After an exciting Week 1, it’s time to get to work improving your fantasy football team! Whether you started hot or struggled out of the gate, almost every league has valuable players available on the waiver wire heading into Week 2. One of the top names to consider coming out of Week 1 is Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas.
Douglas and the Dolphins lost in Week 1 to the Raiders, but his workload and his showing in his debut indicate he could emerge as a true fantasy difference-maker as the season goes on. Let’s take a look at what makes Douglas worth considering as you hit the waiver wire looking for help for Week 2 and moving forward.
While Douglas is one of the best names to consider, he’s not the only option. I ran down my top Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 2, which included some great options at various positions.
Caleb Douglas Flashes Potential Upside in Week 1
The Dolphins drafted Douglas in the third round out of Texas Tech, and he immediately started getting hype after some highlight-reel catches in training camp and preseason. Since the team traded Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos this offseason, they need production at the receiver spot, and Douglas could rapidly move up the depth chart.
In Week 1 against the Raiders, he led the team with five catches and 94 receiving yards and finished second on the team with seven targets, just one behind Malik Washington. Douglas matched Washington for the Dolphins’ longest catch of the day with a 30-yard catch.
Douglas set the team’s franchise record for the most receiving yards by a rookie in their debut with 94. He also had the largest target share, the most catches, yards, and yards after the catch of all the rookie receivers to make their debut this week.
How High Can Douglas Rise?
Douglas has a legitimately clear path to playing time in Miami and should continue to get plenty of attention from Miami’s new QB Malik Willis. Willis threw for 220 yards and no touchdowns on Sunday, running for 39 yards and a touchdown. He did attempt 27 passes, though, which is a good sign that he’ll have a chance to throw more this season.
When Willis was with the Packers, the offense was extremely run-heavy, but in Miami, it looks like he’ll be called on to throw more. With Douglas on the field for 91% of the team’s snaps, he should continue to get enough looks to be a starting FLEX option in all formats. The Dolphins could be playing from behind for much of the season, and if Douglas continues to grow, he’ll be a very solid pickup from the waiver wire.
The Bottom Line–Add Douglas from Week 2’s Waiver Wire
While many receivers went off in Week 1, the sustainable workload for Caleb Douglas as potentially the team’s primary pass-catcher gives him a very high ceiling. Options like Devaughn Vele and DeMario Douglas could be valuable in the short-term due to injuries elsewhere in their offense, but Douglas should be in a major role as long as he stays healthy.
Even though Douglas isn’t the hottest plug-and-play pickup for next week, he is a better season-long addition with a nice ceiling for as long as he stays healthy and continues to be a go-to option.
