Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst Matt Harmon and Fantasy Points’ Ryan Heath explain why Jaylen Waddle will be a reliable wide receiver for fantasy managers in 2024. Listen to the full conversation on the “Yahoo Fantasy Football Show” podcast – and sign up for Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video transcript
Jalen Waddle, how does he find himself on this list?
Yes.
So he was the sixth-best wide receiver in first downs last year.
Also top five in passing yards.
Any time you get into the pro lane metrics with Jalen Waddle, you’re going to be amazed and that’s because he’s amazing.
See why it was disappointing to have Jalen Wattle on your fantasy team last year?
Really?
Two reasons.
One is that he only surpassed 7% route share in six games last year.
That’s because he was getting knocked out of a lot of games early with all these minor injuries.
Um, there were a few games early in the season, uh, after he suffered a concussion where it seemed like the Dolphins were being very cautious.
Um, after all of Tua’s experience the year before, um, just with that, how much pressure are they going to put on these guys to recover from their head injuries.
So yeah, at the end of the day, we only had six truly complete games from Jalen Waddle in those six games.
He averaged 17.5 fantasy points per game, which would have ranked seventh best, and 83 receiving yards per game.
That would have been 10th best.
So I understand that Jalen Waddle wasn’t in the mood to have a wide receiver on his team last year, but whenever he wasn’t having all these weird, unlucky things happen to him, uh, he was that and I mean, Waddle it just also has an extremely long history of hyperefficiency.
Even going back to his college career, his first two seasons were consecutive top-five seasons in yards per rush in the NFL.
Uh, he was amazing on Scott Barrett’s favorite metric, which always makes me scream which is adjusted depth in yards per target.
You don’t need to do this podcast.
You don’t have to do anything Scott Barrett does.
Let’s be very clear about this.
Clear.
Yes.
Uh, but yeah, so basically Jalen Wat on the outside, for anything.
Jalen Wattle is simply unbelievable.
The other reason he didn’t feel good about playing Fantasy last year was just luck on the touchdown.
So, over the past three seasons, wide receivers have scored a touchdown for every 166 yards receiving, on average, for Waddle.
Last year, that ratio was one touchdown for every 254 yards receiving.
And this is about the Miami Dolphins, one of the NFL’s premier passing attacks.
He was just kind, man, kind of cooled off on touchdowns.
And that, that’s really all there is to do.
Now, it’s significantly, significantly cheaper.
I want to draft Jalen Wattle a lot this year.
Always what we are doing with fantasy football, with football.
We are analyzing small samples and trying to draw big conclusions.
And that’s why I ask the question.
I’m sure you won’t be the last person.
You’re not the first person I’ve asked this question to on this podcast because it’s something that I’m really struggling with because I, I will say this if you want to continue with your, your, your thinking on this, how you look at AD P from last year, as if all these B receivers actually moved up the chart this year.
They’re not like this year, they’re not swinging, they’re 20 off the board.
Uh, in terms of wide receivers, Devante Smith 23.
Uh T Higgins is 27 years old.
Um So yeah, man, it’s like you’re getting a potential discount on these players if everything goes right.
