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TE Darren Waller, NYG (1 Viewer)

NE played Waller about as well as a team could. They kept changing up their coverage from man to zone to hybrids. Seven different guys covered him, sometimes with help over the top, help underneath, robbers, etc. that Carr could not anticipate the coverage or tell who was doing what on a given play. Add in the pressure NE was getting on passing downs and Carr did not have time to wait to see if Waller could get open. There were a couple of times when Waller ended up having space to receive the ball, but that was because the safety moved on to cover someone else. Carr would have needed another second or two to make sure Waller was open, which he usually didn't have. Waller owners should just tip their cap to BB and move on. He will go back to getting a ton of targets in plenty of other games.

 
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NE played Waller about as well as a team could. They kept changing up their coverage from man to zone to hybrids. Seven different guys covered him, sometimes with help over the top, help underneath, robbers, etc. that Carr could not anticipate the coverage or tell who was doing what on a given play. Add in the pressure NE was getting on passing downs and Carr did not have time wait to see if Waller could get open. There were a couple of times when Waller ended up having space to receive the ball, but that was because the safety moved on to cover someone else. Carr would have needed another second or two to make sure Waller was open, which he usually didn't have. Waller owners should just tip their cap to BB and move on. He will go back to getting a ton of targets in plenty of other games.
Exactly why I benched him. BB is a master at removing the main threat.

 
Exactly why I benched him. BB is a master at removing the main threat.
In general, BB will sell out the run to take away the pass. NE would much rather keep plays in front of them than risk someone getting behind them. Once in a while they will give up a big play (like against Seattle), but that usually involves a QB throwing the ball into the sunroof of a moving car 40 yards away. Wilson had some insane passes last week (while getting mauled the second he released the ball). That's not bad defense, that's just better offense.

That's why for the life of me, I don't understand why opponents don't run way more than they do and hit backs for swing passes in the flat. Those are there every play, every game. But teams try to run deeper routes that are usually covered and try to have more of vertical attack, almost as if to say we are going to succeed in playing how we usually play (which hardly ever works). It is very possible to have 10, 12, 14 play drives against NE if teams are patient and take what the defense gives them. Teams could have 3rd and 2 over and over again if they played it right. Eventually NE will pull guys up and then a slant or a seam route could go for 40 yards. Why offensive coordinators haven't latched on to this is one of life's great mysteries.

 
Darren Waller caught 9-of-12 targets for 88 yards in the Raiders' Week 4 loss to the Bills.

With Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards sidelined, Waller was funneled target after target just as he was in Week 2's matchup against the Saints. Waller looks like one of the NFL's three best tight ends right now and is a stud in fantasy. Through four games, Waller is on pace for 116 receptions, 988 yards, and four touchdowns on an insane 160 targets. Those target numbers are unsustainable, but he's a top-four tight end in just about every matchup. That will certainly be the case in Kansas City next week.

Oct 4, 2020, 8:15 PM ET

 
Darren Waller caught 5-of-7 targets for 48 yards and one touchdown in the Raiders' Week 5 win over the Chiefs.

Waller's seven targets led the team, and his five-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter was his second in four weeks. Waller is commanding the bulk of the targets in Vegas and is a weekly top-five fantasy tight end ahead of a Week 7 date with the Bucs following the Raiders' bye.

- Rotoworld

 
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Wish I had made that decision.   Let me know when you are sitting Waller again.   I trust your judgment more than mine.  
Might be doing it again this week.  Like the matchup Hockenson has against Atlanta and Waller's seems tough vs. TBay.  Not married to the idea yet, but leaning towards TJ...

 
Might be doing it again this week.  Like the matchup Hockenson has against Atlanta and Waller's seems tough vs. TBay.  Not married to the idea yet, but leaning towards TJ...
Definitely one to watch with the covid issue. 

 
Might be doing it again this week.  Like the matchup Hockenson has against Atlanta and Waller's seems tough vs. TBay.  Not married to the idea yet, but leaning towards TJ...
Same boat, but last week vs. the woeful Jags was really disappointing, despite the red zone love.  I just haven't seen the Lions use him as a weapon but for week 1 2019.

And when you have Waller who has had 2 games this year with 12 & 16 targets, the upside is just so high in ppr leagues

But if he has to play offensive guard this week that's another story

 
Yeah, I hadn't even factored in the possibility that Waller may be doing more blocking this week than usual now...

 
Darren Waller caught 6-of-9 targets for 50 yards and a touchdown in Las Vegas' Week 7 loss to the Buccaneers.

Waller's lone touchdown occurred from the one-yard line to move the Raiders within one score (24-17) of Tampa Bay in the third quarter. Waller's nine targets also tied Nelson Agholor's (5/107/1) total for the team lead, giving the former three consecutive games with at least seven opportunities. He remains a bright spot for both the Raiders and tight end position in fantasy.

- Rotoworld

 
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Darren Waller caught 3-of-5 targets for 37 yards in the Raiders' Week 10 win over the Broncos.

Waller's stat line looks subpar but his offense only attempted 25 passes. He led the team in all receiving categories, it just didn't take much to do that. Fantasy managers will look back on one play with regrets if they started Waller. Derek Carr hit Waller wide open on a deep pass but Waller was unable to bring the ball down. He would have walked into the end zone untouched had he caught it. Waller may struggle in games that his team dominates their opponent but that won't be the case next week versus the Chiefs. He remains a top-five tight end going forward.

- Rotoworld

 
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That play was exactly why Waller is a Top 3 TE ROS.

The unstoppable mismatches he creates can only be stopped by himself.

He is a true fighter in life and will use this to only make him stronger.
Agreed. I was actually shocked they had him run a route up the seam, as his YPC is around 6. 

 
It is alarming but are you going to drop him for someone on the WW?   I guess you could bench him if you had a better option on your bench.  Good luck finding that guy   

The Raiders didn’t have to throw the ball against Denver and couldn’t throw the ball in the Cleveland wind storm the week before.   

If Waller is on your roster, you are starting him every week for good or bad.  

 
DocHolliday said:
It is alarming but are you going to drop him for someone on the WW?   I guess you could bench him if you had a better option on your bench.  Good luck finding that guy   

The Raiders didn’t have to throw the ball against Denver and couldn’t throw the ball in the Cleveland wind storm the week before.   

If Waller is on your roster, you are starting him every week for good or bad.  
Usually bad 

 
Yeah, double-digit scores (PPR) 6 weeks out of 9.  Awful.
Is this a real conversation lol Waller is a stud TE and the confluence of weather and big leads the past two weeks didn’t necessitate him being a big part of the O. If he catches that long TD on Sunday, nobody would even be talking about this. He’s firmly entrenched in my lineup and I expect him to be a top 3 TE ROS 

 
Just pulled the trigger of a trade getting Waller back. Very excited to have him in my lineup. Folowing this thread intently 

 
Just pulled the trigger of a trade getting Waller back. Very excited to have him in my lineup. Folowing this thread intently 
WHat did you pay? PPR?

I ask b/c his owner in dynasty PPR sent an offer out of the blue, but too much so had to pass. Wondering what I should add with Engram to get him

 
WHat did you pay? PPR?

I ask b/c his owner in dynasty PPR sent an offer out of the blue, but too much so had to pass. Wondering what I should add with Engram to get him
My league is a salary cap/dynasty/contract league so that weighs heavily in trades and such. Waller is a RFA in our league, the guy I traded with to get him as othe RFAs and cant protect Waller. He is also in RB hell, all his big guys are hurt and he has no depth.

Trade was TE Fant, RB Gio, RB Ballage, WR Myers for Waller and a 4th round pick. I have RBs and WRs to spare, TE i have been throwing at a wall all season and seeing what stuck. Aside from often injured Fant, didnt really have anything

 
My league is a salary cap/dynasty/contract league so that weighs heavily in trades and such. Waller is a RFA in our league, the guy I traded with to get him as othe RFAs and cant protect Waller. He is also in RB hell, all his big guys are hurt and he has no depth.

Trade was TE Fant, RB Gio, RB Ballage, WR Myers for Waller and a 4th round pick. I have RBs and WRs to spare, TE i have been throwing at a wall all season and seeing what stuck. Aside from often injured Fant, didnt really have anything
You stole him!

 
Kinda did, a few owners werent happy about the deal. Works for both our teams. He can keep Fant, help at RB. Fills my need at TE. Those #####ing dont wanna face my team in the playoffs
I think it's perfectly fair. If that guy needed RBs he could do worse in week 11. Fant isn't a terrible downgrade for 2020 and as valuable or more moving forward. It's a win win. And yeah it will make your team more formidable. They can whine all they want, watch the other guys boxscore improve.

 
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Week 11 Dynasty Risers and Fallers: D'Andre Swift has arrived

Excerpt:

FALLER: TE DARREN WALLER, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Since his 11-target game in Week 4, Waller has endured a severe drought of yards. He hasn’t topped 50 yards or six receptions in a game over the past five weeks. The only reason fantasy managers don’t perceive the sky to be falling on him is his three touchdowns in that span of quiet games. Despite the lack of big games or overall yards, Waller’s role has been completely unchanged.

  • Weeks 1-4: 24% air-yard share, 28% target share
  • Weeks 5-10: 22% air-yard share, 28% target share
The obvious difference between those two splits has been the Raiders’ on-field success. They went 2-2 to start the year and have gone 4-1 since. Derek Carr hasn’t been in the same area code as a 200-yard passing game since Week 7. When he is allowed to throw, Carr has a 74.6 passing grade— 12th in the league (min. 100 dropbacks). Waller may be a bit more dependant on game-script than preferred, but he’s worth trying to buy at a discounted price as one of the few stud tight ends this year.

 
Darren Waller caught just 4-of-7 targets for 23 yards in the Raiders' Week 12 loss to the Falcons.

The Raiders were stuck in the mud all day, failing to visit the end zone against a pitiful Falcons defense. Waller's 23 yards were his third-fewest of the year. It's just a game to forget. Waller should rebound as a top-three TE1 next week against the Jets.

- Rotoworld

 
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Darren Waller leads all NFL tight ends this season with 19 red zone targets. 

The size-speed specimen only had one red zone look in Week 12's 23-yard dud against the Falcons -- one of the league's best tight end matchups. Fantasy managers can write off Week 12 to a total collapse of the Raiders offense. Derek Carr has completed 14 of the 19 passes he's thrown to Waller in the red zone for five touchdowns. Meanwhile, only seven tight ends have run more routes than Waller in 2020. Waller's touchdown potential will be as high as any tight end in the league in Week 13 against the Jets. 

Nov 30, 2020, 12:34 PM ET

 
51.50 in FFPC TE Premium. The Van Halen tribute game. 

Got this dude in the 4th-6th round of rookie drafts in 2019 and have just massively profited off him. Soooo many people poo poo those 3rd and 4th round picks as worthless, and don't get me wrong they really aren't worth much. For every 10 late picks there *might* be one Waller out there. Or Kittle, or Lindsay, or Claypool, McLaurin, maybe Gabriel Davis, or, or, or, or... I keep hitting goldmines in these late rounds every year. They are there. I miss all the time, too. But there is ALMOST ZERO RISK with late picks. I feel like the biggest risk is not that they will miss but that you won't be able to roster them and then they hit on waivers. I'd rather miss on 30 of them for the chance to hit one like this, though.

Even among the late hits I'd have to put Waller in a category by himself, though, and this game he just had crushed me in a couple important spots, but it also helped me in a few others, so what the hey. 

 
No idea where this came from, he had barely 50 yards a game for weeks. Incredible. To think I almost benched him for Hockenson too. Holy heck, i'd have kicked my own ### 6 ways from Sunday if i'd done that, probably only the matchup for Detroit persuaded me it was a bad idea. Better to only just get out of your own way sometimes.

 
51.50 in FFPC TE Premium. The Van Halen tribute game. 

Got this dude in the 4th-6th round of rookie drafts in 2019 and have just massively profited off him. Soooo many people poo poo those 3rd and 4th round picks as worthless, and don't get me wrong they really aren't worth much. For every 10 late picks there *might* be one Waller out there. Or Kittle, or Lindsay, or Claypool, McLaurin, maybe Gabriel Davis, or, or, or, or... I keep hitting goldmines in these late rounds every year. They are there. I miss all the time, too. But there is ALMOST ZERO RISK with late picks. I feel like the biggest risk is not that they will miss but that you won't be able to roster them and then they hit on waivers. I'd rather miss on 30 of them for the chance to hit one like this, though.

Even among the late hits I'd have to put Waller in a category by himself, though, and this game he just had crushed me in a couple important spots, but it also helped me in a few others, so what the hey. 
I feel you. Grabbed him in 3rd or 4th. Then got James Robinson in fourth this year. Especially important if you are picking at end of round in 14-teamer like me. Almost better to load up on these picks and create an index fund of lotto picks and hope one of them starts to show before week 1.

 
I feel you. Grabbed him in 3rd or 4th. Then got James Robinson in fourth this year. Especially important if you are picking at end of round in 14-teamer like me. Almost better to load up on these picks and create an index fund of lotto picks and hope one of them starts to show before week 1.
Yep that's another. I saw Gibson last to the 3rd a couple times. That's probably stretching the idea, though.

I play primarily FFPC dynasty or that style, which means roster spots are really at a premium. If I do stockpile late picks, it is probably a more useful strategy for a rebuilding team than one that is stacked already. I have one stacked team in particular right now that has three 3rds and five 4ths and I am already going to be forced to sell studs this offseason to get to 16. It's a 1st world problem but those late picks are going to be harder to roster. My guess is I will throw them around loosely to package in other bigger deals. 

Getting away from Waller, though. For as crappy as the TE position has been I'll stomach a couple weeks of floor games for the sake of anything close to a ceiling game. It's an advantage for sure. Yes I'd rather have Kelce. Not a hot take.

 
LionOfGosforth said:
No idea where this came from, he had barely 50 yards a game for weeks. Incredible. To think I almost benched him for Hockenson too. Holy heck, i'd have kicked my own ### 6 ways from Sunday if i'd done that, probably only the matchup for Detroit persuaded me it was a bad idea. Better to only just get out of your own way sometimes.
Unless somehow you have Kelce too (and TE is a mandatory position) I think Waller is an automatic start every week. 

 
His back seems to feel better. 
7 tds this year compared to 3 all of last year. 
He looks dominant. 

I’ll be starting him against Kelce in week 15. Waller’s floor makes me feel decent about that. 

 
Started off with a bang having Waller go nuts, then was brought back down to earth watching my QB Herbert go down to drain, able to count his fantasy points on one hand. But I sure am glad to have gotten Waller a few weeks back!

 
What are we thinking for Waller tonight? I imagine the Chargers will bracket him, but I’m hoping he can at least get us 60-70 and a score. The game O/U is 51.5. 

 
Darren Waller caught 9-of-12 targets for 150 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' Week 15 loss to the Chargers. 

Mt. Waller continued to erupt this evening, bringing his statline for the past three weeks up to 29/425/3. That's despite the fact that Derek Carr made it only two drives before departing with a groin issue. Marcus Mariota found his mountainous seam stretcher for gains of 35, 25 and 25 yards, with the 35-yarder ending in the end zone. Mariota delivered a drop-in-the-bucket dime down the left sideline. Previously the TE2 overall by volume default, Waller has provided ceiling just when fantasy managers need it most. The Dolphins are on deck for Week 16. 

Dec 18, 2020, 12:06 AM ET

 

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