In a blockbuster trade, the Denver Broncos made waves by trading for Jaylen Waddle on St. Patrick's Day. The deal is tremendous and shows that the Miami Dolphins are ready for a new beginning with their fresh coaching staff. On the other hand, the Broncos are gunning for a Super Bowl XLI title. The trade for Waddle, of course, impacts our world of fantasy football, and so this is what to expect in 2026.
Fantasy Football Impact
The Broncos depth chart now looks as below:
WR1: Courtland Sutton
WR1/2: Jaylen Waddle
WR3: Pat Bryant
WR4: Troy Franklin
Waddle has a very good chance to surpass Sutton in target share by circa 2026. Earlier this past season, Franklin was outtargeting Sutton in that offense. For Waddle to do so, it is very much a possibility.
Whether or not Waddle becomes the WR1 or WR2, he will be heavily involved. To find anything short of a 20% target share will be very surprising. More likely, Waddle will trend towards 25% with upside beyond that.
To find a top-tier wide receiver with a 22-25% target share on an above-average NFL offense goes a very long way. We can value Waddle as a top-15 wide receiver in fantasy football at the moment. Surely, his upside outweighs the minimal risk.
As for Sutton, he will take a hit. Waddle may steal anywhere from 10% to 30% of his target share. Sutton will now range anywhere from a high-end WR1 in fantasy football to a mid-tier WR2 with volatility. Bryant and Franklin are now nothing more than final-round stashes.
In Miami, they lose Waddle, thus creating a thin current depth chart of Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Tutu Atwell. We imagine that Miami makes moves in free agency and the NFL Draft, so valuing this passing offense now would do us little good. Wait and see is the key.
Jaylen Waddle Traded to Denver Broncos
The Broncos splashed today for a high-end wide receiver, Jaylen Waddle. Denver now has among the best wide receiver duos in the NFL with Sutton and Waddle. The details of the trade are as follows:
Broncos Get:
Jaylen Waddle
2026 4th Round Pick
Dolphins Get:
2026 1st Round Pick
2026 3rd Round Pick
2026 4th Round Pick
The deal sheds Waddle off the Miami books and paves the way for a new future under Jeff Hafley. Fans may think that the Dolphins should have gotten more; however, money is money, and the Broncos now take it on. This is a big added benefit, thus freeing up cap space to sign more players in free agency.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Denver Broncos Seal Massive Deal for Jaylen Waddle, Surging Fantasy Football Value.
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