Start A.J. Brown or Jaylen Waddle? Week 8

Updated Oct 27, 8:01 AM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 9 answer posts Tuesday.

Latest

Oct 25, 7:43 PM ET: Jaylen Waddle: Listed Questionable (Undisclosed) (Sleeper injury feed)
Oct 21, 7:43 PM ET: Jaylen Waddle: Listed Questionable (Chest) (Sleeper injury feed)

Start A.J. Brown over Jaylen Waddle

Start

A.J. Brown

WR · NE · at MIA

Market projects: 13.7; recent weeks avg
MIA D vs WR: 23.8; 3rd fewest to WRs (2026)
Upside: Rising; 70 of 100 at WR
Snap share: 68%; Through Week 7
Target share: 22%; Through Week 7

Sit

Jaylen Waddle

WR · DEN · vs KC · Questionable

Market projects: 11.7; recent weeks avg
KC D vs WR: 23.7; 2nd fewest to WRs (2026)
Upside: Limited; 28 of 100 at WR
Snap share: 66%; Through Week 7
Target share: 23%; Through Week 7

Should I drop A.J. Brown for Jaylen Waddle?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Jaylen Waddle projects 110 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (12.2 a game over 9 games), A.J. Brown 85 (9.4 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts A.J. Brown over Jaylen Waddle. So make the move after his Week 8 game. Jaylen Waddle is listed questionable.

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Our Week 8 call

Start A.J. Brown over Jaylen Waddle in Week 8.

Market-based projections have A.J. Brown at 13.7 points and Jaylen Waddle at 11.7, a gap of 1.9. No player market is posted for A.J. Brown this week yet, so his 13.7 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6 and 7 (11.8 and 15.5); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Jaylen Waddle this week yet, so his 11.7 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (12.4, 10.8 and 12.0); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take A.J. Brown at ADP 17 and Jaylen Waddle at 43.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for A.J. Brown yet. His market-based projections were 11.8 and 15.5 points in Weeks 6 and 7, an average of 13.7, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for A.J. Brown is 0-1 touchdowns (7 market sources).

No Week 8 player market is posted for Jaylen Waddle yet. His market-based projections were 12.4, 10.8 and 12.0 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 11.7, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

That puts A.J. Brown 1.9 points ahead of Jaylen Waddle on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

A.J. Brown and NE visit MIA on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

MIA allowed 23.8 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 3rd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 116 yards and 0-1 touchdowns a game against MIA.

Jaylen Waddle and DEN host KC on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

KC allowed 23.7 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 2nd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 122 yards and 0.2 touchdowns a game against KC.

By points allowed to the position, A.J. Brown has the softer matchup.

Injury status

A.J. Brown is not on the injury report.

Jaylen Waddle is listed as questionable with a undisclosed injury.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, A.J. Brown played 68 percent of NE snaps, drew 22 percent of the targets, earned 35 percent of the air yards and had 15 percent of the red zone chances.

A.J. Brown, Week 1 against SEA: 31 of 71 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 26 yards.

A.J. Brown, Week 6 against NYJ: 52 of 68 snaps, 10 targets and 3 catches for 27 yards.

A.J. Brown, Week 7 against CHI: 49 of 54 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 48 yards.

Through Week 7, Jaylen Waddle played 66 percent of DEN snaps, drew 23 percent of the targets, earned 36 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 4 against SF: 45 of 65 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 35 yards, 1 touchdown.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 5 against LAC: 40 of 62 snaps, 1 carry for 9 yards, 5 targets and 2 catches for 19 yards.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 6 against SEA: 39 of 60 snaps, 7 targets and 4 catches for 24 yards.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 7 against ARI: 34 of 61 snaps, 7 targets and 4 catches for 48 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, A.J. Brown played 15 games for PHI and scored 220.3 PPR points, 14.7 a game, finishing WR11.

He caught 78 of 121 targets for 1003 yards and 7 touchdowns, with 12 red zone targets and 735 air yards.

He was on the field for 91 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Jaylen Waddle played 16 games for MIA and scored 194.1 PPR points, 12.1 a game, finishing WR24.

He caught 64 of 100 targets for 910 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets and 682 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 8, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

Should I drop A.J. Brown for Jaylen Waddle?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Jaylen Waddle projects 110 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (12.2 a game over 9 games), A.J. Brown 85 (9.4 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts A.J. Brown over Jaylen Waddle. So make the move after his Week 8 game. Jaylen Waddle is listed questionable.
Should I drop Jaylen Waddle for A.J. Brown?
No. Keep Jaylen Waddle: he projects 110 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (12.2 a game over 9 games), A.J. Brown 85 (9.4 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts A.J. Brown over Jaylen Waddle. Jaylen Waddle is listed questionable.