New York Giants tight end Darren Waller will play Year 1 in a new uniform this season after being traded away from the Las Vegas Raiders. Waller spent five seasons with the Raiders with a couple of fantastic years, though injuries have been an issue recently.
2023 Fantasy Football: Darren Waller Profile
Recap of 2022 season
Waller played in nine games with the Raiders last season and caught 28-of-43 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns. He dealt with multiple injuries throughout the season with a significant impact on his numbers.
Updated Giants outlook
New York gave a contract extension to its franchise quarterback Daniel Jones this offseason and in addition to landing Waller, the Giants’ passing game made some additions through free agency. New York re-signed wide receiver Darius Slayton and added Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder. The Giants also spent a second-round pick on former Kentucky Wildcats WR Wan’Dale Robinson.
Best-case scenario
The best-case scenario would be for Waller to return to his pre-2021 form. He finished with at least 90 catches with more than 1,000 yards in the 2019 and 2020 seasons before being limited with injuries the last couple of years. Waller was clearly a target the Giants wanted to beef up their offense, and they’d love to use him in as many ways as possible to create mismatches.
Worst-case scenario
The worst-case scenario would be for the nagging injuries to continue for another season after being bothered by a hamstring issue in 2022. Even though he got a big contract this offseason, it’s not like Daniel Jones is putting up big numbers in this offense, so upside could be slightly limited among the pass catchers.
Prediction
I expect an impressive bounce-back season for Waller to return to being a top-five tight end option in 2023. The Giants wouldn’t have traded for somebody with his talent if they didn’t plan to use his skill set to improve the passing offense. There’s a lot to like about Waller this season as one of the few tight ends who could be a significant difference-maker in fantasy football.