In August, we will ask our staff a single question on a variety of topics ranging from a huge news event to a tough fantasy decision or player evaluation.
See the landing for more pages just like this here.
If you like this format, come back for another Question of the Day. Today, we take a look at two young wide receivers. Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith are similar players. They are entering their third year, are WR2s on their NFL team, and are often among the first 12 wide receivers drafted in most fantasy leagues.
Here's the question we asked our staff.
Where do you have Waddle and Smith ranked? How do you feel about drafting them?
And here's the quick answer for each player's ranking:
- Average Waddle Rank - WR10.6
- Average Smith Rank - - WR13.9
That's pretty close, but Waddle is rated higher by every staff member.
Check out the full answers below.
Jason Wood: I have Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith ranked WR11 and WR13, respectively. As to drafting them, they're both priorities, and I'll happily take them at ADP in the second or early third rounds. Both put up elite numbers despite sharing the field with alpha targets. That not only provides them enviable floors but argues for top-five upside should their counterparts (Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown, respectively) get hurt.
Phil Alexander: I have Waddle at WR11 and Smith as my WR14. I'm happy to draft either one, but I see Waddle as the last member of the truly elite wide receiver tier, while Smith is near the top of the second tier, closer in expected production to Calvin Ridley and Chris Olave. Waddle is coming off an overall WR7 finish in half-PPR scoring, and we probably still haven't seen his best football. Hopefully, Tua Tagovailoa will play close to the whole season, but if he can't, at least the Dolphins now have a capable backup in Mike White, who they can trust to keep Waddle (and the entire offense) mostly on schedule for all 17 games.
Ben Cummins: Jaylen Waddle is my 18th overall player, and DeVonta Smith is my 21st overall player. I'm bullish on drafting both talented players in favorable passing environments for fantasy football. Waddle has proven he can get there on volume: 104 catches for 1,015 yards and 6 touchdowns as a rookie in 2021 and on efficiency: 75 catches for 1,356 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. Meanwhile, Smith actually averaged more receptions per game (5.6) last season than his teammate A.J. Brown (5.2).
Dan Hindery: I have Jaylen Waddle 19th and DeVonta Smith 21st overall. These two players feel easy to rank and easy to draft in the back half of the second round. Both are proven talents and potentially still ascending players as they head into their third seasons. While they may not be the top overall targets in their offenses, both are in potent passing attacks with two clear top options who both get peppered with targets.
