Who Should I Start? Jaylen Waddle or Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Thursday, June 11, 4:13 PM

New Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle "has looked every bit the star wide receiver this spring," according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The Broncos gave up a first-round pick in this year's NFL draft to acquire the services of Waddle from the Miami Dolphins this offseason, and head coach Sean Payton looks ready to use him all over the field. The 27-year-old former sixth overall pick in 2021 out of the University of Alabama opened his NFL career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons while also leading the league with 18.1 yards per catch in his sophomore campaign. Waddle failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last two years as Miami's speed-based offense hit a snag, although he did bounce back in 2025 with a 64-910-6 line in 16 starts. The Broncos already have a capable WR1 in Courtland Sutton, but the Broncos didn't give up a haul not to involve Waddle regularly, and he could thrive underneath in Payton's offense in Year 1 in Denver. Waddle is a more intriguing target for fantasy managers in PPR formats, and he should be considered a low-end WR2/high-end WR3/flex in his new digs.