The 2024 NFL season is rapidly approaching, which means fantasy football drafts are about to ramp up.
The wide receiver position has never been more important in fantasy than it is today. While it’s imperative to attack the position early in drafts, there are still plenty of talented wideouts available outside of the first two rounds.
With that in mind, here are three wide receivers you shouldn’t leave your 12-team ESPN PPR fantasy draft without.
Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
The 25-year-old was one of the most disappointing selections in fantasy drafts last season. Even though the Dolphins boasted the second-highest scoring offense in the NFL, Waddle, who caught 72 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns, finished as the WR34 overall after being drafted as a top-12 wideout.
However, missing three games due to injuries and Miami’s emergence of one of the league’s top rushing attacks played a significant role in Waddle’s lackluster fantasy output.
While he still won’t be the No. 1 option in the Dolphins passing game, Waddle’s fantasy outlook for 2024 is extremely promising, especially for a player being drafted in the fourth round on ESPN. On the surface, Waddle’s 2023 stats indicate he regressed considerably from 2022, though his per-game stats and underlying metrics suggest there shouldn’t be much cause for concern.
On a points-per-game basis, Waddle finished as the WR21 last season (14.2 PPR ppg), which isn’t a dramatic decline from the 15.2 PPR points per game he averaged in 2022 when he finished as the WR8 overall. Additionally, Waddle ranked eighth among wideouts in yards per route run in 2023 with a career-high 2.52, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Dolphins should remain one of the NFL’s top passing offenses in 2024, and they could get into more shootouts after losing star DT Christian Wilkins in free agency, boosting their offensive players’ fantasy values.
As one of the focal points of an elite passing offense, expect Waddle to bounce back in the touchdown department this season and, in turn, have a similar fantasy finish to his 2022 season.
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