After a quiet 7.0 FPTS performance in Week 1, Jaylen Waddle ($8,800 Showdown) came alive last Sunday vs. the Patriots, posting 17.8 FPTS. The wideout caught five of his six targets for 68 yards and his first touchdown of the season.
After a few years of Tyreek Hill ($9,800) being the clear No. 1 receiver for the Dolphins, he and Waddle have been very close in usage so far this season, with Hill handling a 20.6% target share and Waddle right behind him at 17.5%. Hill has seen five targets over 20 yards compared to three for Waddle, but Waddle has had the edge in scoring territory, with two red-zone targets compared to zero for Hill.
Waddle and Hill being right near each other in usage comes after Hill’s disgruntled conclusion to last season and a drama-filled offseason for the 31-year-old receiver. Waddle is five years younger than Hill and the days of the veteran seeing way more targets than Waddle are likely over.
For Week 3, Waddle and the Dolphins are facing the Bills on Thursday Night Football. Just like last season, Buffalo has been a much easier defense to attack on the ground than through the air, as the Bills are giving up the most yards per rush in the league (6.8), but just the 14th-most yards per pass (6.0). Still, Miami is a massive 12.5-point underdog for this AFC East matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook and the Dolphins should be forced to throw it a ton, which obviously bodes well for Waddle.
The Alabama product having a strong performance as Miami tries to keep up with Buffalo is very possible and Waddle is a solid WR3/FLEX option for Week 3 if he plays, as expected, through a questionable tag.
