Fantasy football managers have been asking is Darren Waller playing in Week 8 all week. Viewed as one of the star tight end options in fantasy, the Las Vegas Raiders TE has been dealing with a hamstring issue since Week 5.
Let’s examine the latest updates in Waller’s status for Week 8 and the fantasy implication of him either suiting up or not.
Update: Waller will be inactive for the Raiders Week 8 game.
Is Darren Waller Playing Today?
With the focus this week having been on Davante Adams, we had not received many updates on Waller’s status since he was listed as questionable on Friday. Waller was listed as limited all week on the Raiders’ injury report, so it was hardly a surprise he finished the week as questionable. However, later on Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Waller is set to test the injury ahead of their Week 8 game.
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The hope is that he will be able to suit up and return to his role in this offense. At 2-4, the Raiders really need all hands on deck for a run of games that could dictate whether they have a shot to make the playoffs in 2022.
Should Fantasy Managers Trust Waller in Week 8?
It’s tricky dealing with players coming off hamstring injuries. There is a bad combination of a slight performance impact, largely due to an impact on top speed and the risk of re-injury. Those two risks can make even the best fantasy asset a risk for managers in their lineups.
Waller has struggled this year, averaging 6.3 fantasy points per game in half-PPR scoring across the first five weeks. That number sees him rank as the TE18 for 2022. However, if we don’t consider the game in Week 5, where he played just eight snaps, he is averaging 7.9 fantasy points per game, good enough for the TE12 this year.
The problem for fantasy managers is that 23.9 of his 31.5 fantasy points came in the first two weeks. In the ensuing two games, Waller managed just 7.6 fantasy points from his 10 targets. The contrast in those four weeks means he is frustrating for fantasy managers.
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Nevertheless, at the TE position, it’s hard to go away from a player like Waller, even if he only sees five targets per game. An additional concern comes from the fact that the Saints have been one of the toughest matchups for opposing tight ends. Their 4.69 fantasy points allowed to the position ranks as the second-lowest return on the season.
Not once this year has the tight end position scored double-digit fantasy points against the Saints. The highest return is 9.5 fantasy points in half-PPR scoring when they faced the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5. New Orleans has held opposing tight ends to five points or fewer in five of their games this year. Zach Ertz struggled against them last week, finishing with 21 receiving yards and two receptions from four targets.
Therefore, starting Waller this week is a tough decision. There is a case to be made for sitting him as he deals with the injury. Waller ranks as the TE13 in Tommy Garrett’s Week 8 half-PPR fantasy rankings. That puts him right on the fringe of being a 12-team starting option, depending on who else is available to start in his place.