Darren Waller
  • Darren Waller

  • TE
  • ,
  • 32
  • 238 lbs
  • 6' 6"
  • Georgia Tech
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Scouting report

by Brandon Niles

LV TE Darren Waller - Week 7 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 7 vs. Houston Texans

Darren Waller left the game almost immediately against the Chiefs before the bye last week. He’s really struggled this season with just 175 yards and a lone touchdown so far. The dearth of options at the tight end position make Waller an automatic start as long as his health checks out, but be ready with an emergency replacement in case he can’t go. He's not practicing yet, so the outlook is not good.

by Brandon Niles

LV TE Darren Waller - Week 5 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 5 at Kansas City Chiefs

Darren Waller has only one game with double-digit fantasy points in half-PPR formats so far this season – Week 2, his only touchdown – and is coming off consecutive three-catch outings with yardage totals of 22 and 24, respectively. It’s concerning to see his production slip so drastically, but he remains one of the few tight ends in the league with a primary role in his team’s offense. Waller averages six targets per game this year.

This week, Waller faces a Chiefs defense that ranks 21st in aFPA to opposing tight ends. Waller should have room to operate against this defense, especially with athletic linebacker Willie Gay still serving a four-game suspension. Fire up Waller in all leagues, as we have him ranked inside our top five options at tight end.

by Brandon Niles

LV TE Darren Waller - Week 4 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 4 vs. Denver Broncos

Darren Waller was held to just 22 yards on three receptions last week against the Titans, but that was his first single-digit PPR performance of the season. Waller still had five targets and has 19 on the season. He’s not getting the volume he got before the Raiders added talent to the wide receiver room, but he’s still a key component of the Las Vegas passing game.

This week, Waller faces a Broncos defense that ranks 16th in aFPA to opposing tight ends. The Broncos held George Kittle in check on Sunday night, but Waller is such a talent at the position that he should be active every week, regardless of matchup. We have him ranked inside our top-five tight ends this week. Start him.

by Brandon Niles

LV TE Darren Waller - Week 3 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 3 at Tennessee Titans

Darren Waller had a nice game against the Cardinals last week, scoring a touchdown and catching six balls for 50 yards. He was had eight targets and continues to have a role in this offense, despite the presence of Davante Adams. While he’s unlikely to see double-digit targets regularly with more firepower around him, numbers like last week are very realistic in any given matchup.

This week, Waller faces a Titans defense that was torched by the Bills on Monday night, but held Dawson Knox to four catches and 41 yards. Still, Waller is on another level from a talent perspective and we have him ranked just outside our top-five tight ends this week. Start him.

by Brandon Niles

LV TE Darren Waller - Week 2 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 2 vs. Arizona Cardinals

Darren Waller had four catches on six targets for 79 yards last week in a loss to the Chargers. With Davante Adams racking up 17 targets, it’s hard to imagine Waller getting the same volume we’re accustomed to, but it was good to see him produce in a game where Adams thrived. It was also good to see him looking healthy after some question marks coming out of the offseason.

This week, Waller faces a Cardinals defense that got torched by Travis Kelce last week to the tune of eight receptions, 121 yards, and a touchdown. Few players can match Kelce’s talent, but Waller is about as close as you can get. He should be in for another busy day against Arizona this week and we have him as a top-five option in all formats. Start him.

by Brandon Niles

LV TE Darren Waller - Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 1 at Los Angeles Chargers

Darren Waller started last season with a bang, catching 10 of 19 targets for 105 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Ravens. However, he had only one more game with double-digit targets the rest of the season and injuries limited him to just 11 games. Waller may struggle to get his usual heavy dose of targets with the addition of Davante Adams to the offense, so expecting top-three numbers from him may be a stretch as he enters his age-30 season.

Waller will start the year off against a Chargers defense that ranked 31st in aFPA to opposing tight ends in 2021. Waller is nicked up going into the season, so be sure to check the injury report. Additionally, the presence of Davante Adams makes it difficult to expect Waller to gobble up targets like he’s done in the past. Still, we have him ranked as a low-end TE1 option this week, and if he’s active, he should be started in most league formats.

by Brandon Niles

LV TE Darren Waller - 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook

2022 Fantasy Upside
Injuries robbed Darren Waller of six games last season, but he was as reliable as you get in the two seasons prior. After a breakout 2019 season, Waller had a fantastic 2020, finishing with 107 catches on 145 targets for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns. He was on pace for 144 targets last season before he went down – although that’s a little skewed by his ridiculous 19 targets in Week 1 against the Ravens. Still, with the Raiders offense looking to improve after limping to the finish line last year, Waller should be able to put up quality fantasy numbers. He has the trust of Derek Carr, and the addition of DaVante Adams may actually open up the field a bit for him.

2022 Fantasy Downside
While Adams should provide more open and single-coverage opportunities for Waller, he may steal some of the red zone chances. The biggest concern with Waller is durability, though. He’s entering his age-30 season and is coming off knee and back issues. If those issues continue into this season, it’ll be hard for him to get back to fantasy prominence again at an age where players often start to break down.

2022 Bottom Line
Waller’s risks are baked into his price tag in the fourth round of fantasy drafts. He’s going as the TE4 or TE5 – along with George Kittle – this offseason, but he has TE2 upside if he can stay on the field. Adams and new head coach Josh McDaniels should improve the offense enough to provide more total red zone opportunities, so Waller should still be able to find the end zone, even with Adams stealing goal line targets.

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