Start Jaylen Waddle or Denzel Boston? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Jaylen Waddle over Denzel Boston in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Jaylen Waddle at 10.7 points and Denzel Boston at 10.3, a gap of 0.4. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Jaylen Waddle this week yet, so his 10.7 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (10.8, 12.0 and 9.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Denzel Boston this week yet, so his 10.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (10.6, 10.5 and 9.8); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Jaylen Waddle at ADP 43 and Denzel Boston at 143.

What the market projects

No Week 9 player market is posted for Jaylen Waddle yet. His market-based projections were 10.8, 12.0 and 9.3 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 10.7, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

The market-based projection for Jaylen Waddle is 0.4 touchdowns (5 market sources).

No Week 9 player market is posted for Denzel Boston yet. His market-based projections were 10.6, 10.5 and 9.8 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 10.3, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

The market-based projection for Denzel Boston is 0.3 touchdowns (5 market sources).

That puts Jaylen Waddle 0.4 points ahead of Denzel Boston on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Jaylen Waddle and DEN visit CAR on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CAR allowed 27.7 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 6th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 133 yards and 0-1 touchdowns a game against CAR.

Denzel Boston and CLE visit NO on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

NO allowed 29.8 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 11th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 144 yards and 0.9 touchdowns a game against NO.

By points allowed to the position, Denzel Boston has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Jaylen Waddle is not on the injury report.

Denzel Boston is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, Jaylen Waddle played 66 percent of DEN snaps, drew 23 percent of the targets, earned 37 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

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.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 8 against KC: 6 targets and 3 catches for 39 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 8, Denzel Boston played 91 percent of CLE snaps, drew 21 percent of the targets, earned 45 percent of the air yards and had 16 percent of the red zone chances.

Denzel Boston, Week 5 against NYJ: 62 of 68 snaps, 7 targets and 3 catches for 46 yards, 1 touchdown.

Denzel Boston, Week 6 against BAL: 58 of 62 snaps, 5 targets and 1 catch for 15 yards.

Denzel Boston, Week 7 against TEN: 61 of 70 snaps, 8 targets and 3 catches for 27 yards.

Denzel Boston, Week 8 against PIT: 11 targets and 6 catches for 37 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

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 9 calls

• Start Jaylen Waddle over Devaughn Vele.
• Start Jaylen Waddle over DJ Moore.
• Start George Pickens over Jaylen Waddle.
• Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Denzel Boston.
• Start Denzel Boston over Devaughn Vele.
• Start DJ Moore over Denzel Boston.