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Updated May 14, 2026 from live stats

Amon-Ra St. Brown vs Jaylen Waddle

Fantasy Football Comparison for the 2026 NFL Season

The Bottom Line

Amon-Ra St. Brown is the better fantasy play this season.

Amon-Ra St. Brown is clearly the better fantasy option heading into 2026. With 15.6 PPG and 1,410 total yards in 2025, the production separation is too wide to overcome on matchup alone. Jaylen Waddle (10.1 PPG) is a hold, not a sell, but roster Amon-Ra St. Brown as the starter and Jaylen Waddle as depth.

High confidence: stats strongly favor the leader, and the gap is unlikely to close on matchup alone.

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WRDetroit Lions#4PPG LEADER
Amon-Ra St. Brown
PPG
15.6
Games
17
Rec
117
Rec Yds
1,401
Rec TDs
11
Targets
172
Bye
Week 8
WRMiami Dolphins#29
Jaylen Waddle
PPG
10.1
Games
16
Rec
64
Rec Yds
910
Rec TDs
6
Targets
100
Bye
Week 12

The Edge Chart

VolumeEfficiencyTD UpsideFloorCeilingDurability
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jaylen Waddle

Head to Head

15.6 PPG10.1 PPG
17 GP16 GP
Bye: Week 8Bye: Week 12

Fantasy Tiers

Amon-Ra St. Brown: Tier 1 (Elite) WR (ranked #4 at the position). Jaylen Waddle: Tier 4 (Bench/Bye Fill) WR (ranked #29 at the position). Among the top 50 wide receivers this season, Amon-Ra St. Brown is producing at 71% of elite pace and Jaylen Waddle at 46%. That ranking gap means Amon-Ra St. Brown carries more trade value and a higher draft cost in 2026.

Amon-Ra St. Brown vs Jaylen Waddle: Who Should You Start?

Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaylen Waddle are both viable fantasy wide receivers heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Amon-Ra St. Brown averaged 15.6 PPG across 17 games with the Detroit Lions, while Jaylen Waddle posted 10.1 PPG in 16 appearances for the Miami Dolphins.

A 5.5-PPG gap gives Amon-Ra St. Brown the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.

Target volume is the story here. Amon-Ra St. Brown saw 172 targets in 2025, while Jaylen Waddle drew 100. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for Amon-Ra St. Brown, even in weeks where Jaylen Waddle posts the bigger ceiling game. Consistency-minded managers lean toward target share; boom-bust managers chase the upside.

Amon-Ra St. Brown has his bye in Week 8, and Jaylen Waddle rests in Week 12. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at wide receiver for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.

Trade Value + Dynasty Outlook

If you can acquire Amon-Ra St. Brown at a discount because your league-mates undervalue wide receiver production, do it. Jaylen Waddle is a reasonable sell-high candidate if his recent games have spiked above his season average. Dynasty outlook: Amon-Ra St. Brown (age 26) is in the middle of his productive window. Stable dynasty value. Jaylen Waddle (age 27) is in the middle of his productive window. Stable dynasty value.

Did You Know?

  • Amon-Ra St. Brown outscored Jaylen Waddle by a projected 94 total fantasy points over a full 17-game season.
  • Amon-Ra St. Brown played 17 games in 2025 compared to Jaylen Waddle's 16. That durability gap means Amon-Ra St. Brown contributed more total fantasy points even before you look at per-game averages.
  • Amon-Ra St. Brown scored 11 total touchdowns in 2025 (0.6 per game), making him one of the more reliable scoring options at wide receiver.
  • Amon-Ra St. Brown saw 172 targets in 2025. Target volume is the single strongest predictor of weekly PPR production at the wide receiver position.
Detailed Stat Breakdown
StatBrownWaddle
PPG (Half-PPR)15.610.1
Games Played1716
Total Fantasy Pts (est.)265162
Receptions11764
Rec/Game6.94.0
Receiving Yards1,401910
Rec Yds/Game82.456.9
Receiving TDs116
Targets172100
Target Share/Game10.16.3
Age2627
Experience4 yrs4 yrs
Bye WeekWeek 8Week 12

Summary

Amon-Ra St. Brown outscored Jaylen Waddle by 5.5 PPG in 2025 (15.6 to 10.1). That production gap is the baseline, but weekly context shifts the answer. DraftCall analyzes matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and health data to deliver a clear start or sit recommendation backed by real reasoning.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I start Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jaylen Waddle in fantasy football?

Based on 2025 season averages, Amon-Ra St. Brown has the edge at 15.6 PPG compared to Jaylen Waddle's 10.1 PPG. However, the best start depends on weekly matchup, recent form, and injury status. DraftCall's app provides real-time AI-powered verdicts that factor in all of these variables.

How many fantasy points did Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaylen Waddle average in 2025?

Amon-Ra St. Brown averaged 15.6 fantasy points per game (half-PPR) across 17 games in 2025. Jaylen Waddle averaged 10.1 PPG over 16 games. That is a difference of 5.5 points per game.

When are Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaylen Waddle's bye weeks in 2026?

Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET) has a bye in Week 8, and Jaylen Waddle (MIA) has a bye in Week 12. Plan your roster accordingly if you are carrying both players.

Is Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jaylen Waddle a better fantasy wide receiver in 2026?

Amon-Ra St. Brown outscored Jaylen Waddle by 5.5 PPG in 2025, which gives him the edge heading into 2026. For a week-by-week verdict, DraftCall's AI analyzes matchup quality and recent trends in real time.