was limited with an oblique injury. pic.twitter.com/j7nooHdoc2
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 13, 2023
Waddle played the most snaps of any Dolphins’ wide receiver in the Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He had four receptions for 78 yards in the win.
Fantasy football implications for Week 2
If Waddle is out or limited this week, we can expect quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to continue heavily targeting top receiver Tyreek Hill, who had over 200 receiving yards with 11 catches on 15 targets last week. Outside of Hill, Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft would see more snaps and more looks from Tagovailoa if Waddle misses a game. Tight end Durham Smythe will also be a popular option and could be worth starting in your Week 2 lineup. He had three catches on seven targets for 44 yards in Week 1.
The Dolphins run a very pass-friendly offense, so the absence or limitation of one of their top receivers will always have a major impact on what the game plan looks like for the week. Still, Waddle was able to practice in some capacity, so we shouldn’t worry about him missing Week 2 until he’s a DNP, which may not be the case.