Who Should I Start? Jauan Jennings or Jaylen Waddle

Friday, February 13, 7:58 AM

Across 15 games in 2025, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings recorded 55 receptions for 643 yards and nine touchdowns on 90 targets. With 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk (knee) sidelined for the entirety of 2025 by a knee injury, Jennings emerged as the team's WR1. The 28-year-old is now set to hit unrestricted free agency, but 49ers' general manager John Lynch recently expressed public interest in signing Jennings to a new contract. If Jennings does indeed re-sign with San Francisco, he could see an even greater role in the team's passing game in 2026. San Francisco lost star tight end George Kittle (Achilles) to a torn Achilles in the NFC Wild Card Round in early January, which means Kittle could miss a sizable chunk of the 2026 season. Additionally, 49ers WR2 Ricky Pearsall has had major difficulty staying on the field to this point in his NFL career, playing in just 20 games across his first two professional seasons. Jennings may not carry elite fantasy upside, but he's solidified himself as a reliable producer over the last two seasons in San Francisco.

Wednesday, January 28, 1:45 PM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle bounced back from the worst season of his career in 2024 by catching 64 of his 100 targets for 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 16 starts in his fifth year in the NFL in 2025. Waddle also had 28 rushing yards. It was good enough to put him as the WR22 in half-PPR scoring. It was nice to see the 27-year-old pass-catcher bounce back from a disastrous 2024 campaign, but it might have still been somewhat of a disappointment for him, considering Tyreek Hill (knee) missed most of the year with a season-ending injury. Waddle thankfully had a larger target share, but the Dolphins' offense just was unable to find its explosiveness for a second straight season, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was benched late in the year. Waddle still has the talent to provide plenty of value in PPR fantasy leagues, but his value is in major flux heading into 2026 under a completely new coaching staff. Hill's return (whenever that may be) will also be a negative for Waddle's ceiling.