Who Should I Start? Jaylen Waddle or Ricky Pearsall
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 4.4 | 57.8 | 0.3 |
Jaylen Waddle News
Wednesday, August 5, 7:59 AM
New Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has been a hit early on in training camp, and it "has become clear to see how the Broncos believe Waddle's electric skills can fit into their offense," according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. Waddle has shown his ability to win inside on quick-hit plays and then gobble up yards after the catch. Quarterback Bo Nix said the team's new offensive weapon gives them an explosive element that "we've lacked for a couple of years." The 27-year-old Waddle has helped unlock new areas of the field for Nix after Nix averaged only 6.8 yards per pass attempt in 2025. "Middle of the field, outside, vertically, behind the line of scrimmage -- anywhere," Nix said of Waddle's impact. "We're going to utilize him, and whatever the defense is giving us, we're going to attack." The Broncos gave up first- and third-round picks to acquire Waddle from the Miami Dolphins in the offseason, and head coach Sean Payton clearly has many ways in mind to use the speedy wideout to give the Broncos offense more explosive plays. Waddle could easily lead Denver in targets and yardage in 2026 in his first year with the team, making him a popular WR2 target in upcoming fantasy drafts.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.6 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 47.6 | 0.2 |
Ricky Pearsall News
Tuesday, August 4, 12:25 PM
San Francisco 49ers former first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) will have season-ending knee surgery on his PCL, and because surgery for his type of knee injury is extremely rare, it's hard to say whether he'll ever be able to return to his pre-injury form, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Most isolated PCL injuries heal on their own, but Pearsall's did not. Dr. Prem Ramkumar said that surgery for an isolated PCL injury is so rare among pro athletes that there isn't enough data to predict whether Pearsall will return to his pre-injury form next season. Reconstructing a damaged PCL often doesn't provide substantially more stability than allowing the ligament to scar and heal without surgery. The 25-year-old former 31st overall pick in 2024 from the University of Florida is a full-blown injury risk after just two seasons in the league, in which he played in just 20 games (13 starts). Pearsall was set to be a big part of San Fran's passing game alongside veteran Mike Evans this year, but that's out the window now. He's obviously off the board in redraft leagues in 2026, and fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues don't have a lot of incentive to buy low on Pearsall at this point.
Jaylen Waddle vs. Ricky Pearsall
Still trying to decide between Waddle and Pearsall? 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 12.2 points this week while Ricky Pearsall is projected to score 9.6 points.
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