The Jaylen Waddle injury has been a curiosity, but not really a concern, for the Miami Dolphins. He has not practiced since injuring his midsection during joint practices with the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 9.
The Dolphins have had few updates since Waddle’s injury, but with two weeks still remaining until the start season of the season, he seems likely to be available for the Chargers game.
What Happened to Jaylen Waddle?
Waddle stayed down on the field following a rep in an 11-on-11 drill during the first day of Dolphins-Falcons joint practices. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and the club’s medical staff attended to the second-year wideout.
Waddle, shaken up and helmet off, appeared to suffer an injury on the right side of his body, apparently to his rib or torso area. He eventually departed for the locker room. While Waddle was accompanied by trainers, he was able to leave the field under his own power.
The Dolphins haven’t since gotten into specifics about Waddle’s injury, other than saying it was to his midsection.
He’s been a regular attendee at practice the last two weeks and has looked spry during the rehab exercises observed by reporters.
“I’m feeling good,” Waddle said on Aug. 29. “Me and the medical staff talked, and they’re doing a good job monitoring me and doing stuff like that. But feeling good.”
When asked if the expectation is he’ll play Week 1, he replied: “Yeah, it’s always the expectation to go out and play.”
What Are the Team’s Options if Waddle Misses Time?
No one behind Waddle can come close to replicating his speed and elusiveness. But the Dolphins are not totally bereft of the talent after Waddle and Tyreek Hill.
Miami’s No. 3 WR battle has been going on for months, with (in order of impressiveness) Braxton Berrios, Robbie Chosen, Cedrick Wilson Jr., and Erik Ezukanma all in the mix.
MORE: De’Von Achane Injury Update — Will Miami Dolphins Rookie RB Be Ready for Week 1?
“I think everybody is still competing, and Braxton has done a heck of a job and done some really good things as far as getting in and out of breaks and understanding the route concepts and everything like that,” Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker said on Aug. 22.
“So, you know, it’s still an open competition. We’re still trying to figure it out. We still have a week left to evaluate and see, you know, who shows up on a consistent basis. But I feel like a lot of guys are doing a lot of great things and, and kind of see how that plays out.”
The ultimate slot receiver Wes Welker on Braxton Berrios as a slot receiver pic.twitter.com/Q3oBB49noQ
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) August 22, 2023
What Does This Mean for Jaylen Waddle’s Fantasy Ranking?
Analysis by Kyle Yates
Fantasy managers are putting a lot of hope in Waddle being out there to start the season and being a top-tier contributor this year. He’s currently WR12 in our PFN consensus rankings and should be in line to put up some monstrous performances, provided that Tua Tagovailoa stays healthy.
The information above shouldn’t scare fantasy managers off of drafting the explosive playmaker within the first few rounds of their fantasy football drafts. If you draft one of the top RBs off the board, Waddle’s a fine investment to go with as your WR1 in your league due to the weekly upside he presents.
You may want to consider drafting a WR later on that comes with a bit more stability — like Diontae Johnson — to counteract some of Waddle’s down weeks, but it should be “all systems go” for drafting Waddle in fantasy for 2023.
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