Outsmart your league-mates by drafting these guys at their current ADP
( 2.08 ) Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill is still the clear top dog in Miami, but Jaylen Waddle is no slouch as the secondary option. Many people will steer clear from Waddle due to Tyreek Hill being the alpha in the Dolphins’ offense, but Mike McDaniels has shown that his offense can easily support two top-ten fantasy receivers. Coming off a bit of a down season now is a great time to draft Waddle around the end of round two to the beginning of round three.
Jaylen Waddle balled out in 2022. He put up 75 receptions for 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns as the WR8 in fantasy. His 18.1 yards per reception would lead the league (minimum of 90 targets) and establish himself as a true vertical threat. Even with Tyreek Hill in the picture, Waddle was dominant. His 2.59 yards per route run was only behind Tyreek and Justin Jefferson.
It appeared Jaylen Waddle was going to be elite in 2023, but he instead had his worst season yet as a pro. His 72 receptions, 1,014 receiving yards, and four touchdowns would all be career worsts. He left many fantasy managers disappointed, finishing as the WR33 after being drafted as the WR11 on average.
Jaylen Waddle almost certainly would have had a higher finish if he had not missed two games due to injury. Over a full 17-game stretch, his weekly average of 14.19 PPG would have placed him at WR16 at the end of the season. It still is not what many expected, but it is much better than his WR33 finish suggests.
While Jaylen Waddle did take a step back in 2023, it is much more likely that he will return to his 2022 form next season. Even though he did not have the most eye-popping receiving numbers, he still put together a fairly efficient season. His 14.1 yards per reception (11th among receivers with 90+ targets), and 2.63 yards per route run (6th among receivers) in 2023 still showcases his dominance. Waddle still makes plays down the field, and gets his fair share of targets, even with Tyreek Hill lining up on the other side.
Miami’s offense is as explosive as ever and it would be wise to target the main contributors on offense. Miami will likely be among the top-scoring teams in 2024, and Jaylen Waddle should play a big part in it. His down year suppresses his fantasy value currently, which in turn makes him a good value where he is being drafted on average. He can sneak into the top 10 wide receivers this next season despite his ADP of WR15 .
( 2.09 ) Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
It is finally time to see what Saquon Barkley can do on a good offense. For years, Barkley has been carrying the entire Giants offense on his shoulders and that is now over. He got paid and will win football games with the Philadelphia Eagles as their primary ball carrier. What more can a player want?
Since being drafted second overall in the 2018 NFL draft, Saquon Barkley has been a top fantasy running back option. He has yet to finish outside the top 15 running backs in seasons where he plays 14 games or more. Saquon has been a good NFL back but not a consistent fantasy game-changer. A lot of that has to do with the Giant’s organization being poor, mixed with Barkley’s injury history.
During Barkley’s time in New York, the Giants have only one winning season. In those six years, the offense has been a nightmare. They have only one season cracking the top 15 in points scored, and the offensive line has ranked towards the bottom every year. Since 2018, the Giants have given up the most sacks (312), have the third-fewest yards (31,216), and second-fewest touchdowns (203).
With Daniel Jones hurt most of the season and no real passing game, Saquon Barkley had to do almost everything for the Giants offense in 2023. In 14 games, he would have 962 rushing yards and six touchdowns, along with another 41 receptions, 280 yards, and four touchdowns through the air. Though extremely talented, it is unrealistic to expect much more than that with how horrible his supporting cast is.
Being in Philadelphia might unlock Saquon Barkley’s potential. Barkley now goes from an awful situation to a dream come true. He leaves a team that allowed a whopping 85 sacks in 2023 to another that allowed only 39 sacks . Ironically, the Giants’ allowed sacks total is the most since the 1986 Philadelphia Eagles gave up 104. (per yahoosports ). Last year, the Eagles were eight in total rushing yards (2,190) and one of the highest-ranking offensive lines in the league, according to PFF (1st in pass blocking, 5th in run blocking.)
Maybe the change of scenery will remind fans why Saquon Barkley was drafted second overall in his draft class. He is only one year removed from being fourth in rushing yards with 1,312 and eighth in rushing touchdowns with 10. He would finish as the RB5 in PPR leagues. Those are impressive numbers alone, even more impressive under his circumstances.
Even with Jalen Hurts potentially stealing some goal-line work he will still have more scoring opportunities in 2024 than in New York. Saquon Barkley will be playing in the best offense of his career and is a slam-dunk pick at the end of the second round of fantasy drafts.
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