Jaylen Waddle fantasy outlook 2023: Should you draft the Dolphins WR amid injury worries

Dolphins and penguins aren’t often found together in the wild, as they are not known to interact often. Jaylen Waddle is trying to change that in Miami. The Dolphins’ receiver is putting his namesake to good use, waddling around in end zones across the NFL. 

After an impressive rookie season, the former Alabama star didn’t disappoint in his sophomore campaign. And just like the Crimson Tide, Waddle keeps on rolling and wreaking havoc on opposing defenses. The addition of Tyreek Hill didn’t slow him down, and some absences from QB Tua Tagovailoa didn’t completely derail him either. Should we expect more of the same, or will an offseason injury knock him down a peg or two on draft boards?

Below, we’ll break down Waddle’s 2023 fantasy outlook and decide whether he’s a smart early-round draft pick in fantasy football leagues.

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2023 Fantasy Cheat Sheet

Jaylen Waddle injury update: How long will Dolphins’ WR be out?

Waddle left practice on Aug. 9 with an injury to his right midsection. The injury came following a catch in team drills during practice. The receiver walked off the field under his own power but was hampered by the injury for a few weeks. 

Slowly but surely, Waddle has worked his way back to the field with an eye toward being ready for the season opener. He even alluded to returning relatively soon during the Dolphins preseason game on Aug. 19, telling the broadcast, “You’ll see me back out there real soon,” Waddle said. “I’m feeling good, going to be back real soon.”

Waddle was optimistic at practice with just two weeks to go before the regular season opener, saying he felt good and added that he trusts the Dolphins training staff.

All indications appear to be that Waddle is on track to suit up in Week 1 vs. the Chargers.

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Jaylen Waddle’s 2023 fantasy ranking and ADP

SN Fantasy ranked the Dolphins wideout at No. 11 in both PPR and standard formats. With the receiver unlikely to miss any time when the games start for real, don’t expect that number to shift too much as fantasy drafts ramp up with the preseason officially in the rearview mirror. 

FantasyPros has Waddle’s ADP checking in at No. 24, which slots him in at WR11 in all formats. That puts Waddle just behind Garrett Wilson (WR9) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR10) and just in front of Chris Olave (WR12) and DeVonta Smith (WR13).

2023 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP

Jaylen Waddle’s fantasy outlook 2023

Unlike some other players that have fallen victim to injury this offseason, Waddle’s outlook is fairly straightforward. It’s already believed that he’ll be ready to suit up in Week 1, and Miami’s offense has already proven to be capable of supporting two high-end receivers for fantasy purposes. 

2023 FANTASY SLEEPERSQBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Each Team

In year one with Mike McDaniel at the helm, Hill finished 2022 as WR3 and Waddle checked in at WR7. Injuries are a natural concern for any prospective drafter, but with Waddle, you also have to be worried about injuries to his quarterback.

Fantasy owners will have to hope that Tagovailoa can remain healthy this season, especially since Waddle brought in 58 receptions, 1,108 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns in 13 games with him last year. Without Tagovailoa, Waddle still got volume in Miami’s offense but without the same level of production. In those four games, Waddle hauled in 17 receptions for 248 yards and failed to score. 

In other words, his average of 4.5 receptions, 85.2 yards, and 0.6 touchdowns with Tua dropped to 4.3 receptions, 62 yards, and zero touchdowns without him. 

2023 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Overall

Regardless, there is no denying Waddle’s talent and especially the chemistry with his former college quarterback. After a rookie season that saw No. 17 finish with 104 catches, 1,015 yards, and six touchdowns, Waddle took the next step in year two. His receptions were down as he finished with just 75, but that was to be expected with the addition of Hill.

Despite that, defenses were forced to focus on slowing down multiple speedsters, and it allowed Waddle to find soft spots for big gains. That translated to 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns, signaling a significant jump in yards-per-reception from 9.8 in 2021 to 18.1 in ’22. 

Perhaps the best argument for drafting Waddle is his remarkable durability. Through two seasons, he has played in and started all 33 games for Miami. Because of that, Draft Sharks’ injury predictor gives the Dolphins wideout a low risk of injury with a 4.26 out of 5 on the durability scale. Amongst other receivers in his range, Waddle is given only a 31-percent chance of injury this season — the lowest percentage in the top 25. 

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After an impressive rookie campaign from McDaniel’s offense, expect even more production in 2023. Waddle solidified himself as a set-it-and-forget-it option in 2022 which would make any fantasy manager happy. 

If your league-mates are afraid of a small offseason injury, kindly thank them and take advantage by drafting this Dolphins’ star.