Roundtable: What to Do with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle?

The Footballguys roundtable panel discusses what to do with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle thanks to a floundering Dolphins attack.

Matt Waldman's Roundtable: What to Do with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle? Matt Waldman Published 10/03/2024

© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images tyreek hill and jaylen waddle

The good news: Tua Tagovailoa could return to the Dolphins' lineup in Week 8. The bad news: There are at least three more weeks of reserve quarterback play that will bring the most conservative game plans from Mike McDaniel. What do we do with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle?

Welcome to Week 5 of the 2024 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.

This week's roundtable features these four topics:

Let's roll.

What to do with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle

Matt Waldman: Tua Tagovailoa expects to return in Week 8. Tyler Huntley doesn't know the offense well enough for Mike McDaniel to let him rip it downfield. Skyler Thompson may be another week or two away from starting, and McDaniel was cautious with him. 

Answer the following:

  • Give a scenario where you might trade either player or explain why that's not an option.
  • Do you bench them without any condition until Tagovailoa returns?
  • In terms of lineup value (WR1, WR2, WR3, WR4, etc), what do you consider each player while Tagovailoa is out? 

What do you have for us?

Dan Hindery:  As long as my season is not slipping away and I remain in the playoff hunt, I would not trade either right now. Their perceived value is too low, and their potential value during the all-important fantasy football playoff weeks outweighs the short-term pain you feel from putting them in your lineup for the next few weeks.

The one scenario where I would consider trading a player like Hill is if I was sitting at 0-4 or 1-3 with a tough matchup on deck. The playoff upside does not matter if you are already way back in the standings. 

I’m starting Tyreek Hill regardless of who his quarterback is unless my roster is stacked. Early Week 5 Footballguys consensus projections rank Hill as the WR22, which feels right.
 
Mike McDaniel will do everything possible to get the ball into Hill’s hands—not only because he’s their best offensive weapon but also to avoid the risk of Hill becoming a distraction if he doesn't get enough touches. On the other hand, Waddle is much easier to bench.
 
He hasn’t scored more than 8.5 fantasy points in a game since Tagovailoa's injury. Tyreek Hill is a low-end WR2, and Jaylen Waddle is a WR4.  
 
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