We are now entering the seventh week of the 2022 NFL season, and daily practice reports are becoming longer and longer as injury updates pour in. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle hurt his shoulder late in the Dolphins’ loss to the Vikings.
What is the latest on Waddle’s status, and should fantasy football managers prepare to be without him Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Jaylen Waddle Injury Update
Waddle has been on the injury report for a couple of weeks now, dealing with a groin issue. Just as he finally looked to be fully over it in Week 6, Waddle landed hard on his shoulder following a fourth-quarter reception. He looked to be in a lot of pain but was able to return to the game.
While Waddle’s ability to return is encouraging, adrenaline is a powerful thing. Just a few weeks prior, we saw Amon-Ra St. Brown finish the game with a sprained ankle that ultimately cost him the following week and limited him the week after.
Waddle finishing the game does not mean he is good to go this week. But it does suggest that his injury isn’t substantially serious.
More: Week 7 Fantasy WR Injury Report
Head coach Mike McDaniel shared that sentiment. The Miami Herald’s Daniel Oyefusi reported that McDaniel is “optimistic Waddle will play vs. the Steelers on Sunday night.”
Perhaps more encouraging is Miami’s actual practice report. McDaniel also said that didn’t expect to see much from WR Jaylen Waddle (shoulder) in practice on Wednesday.
Based on that report, I expected to see Waddle listed as DNP on the official practice report. Instead, he was limited. Waddle’s ability to get in any practice at all on a Wednesday is a great sign.
Jaylen Waddle Has Been Fantastic This Season
Through six weeks, Waddle is averaging 16.8 PPR fantasy points per game. Despite playing opposite a true alpha WR1 in Tyreek Hill, Waddle has been a WR1 himself. If you took Waddle’s receiving yards higher on Underdog Fantasy last week, you would’ve cashed that by halftime.
With Tua Tagovailoa cleared to start this week, Waddle is a must-start if he plays. He’s currently ranked as our WR6 on our Week 7 Fantasy Football Rankings.
We haven’t seen the Dolphins without either of their top two wide receivers yet, and this is a very consolidated passing attack. If Waddle can’t play, it would be either Trent Sherfield or Cedrick Wilson as the WR3. Neither would be a trustworthy fantasy option.
MORE: Fantasy Injury IR Updates Week 7
The biggest beneficiary would probably be Mike Gesicki. He would suddenly be the second-most reliable pass catcher on the team and a worthwhile streamer.
Will Jaylen Waddle Play in Week 7 vs. the Steelers?
Waddle has already played through a groin injury this season. He’s proven himself to be quite resilient. As a young kid about to turn 24, he’s going to recover better than older players. The limited practice on Wednesday suggests Waddle is on the optimistic side of questionable.
The problem for fantasy managers is that we can pencil him in for a questionable tag. Unless we get a late Saturday night Adam Schefter tweet about the Sunday night game (which is rare), fantasy managers are not going to know Waddle’s status until after the day games have begun.
Given the amount and caliber of players on bye this week, it’s unlikely anyone with Waddle has a good enough alternative to flat-out bench him. We’re going to need to have a backup plan.
If you don’t already have someone playing Sunday or Monday night that you can plug in, see if you can grab a guy now. Alternatively, you can just take it up to kickoff, and if Waddle is ruled out, throw him on IR and pick up someone. Just be aware you risk a lesser-quality player by waiting.
I would suggest Gesicki if Waddle can go in your Flex, as he would directly benefit from Waddle’s absence. Tyquan Thornton is another possibility, as the New England Patriots wideout plays on Monday night. If neither of those two are available, you’re likely just picking up Sherfield or Wilson on Sunday night.