Jaylen Waddle
vs Trey McBride

“In year six with Bo Nix at QB, Waddle is back in a similar role. Waddle’s 9.6 air yards per target ranks 50th out of 73 qualified receivers, which makes sense when you factor in that Nix is dead last in air yards per attempt (6.0 AY/Att). Waddle’s targets have gone down in four consecutive weeks, and now he faces the Seahawks, who are allowing the fewest receiving yards per game.”

“Jaylen Waddle caught two of his five targets for 19 scoreless yards and added a nine-yard run. Courtland Sutton salvaged his day with a touchdown reception, adding to two catches for 18 yards. Waddle isn’t a no-brainer starter, but probably remains in the WR3 mix in 12-team leagues for most managers during bye weeks.”

“Nix/Waddle is a bet on DEN getting its TDs through the air, and I would keep that as a secondary tournament build.”

“Jaylen Waddle was the prince who was promised to solve all of Denver’s offensive issues and to finally be the joker that Sean Payton craved for the Broncos. Unfortunately, over four games, he has as many weekly finishes below 5.5 half-PPR points as he does above 12.0. half-PPR points While it can be frustrating to see that kind of return from Waddle, it’s abundantly clear when you look at the film and the stats that this isn’t on him.”

“This year, we have JK Dobbins swearing to the old gods and new that he will play 17 games, and a rookie RB Jonah Coleman getting rave reviews in camp (ready to step in when Dobbins does inevitably get hurt); Jaylen Waddle is exactly what this team needs offensively , offering up YAC opportunities, strong route running in the short + intermediate part of the field, and a level of improvisation with Nix that Franklin + Mimms just weren’t able to offer.”

“Waddle should get a wonderful infusion of volume this season, moving from an offense that was 29th in neutral passing rate to one that was fourth in that metric last season.”

“Now the alpha receiver for the Broncos, Waddle will bring his electric route-running to an offense that thrives upon precision and isn’t afraid to sling it. Fantasy managers can look for a spike in Waddle’s yards per route run and target rate, as Courtland Sutton draws away defensive attention downfield.”

“McBride leads TEs in total targets, but Brock Bowers , who missed the first two weeks of the season, led the entire NFL with 11.7 targets per game before Puka Nacua exploded on Monday night. Isaiah Likely is second at the position in raw targets with 48. No other TE has reached 40 targets yet.”

“Hockenson $4,800 MIN @NO 10.6 2.21 1.42% Michael Mayer $3,500 LV @NE 6.3 1.8 1.38% Pat Freiermuth $3,900 PIT IND 7.5 1.92 1.23% Greg Dulcich $3,100 MIA CIN 6.1 1.97 1.07% McBride is still my first look when paying up. I would change another position before forcing a TE fade in a lineup I already like. Bowers is my preferred alternative.”

“Trey McBride was a monster last year, and he’s continuing to smash this season. The stud tight end has the following marks through three games: 85.5% snap share 81.5% route participation rate 28.2% target share 0.33 TPRR 32.5% first-read rate 26.8% air yard share 8.7 receptions per game 70.3 receiving yards per game 7 red-zone targets 4 end-zone targets 2 receiving touchdowns (both on end-zone targets) 2.8 expected receiving touchdowns 19.70 DraftKings points per game 20.86 expected DraftKings points per game 15.37 FanDuel points per game 16.93 expected FanDuel points per game Michael Wilson is the other stellar selection in Arizona’s passing game.”

“Speaking of positional advantage, Trey McBride is averaging 15.4 half-PPR points per game and leads all tight ends in targets and receptions. It’s all McBride and Michael Wilson in Arizona, with these two accounting for nearly 60% of the target share. With 10+ targets in all three games this year, McBride’s fantasy floor is elite.”

“ARI @ SF (SF-8.5, O/U 47.5) Trey McBride is the only Arizona Cardinal that you can start with confidence this week, as Jeremiyah Love has only seen 27 opportunities in two weeks on a bad offense.”

“The apple of Brissett’s eye all afternoon, McBride led the team in targets with 13, catching nine passes for 95 yards and a score in an upset victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. McBride will look to keep the train a’ rollin’ in a more difficult matchup at home against Seattle next week. Stud:”

“Star TE Trey McBride had nine for 95 and the score, while veteran WR Kendrick Bourne racked up eight catches for 75 yards. First-round RB Jeremiyah Love got in the end zone for the first time in his career, while WRs Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. also chipped in with big plays. Arizona has pretty solid weapons but it’s notable that the Cardinals had as much success as they did against a Chargers defense that was No. 5 in total defense last year and returned most of the unit.”

“While Trey McBride is a must-start, there are serious questions around the rest of the Cardinals.”

“Brock Bowers , Colston Loveland , and Trey McBride are the obvious examples heading into this season.”

“Trey McBride (TE – ARI) Trey McBride has a top-20 ADP after catching 126 passes for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.”

“Trey McBride (TE – ARI) Whether you prefer Brock Bowers or Trey McBride doesn’t really matter. Neither should be drafted this high. Last season, McBride averaged 18.6 PPR points per game, and Bowers averaged 15.5 in 2024, the better season of his two years in the NFL.”

“Taking a look at the top options from last season, McBride averaged 11.2 fantasy points per game, and Bowers averaged 9.4 points per game.”