Jaylen Waddle DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle caught four of nine targets for 44 yards in the 32-20 Week 18 loss to the New York Jets. He also carried the ball once for six yards. It was a disappointing ending to a season where Waddle was at career lows in all major receiving statistics. He failed to reach 1000 yards for the first time as a pro and finished third on the team in receiving yards behind Jonnu Smith. With Tyreek Hill making it abundantly clear that he wants to be traded out of Miami, there's a chance Waddle can return to being the WR1 for the first time since 2021. Tua Tagovailoa missing four games heavily contributed to Waddle's decline, but he looks to head into 2025 fully healthy. He will look to start fresh and return to his old self when the season returns in September.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said he's optimistic about the status of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (knee) for Sunday's game against the division-rival New York Jets in the Week 18 regular-season finale despite Waddle being listed as questionable. Waddle has missed the last two games due to his knee injury but upgraded to a full practice session on Friday after two limited showings earlier this week. As things stand right now, Waddle is more likely to return than not for a must-win game against the Jets. It's good news for the Dolphins offense, but Waddle should still be considered a volatile WR4/flex play in fantasy this weekend if he's active on Sunday. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip) is expected to miss his second straight game, so Waddle could be taking passes from backup Tyler Huntley while potentially dealing with a limited snap count.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (knee) picked up a second straight limited tag in practice this week on Thursday. Waddle hasn't played in the last two games due to his knee injury, although he has been moving around well at practice this week as the team prepares for another must-win game in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday in New York against the division-rival Jets. However, the 26-year-old will probably need to put in a full practice session on Friday to be fully cleared to return this weekend. With Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip) in danger of missing his second straight game, Waddle is shaping up as a pretty shaky fantasy option if he's active in Week 18. Backup QB Tyler Huntley peppered Tyreek Hill with targets with Waddle out last week and could do so again if Tagovailoa is ruled out.