Darren Waller failed to make much of an impact in what turned out to be his final season in the Las Vegas desert. The former Raiders tight end didn’t live up to expectations and dealt with multiple injuries. That caused him to have his worst season since 2018. The tight end then got traded to the New York Giants in the off-season to serve as the new number-one passing option for quarterback Daniel Jones. In a far better offense this year and renewed health, expect Waller to return to his dominant ways soon.
2022 Season Recap
Waller struggled in his final season with the Las Vegas Raiders. He played in nine games with only six starts in the new Josh McDaniels offense. He saw only 43 targets and caught 28 for 388 yards and three touchdowns. Waller was on pace for a career-high in yards per reception, so perhaps that can carry over to this year. He has the skill set to be an elite down-field tight-end threat. He was number one in average target distance and deep targets. Waller was also second in yards per reception and top-ten in fantasy points per target, air yards share, and yards per route run. Expect his deep-passing skill set to be in full form in 2023.
2023 Season Projections
Waller is on a new team in the Giants. He’s going to be a featured player on this offense. There is no mistaking that. While he won’t reach the level he reached in 2020, Waller will be a fantasy threat. Daniel Jones hasn’t ever had this kind of receiver/tight end in his career. You can fully expect him and Coach Daboll to use his skill set fully. Waller should see well over 100 targets, as he is likely the best passing option on this team besides Barkley.
The Giants know they need a more prolific passing offense to get to where they want to go. Waller will help them do that. He’s going to stretch the field and be a strong red-zone threat. I don’t have Waller getting to ten touchdowns, but he should be around six. That’s because the Giants have numerous red zone options, and Jones/Barkley are each a threat to run it in themselves. However, Waller should be a top-tier tight end at 14 points per game in a tight-end premium league. He will return to his TE1 days in what is a prime season for him at just age-31.
Long-Term Dynasty Outlook
Waller is entering his age-31 season, so he only has a couple more prime years left. The guy has dealt with multiple injuries over the past two seasons that have caused him to miss 14 games. You can’t trust him to stay healthy right now. If I’m a contender in dynasty, I’d be sure to have a capable backup for him like Dalton Schultz, Pat Freiermuth, Dalton Kincaid, or another player. You don’t want to be caught with him out for multiple weeks and not have a player to replace him. That’s a black hole that can sink your fantasy season.
If you want to trade for him, I’d offer up two second-round picks. Waller isn’t worth much more, and his price likely only goes down as he gets older. However, there aren’t many better tight ends to win now with. He’s a guaranteed 14+ point guy in tight-end premium leagues, especially in this Giants’ offense. If you need to start a rebuild, sell Waller first and fast. His price won’t be any higher than right now and can come crashing down if he gets injured. So, have a backup plan for Waller, but try to acquire him and get a top-five tight end for this season on your contending dynasty roster.
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As always, May the Force be with You…
