Jaylen Waddle
vs Tyler Warren

“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.”

“Jaylen Waddle (WR – DEN) “ Jaylen Waddle is one of my favorite targets this year because I think people are looking too much at last season’s final numbers and not enough at how well he actually played. He ranked 12th in targets per route run, 12th in yards per route run, and seventh in first downs per route run, so the talent and efficiency are clearly still there.”

“4.11: Jaylen Waddle (WR – DEN) Jaylen Waddle is being overlooked as he enters his first year with the Broncos. Evan Silva of Establish The Run projects him to a huge year under Sean Payton, comparing him to Brandin Cooks during his time in New Orleans.”

“Adding Jaylen Waddle is not some small improvement.”

“The arrival of Jaylen Waddle will change that this year. Sutton still can be a highly productive player in a pass-happy offense, but he’ll take a backseat to Waddle.”

“Warren has been used near the line of scrimmage so far, averaging only 1.9 air yards per target. 36.4% of his targets have been at or behind the line of scrimmage, the third-highest rate among tight ends with double-digit targets. That said, he is playing a ton of snaps and getting regular targets.”

“Tyler Warren played 94.4% of the snaps, ran 92.7% of the routes, and had a 27.8% target share. Laquon Treadwell filled in for Pierce, running clear-out routes. Downs, Allen, and Warren all had good days, scoring 12.7, 18.3, and 14.7 PPR points, respectively.”

“While the Colts signed Darius Slay ton as Pierce’s replacement in the offense, Josh Downs and Tyler Warren will likely benefit the most from Pierce’s absence. TE Quick Hitters Brock Bowers | TE, Las Vegas Raiders (QUESTIONABLE) – Bowers is officially questionable after getting in two limited practices to start the week and then not practicing Friday. The Raiders indicated that Bowers’ Friday absence was planned and not a setback.”

“Tyler Warren is being asked to pass block more in 2026 (11.9% versus 6.9% last year) and his aDOT is a paltry 1.4 yards.”

“Tyler Warren had a fantastic rookie season as the TE10 in fantasy points per game, but there was plenty of meat left on the bone that should have fantasy gamers excited going into 2026.”

“Over his first 10 games of 2025, Warren averaged 5.0 catches, 61.7 receiving yards and 11.1 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, with four touchdowns. Over his last seven games, Warren averaged 3.7 catches, 28.6 receiving yards and 5.6 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, with one touchdown.”

“Warren was excellent last year on a per-route basis. Among 59 qualifying tight ends, he was sixth in target share, ninth in receiving yards per game, 18th in yards per route run and first downs per route run, and sixth in first-read-read share (per Fantasy Points Data). His target share and first-read share should increase this season with Pittman Jr. gone, and his per-route productivity should also improve if Daniel Jones can stay healthy for the entire season and be at least a shadow of his healthy self.”

“Obviously, Tyler Warren will see a great deal, and Alec Pierce just secured the bag, but Downs should not be forgotten”

“While Daniel Jones appears healthy heading into 2026, I expect to see more of Warren taking snaps at quarterback, as he did at Penn State. Warren offers unique upside that has received little discussion this offseason.”

“The Colts offense took a big step forward in 2025, and they will need to rely even more on Tyler Warren to keep that momentum going. Warren had an outstanding rookie year after leading the Colts in targets last season. The departure of Michael Pittman (PIT) will lead to even more looks for Warren's second season.”

“Warren had a strong rookie season, catching 76 of 112 targets for 817 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown. Warren played 84% of the snaps as a rookie, running a route on 83.6% of the team's dropbacks.”

“In the games that Tyler Warren played with Daniel Jones, he averaged 12.36 PPR points and 53.7 yards. In the four that he played in without Jones, his numbers dropped to 6.95 points and 29.5 yards.”