Who Should I Start? Jaylen Waddle or George Pickens


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
18.7 0.0 0.0 7.3 81.3 0.6

Jaylen Waddle News

Dolphins Not Actively Shopping De'Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle

Tuesday, February 24, 7:05 AM

ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacque reports that the Miami Dolphins are not actively shopping running back De'Von Achane or wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for trades this offseason. The Dolphins view Achane and Waddle as "important parts of their franchise," which is in a rebuild with a new front office and coaching staff going into the 2026 season. The Dolphins will listen to offers for both players, but the plan is for them both to remain in Miami, according to general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. The team already released receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) and is expected to trade or release quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but they'd like to build around Achane and Waddle after they both had big seasons in 2025. Achane, 24, had his best season in Year 3, rushing for 1,350 yards and eight TDs on 238 carries while adding 67 catches for 488 yards and four more scores in 16 games. Waddle, meanwhile, bounced back in 2025 as the team's leading receiver with a 64-910-6 line in 16 games played.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
14.2 0.0 0.0 5.0 63.1 0.5

George Pickens News

George Pickens Expected to Hold Out Until Long-Term Deal is Reached

Friday, February 27, 12:45 PM

The Dallas Cowboys officially placed the franchise tag on impending free-agent wide receiver George Pickens on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Now the two sides will try to work out a long-term contract extension before the July 15 deadline, with executive vice president Stephen Jones saying that the team isn't putting any timeframe on it. Rapoport said he does not expect Pickens to report to the team's facilities "unless and until there is a long-term deal." Rapoport also wonders if there is a team out there that would be willing to give up a premium draft pick and sign Pickens to a long-term deal themselves to try to pry the 24-year-old away from Dallas for 2026 and beyond. If Dallas and Pickens are unable to reach a long-term deal by July 15, and he's not traded, he'd play the upcoming season on a one-year, fully guaranteed $28 million contract. All signs point to the former second-rounder playing in Dallas again in 2026, where he had a career-best 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. Pickens is a locked-in WR1 in fantasy for this fall.


Jaylen Waddle vs. George Pickens

Still trying to decide between Waddle and Pickens? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jaylen Waddle is projected to score 18.7 points this week while George Pickens is projected to score 14.2 points.