Darren Waller has been absent from the Raiders lineup since Week 4, dealing with a hamstring injury. There was hope he would be ready for Week 8, but he was ruled out Sunday morning before kickoff. The expectation is that he could suit up for Las Vegas’s tilt against Jacksonville. With Tight End being a shallow position and bye weeks draining the talent pool further, the 30-year-old’s return could be welcome for fantasy managers. Will Darren Waller play in Week 9? Here’s what we know.
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Darren Waller officially questionable for Week 9
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, TE Darren Waller is officially being listed as questionable for Sunday with a hamstring injury.
Fantasy Impact
Like last week, Waller was limited all week at practice, so it’s hard for us to know where he is at in terms of status for Week 9. Waller’s hamstring has caused him to only play in four games this season. If Waller misses again, TE Foster Moreau will be the lead guy for Las Vegas against the Jacksonville Jaguars. If he plays, though, he’s always a starting TE.
Relevant News
- Darren Waller (hamstring) logs limited practice Thursday
- Darren Waller (hamstring) limited Wednesday
Check out our NFL News Desk for the latest injury news
What the Experts are Saying
Waller hasn’t played since Week 5. He logged limited practices all week and has been listed as questionable. Waller has finished as a TE1 in half of his full games played. He’s seen a 14.0% target share with five deep targets and six red zone targets. The downfield volume and red zone looks both rank top-eight among tight ends which is impressive since he’s played only four full games. He’s 19th in PFF receiving grade and 23rd in yards per route run (minimum 15 targets). Jacksonville is 27th in DVOA against tight ends giving up the fourth-highest yards per reception. Waller is a TE1 if he plays.
-Derek Brown
We’ll have to see if Waller can be cleared to play this week, his hamstring injury has kept him out since Week 4 and he could be on a snap count or be at risk of aggravating the injury if he plays. Assuming he is active this week, he is a boom / bust TE2 against a Jaguars D that is 11th against fantasy tight ends.
-Derek Lofland
True game-time decision, but we’d lean slightly towards him playing. If active, data projects a moderate (15-20%) performance dip based on the inferred injury severity and his practice progression.
-Deepak Chona
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