Former Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller has been traded to the New York Giants for a third-round draft choice (No. 100) in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Giants acquired the pick in the trade that sent Kadarius Toney to Kansas City.
Despite an injury-riddled past few seasons for Waller, he is still considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL and in fantasy football.
How does Waller fit in with Daniel Jones and the Giants' offense? Let's dive in.
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Darren Waller 2022 Season Review
Waller suffered a hamstring strain in the offseason a year ago but reaggravated the injury in October against the Kansas City Chiefs. His injury caused him to miss eight games during the 2022 season. In nine games played, the former Pro Bowler caught 28 of his 43 targets for 388 yards and three touchdowns. He was solid among tight ends when active, but he wasn't the elite pass-catcher we saw during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
However, a lot of that had to do with playing alongside one of the NFL's most dominant target hogs, Davante Adams. He still ranked No. 1 among tight ends in Average Target Distance (13.6) and ranked inside the top 10 in Yards Per Reception (13.9), Yards Per Target (9.0), and Fantasy Points Per target (1.97).
If he's healthy, he's expected to continue to be an elite pass-catcher at the position.
Darren Waller 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
Although Daniel Jones' passing upside is still up in the air, Waller will benefit greatly from being the most established receiver for the G-Men. We could see Waller become the clear-cut No. 1 option in New York, so he could see more volume than he did last season in Las Vegas.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll has established himself as one of the best offensive minds in the sport and since New York traded for him, they clearly have a vision for the former 1,000-yard receiver.
Waller has all the makings of a top-five tight end in 2023 even if New York adds more weapons at wideout in the upcoming draft.
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