Trades, trades and more trades! With the NFL offseason underway and the free agent signings becoming more minimal as we get closer to the NFL Draft, the trades keep happening!
This one is between the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins. For those wanting the trade details, the Broncos traded their 2026 first-round, third-round and fourth-round draft picks to the Dolphins for WR Jaylen Waddle and their 2026 fourth-round pick.
Now, let’s break down how it impacts the fantasy football landscape!
The Fantasy Football Impact of Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos
Jaylen Waddle Impact
He didn’t come asking for grapes, but as he waddles away to a new team in Denver. I think this is a good opportunity for Jaylen Waddle! It can come as a head-scratcher to some, but I think Waddle fits in perfectly alongside Courtland Sutton, and he can become what the Broncos were secretly looking for. Last year with Bo Nix and Sean Payton, the Broncos were fourth in passing attempts and 11th in passing yards. This is the complete opposite of what the Dolphins did last year, as they were 30th in passing attempts and 25th in passing yards.
The only problem for Waddle is that he joins a now “crowded” wide receiver room with the likes of Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant and Evan Engram, and you could even throw in RJ Harvey, if you wanted to. With the better offense but a crowded room, I think he settles around WR25. This is a wide receiver whose 17-game average per year is 81 receptions, 1,098 yards and six touchdowns, and the Broncos traded three picks for him, including their first-rounder. It won’t be for lack of talent, but he just might be limited in some games because of how crowded this offense is.
Denver Broncos Impact
If you give a quarterback another solid weapon, of course, it’s going to be an upgrade for him! That’s exactly what happens with Bo Nix here. It won’t be huge, as Nix finished QB8 in fantasy points per game with an average of 19.3 (minimum 15 games), and finished QB10, averaging 18.6 points (minimum 14 games). It’s too early for me to say whether I want to put him in that fringe top-ten quarterback range, but depending on how the rest of the offseason and especially the NFL Draft go, I’m definitely putting him in that QB11-13 range for now.
For Courtland Sutton, he won’t see the 124+ targets he got in the last two years. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll still see plenty of targets, but it’ll definitely take a hit, and when you get fewer targets, that usually means your receptions and receiving yards go down with them, too. However, I do think he still carries that touchdown upside, as he has seven-plus in three straight seasons, so he should only take a small hit.
Meanwhile, pour one out for Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant believers. You might want to cherish that memory of Troy Franklin finishing WR31 last year or Pat Bryant ending his regular season with five straight games of seven-plus PPR fantasy points (when active). You won’t see that much heat with Waddle involved now.
Miami Dolphins Impact
I know Malik Willis has the moniker of being a running quarterback, but damn, I’d be running too if any of my current wide receivers didn’t have more than 610 receiving yards or seven receiving touchdowns in a season. Pre-NFL Draft, Willis’ top three wide receiver weapons are Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell. I’m waiting until after the 2026 NFL Draft to see what other wide receiver weapons they will hopefully get for Willis.
No more Tyreek Hill, no more Waddle. At least the Dolphins still have De’Von Achane, who couldn’t be more on pace for a third straight season with 65+ receptions, 85+ targets and four-plus receiving touchdowns. However, I do have concerns with Achane, as he is their best weapon. For opponents, it becomes much easier to cover only one weapon compared to multiple, but the plentiful volume of opportunities should help even that out. But is Achane’s job in Miami even considered safe now?
It’s not all bad for everyone, though. Someone who now has more intrigue is Greg Dulcich. The Dolphins don’t have Darren Waller, and Dulcich is listed as the starting tight end. You may think it’s funny, but secretly, when Waller played from Weeks 13-17, Waller finished as TE17 during that stretch, and Dulcich finished as TE19. That’s not the crazy part, though; in that stretch, Dulcich was tied with the seventh-most receiving yards for the tight end position with 215. He was also third with 14.5 yards per reception (minimum 10 targets) for tight ends. That’s when he was playing behind Waller! I’m definitely looking at Greg Dulcich as a sleeper.
Thanks for reading “The Fantasy Football Impact of Jaylen Waddle Traded to the Broncos.” If you’re looking for more fantasy content like this or need help with the last-minute fantasy football start/sit decisions for your roster, you can find me on Facebook at “Fantasy Sports Start or Sit’Em Questions,” Twitter/X @FSSOSEQ or on BlueSky!
*Photo Credit: Mark Konezny – USA TODAY Sports*
