The Miami Dolphins captured their first win of the season with a 27-21 victory over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. However, an injury to Tyreek Hill dampened celebrations after the wideout suffered a dislocated knee on a third-quarter catch and went to a local hospital for testing. With the injury likely to sideline him for at least the immediate future, the next-man-up mentality of the NFL now comes into play for fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
If Tyreek Hill misses Week 5 and beyond, does Jaylen Waddle become a must-start option for fantasy football?
Analysis
The injury to Hill feels like an absolutely brutal beat for a Dolphins organization struggling to stay afloat. The veteran’s isn’t quite the consistent superstar producer he once was with 15 catches for 198 yards and one touchdown thus far, but he still brings a dynamic element to the team’s offense as the top target and downfield threat defenses must account for. It’s a significant loss, especially if the dislocated knee leads to Hill missing significant time as it may.
Someone must step up though, and no player looks more equipped to do so than Jaylen Waddle. The 26-year old has worked as the WR2 in the Dolphins’ attack ever since Hill came to town back in 2022. He posted multiple 1,000-yard season alongside him since, but Waddle battled injuries in 2024 and didn’t quite look himself. Due to recency bias, many fantasy manager forget just how talented the Alabama product is.
In his first NFL campaign, Waddle broke the rookie receptions record with 104 catches as the top target in Miami’s offense. He averaged 15.4 FPPG that season finish as the overall WR13, but he took his game up another notch in year two. As a sophomore, Waddle averaged 15.2 FPPG alongside Hill but upped both his yardage and touchdown totals with 1,356 yards and eight scores — all despite seeing 24 fewer targets and catching 29 fewer balls than in his rookie campaign. He finished that campaign as the overall WR8.
We’re now a few years removed from that elite production, but Waddle has clearly proven himself at the professional level and is well-equipped to handle a role as an offense’s featured target. After all, we saw him do so during his rookie season as yes, a PPR merchant of sorts. Targets are largely earned though, and the talent ultimately wins out.
If Hill misses any team, Waddle will immediately step up as the biggest threat in the Dolphins’ passing attack alongside Malik Washington and Darren Waller. With WR1 volume and the poor defense behind him causing Miami to frequently find itself in high-scoring shootout game scripts, there’s a ton of potential for Waddle to truly pay off and provide steady WR2 production with game-breaking upside. He’s a must-start option as long as his teammate remains sidelined.
