Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins Fantasy Outlook After WR's Trade from Chiefs

The Miami Dolphins are set to feature one of the NFL's most explosive playmaking tandems after reportedly acquiring Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs to pair with Jaylen Waddle.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should be the biggest beneficiary of the blockbuster trade from a fantasy football perspective as he attempts to make a significant leap forward in his third NFL season.

The key question is how the target share will break down between Hill, Waddle, DeVante Parker, Cedrick Wilson and Mike Gesicki, which is going to have a major impact on their week-to-week production and each player's fantasy viability.

Here's a look at how the Dolphins' targets were divvied up among their main weapons in 2021:

• Waddle: 140 in 16 games
• Gesicki: 112 in 17 games
• Parker: 73 in 10 games

All three of those numbers figure to fall by a sizable amount next season with the additions of Hill (159 targets for K.C. in 2021) and Wilson (61 for Dallas).

Being able to spread the ball around is good news for the potential effectiveness of the Miami offense as a whole, but it's not ideal for fantasy football managers.

Tagovailoa may be the only one who benefits in that realm. Throwing to the likes of Hill, Waddle and Gesicki against single coverage on a regular basis makes life easier, and he can add some modest value with his legs. He's scored six rushing touchdowns in 23 games.

Put all of that together and he should be a high-upside No. 2 QB in fantasy drafts.

Hill will likely retain his status as a No. 1 fantasy receiver, but the uncertainty that comes with changing teams and a deep group of fellow pass-catchers gives him more downside risk than if he would have stayed with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Waddle is the toughest call of all. He finished 13th in fantasy points among wideouts in ESPN standard leagues as a rookie last season and, before the trade for Hill, he was trending toward being a possible third-round pick in drafts this year.

The University of Alabama product should still be heavily involved, but will his targets be enough to serve as an early-round franchise cornerstone? That's a tough question to answer. He figures to slide down draft lists a bit for now.

Gesicki remains a worthwhile fantasy target since the tight end position has a limited number of high-impact producers and he's a reliable red-zone option for Miami. Any hope of a massive breakout year is dampened because of the trade, though.

Parker and Wilson are best served as fantasy reserves unless injuries become a factor. They could struggle to receive enough looks to start on a weekly basis.