The Denver Broncos acquired Jaylen Waddle from the Dolphins in exchange for a first-round pick along with a third-round selection. The two teams also swapped fourth-round picks. With both receiver rooms changing drastically, here’s what fantasy managers can expect heading into 2026.
Denver Broncos Fantasy Fallout
Sean Payton has been wildly frustrating for fantasy purposes, rotating nearly all of his young wideouts in and out of the lineup on a weekly basis. Courtland Sutton ran 92 percent of the routes last year. Troy Franklin was next at 68 percent and no one else ran over half of the routes. It doesn’t have to be like this, and spending a bevy of draft picks to acquire Waddle suggests Payton doesn’t want to operate that way anymore.
Waddle struggled in 2024. Even though the Miami offense didn’t rebound in 2025, Waddle did, going from 1.5 yards per route run to 2.2. He earned targets at a higher clip and ESPN’s player tracking data assigned him the 17th-highest Open Score. Sutton, on the other hand, declined in all of those metrics last year. All in, Waddle looks like a vastly superior player to Sutton at this point in their careers.
| ESPN Open Score |
Sutton finished 2025 as a high-end WR2 while Waddle narrowly cracked the WR2 ranks. Given the offensive environment shift for Waddle and the increased target competition for Sutton, a good starting point would be to bet on those two outcomes flipping. Sutton could fall even farther if his efficiency decline continues.
The move also makes the lives of early Best Ball drafters a bit easier. Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Marvin Mims were all fighting to break out as the team’s WR2. With that role filled, these players can largely be written off. Should any of them push Sutton for routes, my bet is on Bryant, whom Sean Payton compared to Marques Colston after the draft.
Lastly, this is as bullish as things can get for Bo Nix. The Broncos are seemingly content with their ground game from last year after re-signing JK Dobbins. The Waddle trade, on the other hand, is a clear sign that they want to get more out of Nix. Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts both famously broke out after their teams acquired true No. 1 wideouts.
Miami Dolphins Fantasy Fallout
Things are getting awfully bleak in South Beach. Sans Waddle, the team’s new No. 1 wide receiver is Malik Washington. The former sixth-round pick has averaged a dreadful .9 yards per route run in each of his two NFL seasons. His career aDOT of 5.4 suggests he is a gadget player. Washington was, however, a target-dominating slot receiver in his final season of college ball, so dynasty managers can at least leave the light on for his role to change in 2026.
Beyond Washington, the Dolphins are left with Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert as the next men up. They will be adding multiple names via what remains of free agency and the draft. They should get at least one wideout from the No. 11 and No. 30 picks they now own.
The Dolphins’ best pass-catcher might somehow be Greg Dulcich. He eventually took over for an injured Darren Waller and averaged a stellar 2.3 yards per route run in 2025. Dulcich was targeted on 21 percent of his routes. In free agency, the Dolphins signed two players to deals worth more than $1.5 million: Malik Willis and Greg Dulcich.
Speaking of Willis, yikes. The former Packer appears to be the fall guy for this doomed job. Despite committing to him with a three-year, $67.5 million contract, Miami didn’t touch their offensive line, traded away their best wideout, and promoted Bobby Slowik — their 2025 senior passing game coordinator — to offensive coordinator. Willis has averaged 6.8 carries for 44.8 yards per game as a starter. That alone will keep him from falling out of the QB2 ranks. Any QB1 hopes have been dashed with the removal of his top target.
That role could now fall to De’Von Achane, who led all running backs in slot routes (106) and finished second in wide routes (42) last year. His mark of 1.3 YPRR ranked 15th among qualified running backs. With Miami’s offense now a clear contender to be the worst in the NFL, this trade undoubtedly docks Achane’s fantasy projection. The receiving production will simply cushion the blow.
