Nothing is going right for the New York Giants‘ offense this season, and the club is now down another offensive playmaker. What happened to tight end Darren Waller in Week 8? Here’s the latest.
Darren Waller Injury Update
Waller had been dealing with a hamstring injury since Week 1, even though the issue had been included on the Giants’ injury report until this week. He was listed as questionable heading into Sunday’s game.
The veteran TE must have aggravated his hamstring ailment at some point during today’s contest, but he was never down on the field. Still, the Giants have already ruled him out for the rest of their game against the New York Jets.
Waller has a lengthy injury history, so any new issue is concerning. And the fact that the Giants ruled him out so quickly doesn’t bode well for Waller’s immediate availability.
New York sent a third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire Waller this offseason. Expected to be the Giants’ top pass catcher, Waller had recently begun to come into his own in New York’s offensive structure. He’d topped 85 yards in two of his three most recent games and scored his first TD of the season in Week 7.
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New York only has one other TE — 2022 fourth-rounder Daniel Bellinger — on its roster. Bellinger will take over starting duties today and for however long Waller is sidelined, while the Giants have multiple tight ends on their practice squad who could be promoted.
Big Blue is already without quarterback Daniel Jones, who’s missing his third straight game with a neck injury. An ankle sprain sidelined Saquon Barkley for three weeks earlier this year, while New York’s offensive line is more banged up than any front five in the NFL.
Fantasy Fallout From Waller’s Injury
With the news that Waller is leaving Week 8’s matchup against the Jets early, fantasy managers will be panicking over what this means moving forward.
With it being a hamstring injury that has bothered Waller previously, it would not be surprising to see the Giants shut Waller down for an extended period to allow his body to heal up fully. If he is expected to miss time, Bellinger would become an intriguing option to go after off the waiver wire going into Week 9.
— PFN Fantasy Director Kyle Yates