Will Darren Waller Play vs. Eagles? Fantasy Football Outlook If Waller Is Out
Dustin Bradford/Getty Images. Pictured: Darren Waller.
- Darren Waller's name came up on the injury report ahead of Las Vegas' Week 7 game
- Here's how fantasy managers should monitor the situation if the star tight end's out
Darren Waller popped on the injury report on Saturday afternoon, about 24 hours before the Raiders' Week 7 contest against the Eagles.
Waller is one of the top receiving tight ends in the entire league.
He entered the 2021 campaign with consecutive seasons over 1,000 yards.
The 2020 Pro Bowler recorded nine receiving scores last year — three times as many as his next-best campaign.
He's been a reliable option for quarterback Derek Carr.
Waller is ranked No. 1 in air yards, deep targets and red-zone targets among all tight ends in the NFL.
He has been relatively quiet when considering raw statistics, however.
After ringing up 105 receiving yards in the opener vs. the Ravens, Waller has been limited to 65 or fewer yards in five straight games.
The tight end's 378 receiving yards ranks second on the team this season, behind speedster Henry Ruggs' 445.
Still, The Action Network's fantasy football experts ranked Waller as the second-best tight end in the NFL for Week 7 behind Travis Kelce. Waller is projected to put up 10 points if he plays.
Keep updated with The Action Network's rankings in the lead-up to the Raiders' game against the Eagles on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET to see if Waller has moved down from that second spot.
Check out the link below for up-to-the-minute, week-to-week fantasy football rankings from our experts.
In the event that Waller can't suit up, someone like Ricky Seals-Jones, Zach Ertz or O.J. Howard becomes much more attractive from a fantasy football perspective.
The Action Network has Seals-Jones, Ertz and Howard ranked as the 11th, 12th and 13th best tight ends for Week 7, respectively.
Seals-Jones is projected to put up 5.9 points, Ertz is expected to put up about five points in his season debut with the Arizona Cardinals and Howard is expected to record 4.7 points in a tilt with the Chicago Bears.
In terms of the Raiders' tight end outlook, if Waller is out, backup tight end Foster Moreau would take his place.
Moreau has only received six targets the entire season. He had his best game in Week 2 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in which Moreau received three targets, catching two of them, including one for a touchdown.
The 24-year-old out of LSU recorded 34 receiving yards that game.
The Eagles' defense could pose a challenge for Las Vegas' aerial attack — especially without Waller.
Philadelphia ranks 12th in the NFL in DVOA pass defense.
Las Vegas is a 2.5-point home favorite Sunday, with a total of 48.
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