2 min read • August 26, 2022
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(FantasyPros: 0.5-point PPR Average Draft Position 46.7)
Before suffering an IT band strain last Thanksgiving, tight end Darren Waller had 51 receptions for 610 yards and was a clear No. 1 receiver in the Raiders’ offense.
It is unclear whether Waller, who has a current ADP in the late-40s overall and fifth among tight ends, will retain that top role or still be able to produce as a top-3 tight end with the addition of Derek Carr’s college running mate, Davante Adams.
But the most pressing question is actually whether the 28-year-old will be available when the season starts.
Josh McDaniels said that Waller, who reportedly suffered a hamstring injury early in camp, is “doing everything he can to get out there as soon as he can be,” but didn’t “want to make a prediction” on if he’d play in Week 1.
There has been little reporting on the alleged hamstring injury and some questions about whether it is actually a contract-related issue.
This is eerily similar to his 2021 knee injury.
Waller went down with a knee injury in the Raiders’ OT Thanksgiving win and, despite it being reported as a minor IT band issue, missed the next five games before returning for Week 18 and the playoffs.
(FantasyPros: 0.5-point PPR Average Draft Position 42.3)
Since becoming a starter in 2018, 49ers’ tight end Kittle has been top-3 among tight ends for four straight seasons in fantasy points per game, only behind one-or-more of Travis Kelce, Darren Waller and Mark Andrews.
Over that same span, Kittle has missed 13 games with two knee sprains, a fractured foot, and a calf strain.
Despite his rough-and-tumble playing style, the perennial all-pro will be starting his sixth season on a good foot with a 94 SIC score.
Kittle, who has an ADP in the high-30s overall and fourth among tight ends, will be battling with multiple other top-end receivers for targets from raw first-year starting quarterback Trey Lance in 2022.
Kittle has shown to be adept at playing well through injuries, and did the same in 2021, returning from the calf strain with 52 catches for 683 yards and six touchdowns, despite bringing in only eight catches for 60 yards in the final three Deebo Samuel masterclass games of the season.
Kittle was far-and-way the top tight end in Week 13 and 14, scoring over 25 PPR points in both contests.
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