Jaylen Waddle Injury Opens Door for 2 Dolphins Deep Sleepers in Week 18

Waddle injured his ribs in Week 17, creating uncertainty for his status in the Dolphins’ season finale.

Dec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) reacts during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle injured his ribs early on a 7-yard end-around play in the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17. 

The veteran was escorted to the locker room and was ruled "questionable" to return. He made a surprising return late in the third quarter. However, he played sparingly, coming on the field in critical situations. Waddle dropped his only target and finished the game with a season-low 0.7 fantasy points while playing 14 snaps. 

Waddle entered the game 90 yards short of his fourth 1,000-yard season in his six years. Despite returning to the game in a limited fashion, his Week 18 status is up in the air. Below is the fantasy football impact of his potential season-ending rib injury. 

Waddle’s Season Likely Over

It’s a good sign that Waddle returned to the field, albeit in a minimal fashion, in Week 17. However, it’s very likely his 2025 campaign is over. The Dolphins were eliminated from the playoffs in Week 15. It would be malpractice to put Waddle at risk for a meaningless Week 18 game, where he and his team have nothing to play for. The full extent of the injury is unknown, but assuming Waddle broke his ribs, it becomes a discussion of pain tolerance. If he were to play in Week 18, he would likely wear a flak jacket. Broken ribs typically take at least a month to heal. It’s fair to assume Waddle will be limited even if he were to play. The Dolphins play against the New England Patriots on the road in Week 18.  

Injury Update | Jaylen Waddle has a rib injury and is questionable to return.

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 28, 2025

Fantasy Football Impact

Tua Tagovailoa was benched in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers ahead of Week 16. The move has netted mixed results, with the Dolphins losing 45-21 to the Bengals in his first career NFL start. This past week, he and Miami knocked off Tampa Bay, 20-17. Waddle was the Dolphins’ leading receiver in Week 16, posting 72 receiving yards on three catches. Rookie Theo Wease Jr. then paced the Miami receiving corps this past week with 63 receiving yards. All of his production came on a single catch that resulted in a touchdown. 

Assuming Waddle is out in Week 18, two deep sleepers will see a significant boost in fantasy football value. Those two players may be Darren Waller and Malik Washington. However, Waller caught just 4-of-8 targets for 40 yards, and Washington corralled just 2-of-4 targets for 27 yards in two games with Ewers under center. Instead, two unexpected players have benefited from the QB change.   

Greg Dulcich (104 yards) and Wease (95 yards) are the Dolphins’ two leading receivers over the last two weeks. They’ve come out of nowhere, as both were buried on the depth chart to begin the 2025 season. Both players caught a touchdown last week. Dulcich, a tight end, caught 5-of-6 targets for 58 yards, flashing moments of brilliance from his rookie year with the Broncos in 2022. New England ranks inside the top 12 in fantasy points given up to tight ends. It has been stingier on wide receivers, but Wease has big-play upside. Both Dulcich and Wease are available in 99 percent of fantasy leagues. 

🏈 @QuinnEwers ➡️ @Greg_Dulcich 🎯 pic.twitter.com/7UhgPdCzwU

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 28, 2025