NFL Week 6 player prop: Cause for celebration

Through the first five weeks of the season, the winless Panthers have allowed at least 20 points to every opponent. Now they must travel to Miami and hope a diminished defense can contain the explosive 4-1 Dolphins, who pace the league by averaging 36.2 points per game. The team that already dropped 70 on the Broncos at home has understandably been installed as two-touchdown favorites, and one of its playmakers gets our backing for top pop:

The bet: Over 60½ receiving yards for Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (DraftKings)

After comfortably clearing this number in the first two games, Waddle missed Week 3 due to a concussion and has been less productive since. Part of the reason is that he plays opposite Tyreek Hill, the NFL’s leader in receiving yardage. But Tua Tagovailoa targeted his two stars evenly last week, and Waddle scored his first touchdown.

Facing Carolina at home two years ago, Waddle delivered the best performance of his rookie season. He saw 10 Tua tosses and caught nine of them for 137 yards and a score. As a matter of fact, he had basically doubled this total by halftime as the Dolphins cruised to a 33-10 victory.

This group of Panthers limps into Hard Rock Stadium with injuries throughout the secondary. A pair of starting safeties from the opening three games, Vonn Bell and Xavier Woods, will miss this one, and top cornerback Jaycee Horn remains sidelined indefinitely. Yikes.

Waddle might get the needed yardage — and celebrate with his trademark end-zone waddle — on a single play.