Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Profile: TE Darren Waller
Our fantasy journey continues with the Las Vegas Raiders. As we look forward to the start of the NFL season, we will be looking ahead at noteworthy players who are projected to contribute to your fantasy team.
The next one up for the Raiders is the tight end, Darren Waller.
Waller is entering his fifth NFL season and his third with the Raiders after he was drafted in the sixth round (204th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He started his career on a wrong note. Battling drug addiction and suspensions by the league, he entered a rehabilitation center and rejuvenated his life.
Sadly in the media, people are quick to point out people's failures but slowly acknowledge the change. Every single person can respect Waller for turning his life around.
After a fantastic turnaround of his career with the Raiders, Waller last season emerged as the No. 1 target for Derek Carr. Waller had a momentous season.
At 6-foot-6 inches and 250 pounds, he has the intangibles to create mismatches against any defender on the field. And with his excellent combination of power and speed, Waller draws a lot of attention from opposing coaches on the sideline.
In 2019, Waller earned 221.0 points on a point per reception (PPR) league, ranking him the third-best tight end in the league. His 90 receptions on 117 targets show how valuable he was to Carr on the field—capping off with 1,145 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
On a PPR system, he will earn points for every yard and catch he gets. Last year, he went through an eight-game drought without a touchdown. Injuries on offense and inexperience of young wide receivers allowed teams to add more pressure on Carr and cover Waller a bit tighter in the Red Zone. Fighting through the adversity, Waller managed to have five games with over 100-plus receiving yards last season--the most among tight ends.
Heading into this season, Waller is ranked among the top-five tight ends of the league across all fantasy projections. NFL Network has him listed as the No. 56 overall player and No. 4 tight end. ESPN has him ranked as the No. 5 tight end and No. 40 overall. Sports Illustrated also has him ranked at the No. 5 tight end and No. 56 overall player. Fantasy Pros have him as the No. 59 overall player and the consensus No. 5 tight end in their rankings.
Raider Nation will have a value pick if they decide to draft Waller within the first three rounds. He is a reliable and safe pick on any given draft.
Once the domino falls, the rest will come down too. This means if the top-two tight ends, Travis Kelce and George Kittle, go off the board early, expect Waller to fall right behind them. There are few tight ends who will contribute consistently week-by-week, so getting a hold of Waller early is a must.
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