Start Jaylen Waddle or Davante Adams? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Jaylen Waddle over Davante Adams in Week 1.

Davante Adams is priced by the books at 5.4 projected points and Jaylen Waddle is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take Jaylen Waddle at ADP 44 and Davante Adams at 42.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 5.4 fantasy points for Davante Adams, with 40 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

No sportsbook posted a player market for Jaylen Waddle in Week 1.

Week 1 matchups

Davante Adams and LAR host SF on Thursday at 8:35 PM ET.

SF allowed 19.8 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 5th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 108 yards and no touchdowns against SF.

Jaylen Waddle and DEN visit KC.

KC allowed 13.0 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 2nd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 55 yards and no touchdowns against KC.

By points allowed to the position, Davante Adams has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Davante Adams was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Jaylen Waddle was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Davante Adams played 14 games for LAR and scored 222.9 PPR points, 15.9 a game, finishing WR9.

He caught 60 of 114 targets for 789 yards and 14 touchdowns, with 31 red zone targets and 671 air yards.

He was on the field for 70 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Davante Adams, Week 15 of 2025 against DET: 33 of 72 snaps, 9 targets and 4 catches for 71 yards, 11.1 PPR points.

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.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 17 of 2025 against TB: 14 of 55 snaps, 1 carry for 7 yards, 1 target and 0 catches for 0 yards, 0.7 PPR points.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 16 of 2025 against CIN: 42 of 59 snaps, 9 targets and 5 catches for 72 yards, 12.2 PPR points.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 15 of 2025 against PIT: 42 of 50 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 26 yards, 4.6 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Jaylen Waddle scored 1.2 PPR points and Davante Adams scored 5.6.

The call was wrong: Davante Adams outscored Jaylen Waddle by 4.4.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 1 against KC: 38 of 51 snaps, 3 targets and 1 catch for 2 yards, 1.2 PPR points.

Jaylen Waddle finished as the week's WR102 in PPR scoring.

Davante Adams finished 0.2 points above the 5.4 the props implied.

Davante Adams, Week 1 against SF: 33 of 61 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 26 yards, 5.6 PPR points.

Davante Adams finished as the week's WR67 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Davante Adams over DJ Moore.
• Start Emeka Egbuka over Davante Adams.
• Start Jameson Williams over Davante Adams.
• Start Jaylen Waddle over DJ Moore.
• Start Jaylen Waddle over Jameson Williams.
• Start Jaylen Waddle over Ladd McConkey.