Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle has the talent to be a fantasy football superstar. While he hasn’t necessarily put up elite numbers so far in 2023, the potential is there each and every week.
While fantasy managers have seen their rosters decimated by injuries already this year, is Waddle the next key player to miss some time? What’s the latest on the Dolphins WR?
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Latest News Surrounding Jaylen Waddle
Waddle suffered a concussion from a big hit in Week 2 against the New England Patriots and has been in the concussion protocol all week up to this point. He missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but there was some optimism that he would make it back in time for practice on Friday.
Unfortunately, Waddle is still in the concussion protocol to end out the work week, but he will practice in some capacity.
Jaylen Waddle is going to practice today, but he hasn’t been cleared in the concussion protocol. So his status for the Dolphins on Sunday is undetermined, and might be a game day decision. pic.twitter.com/enxBcYRzf4
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) September 22, 2023
Concussions are tricky to try and decipher what that means for a player’s status, but the fact that Waddle is at least at practice is a good sign. After practice, the Dolphins listed Waddle as questionable. This at least means he has taken some steps through the protocol, but there are still more hurdles to clear.
Will Waddle Play in Week 3?
As mentioned above, concussions are impossible to try and discern when a player will be ready to return to the field. There’s a possibility that Waddle clears concussion protocol tomorrow, and he’s ready to roll for Sunday. At the same time, he may not take the necessary steps forward, and he’s unable to make it back in time for the matchup against Denver.
Fantasy managers are simply going to have to monitor the news as we move throughout the rest of the weekend to determine if they can plug Waddle into their starting lineups.
What Does This Mean for Waddle’s Fantasy Ranking?
If Waddle is able to make it out of the concussion protocol in time for Sunday, he’s a plug-and-play option in your starting lineup due to his single-play upside. All it takes is one screen pass or slant for Waddle to finish as a top-15 WR for fantasy football, which makes it impossible to leave him on your bench.
MORE: Fantasy Football Week 3 Cheat Sheet
If Waddle is unable to make it back, Braxton Berrios figures to be the beneficiary of additional playing time for the Dolphins, and he could be viewed as a low-end Flex option if you’re in a pinch. Otherwise, this offense may simply flow solely through Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert in Week 3.