Start Jaylen Waddle or Ladd McConkey? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Jaylen Waddle over Ladd McConkey in Week 1.

Jaylen Waddle is priced by the books at 11.2 projected points. Ladd McConkey has no player market posted for this week, so his side of this call rests on consensus ADP and the news wire only. Drafters take Jaylen Waddle at ADP 43 and Ladd McConkey at 40.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for Ladd McConkey in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 11.2 fantasy points for Jaylen Waddle, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

Ladd McConkey and LAC host ARI.

ARI allowed 27.9 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 16th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 119 yards and a touchdown against ARI.

Jaylen Waddle and DEN visit KC on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.

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, Ladd McConkey has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Ladd McConkey was listed as questionable when the call was made.

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

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Ladd McConkey played 16 games for LAC and scored 180.9 PPR points, 11.3 a game, finishing WR30.

He caught 66 of 106 targets for 789 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 479 air yards.

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

Ladd McConkey, Week 17 of 2025 against HOU: 56 of 63 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 31 yards, 4.1 PPR points.

Ladd McConkey, Week 16 of 2025 against DAL: 48 of 64 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 43 yards, 1 touchdown, 14.3 PPR points.

Ladd McConkey, Week 15 of 2025 against KC: 49 of 66 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 20 yards, 4.0 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 Ladd McConkey scored 19.2.

The call was wrong: Ladd McConkey outscored Jaylen Waddle by 18.0.

Jaylen Waddle finished 10.0 points below the 11.2 the props implied.

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.

Ladd McConkey, Week 1 against ARI: 27 of 55 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 82 yards, 1 touchdown, 19.2 PPR points.

Ladd McConkey finished as the week's WR12 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

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