Sunday, Sept. 10 Update: Despite being a late-week add to the injury report, Waller is expected to play on Sunday night. He will be making his debut for New York after being traded in the offseason.
#Giants TE Darren Waller, who popped up on the injury report late this week with a hamstring, is expected to play today, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2023
Darren Waller is expected to be one of the better tight ends in the NFL this season, making his debut with the New York Giants. However, anyone familiar with his injury history will certainly take a pause this week after he showed up with a questionable tag on the official injury report for Week 1 with a hamstring issue.
Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be especially serious. Waller was a limited participant in Friday’s practice, but ESPN reported that it stems from some hamstring tightness earlier in the week. It’s not expected to be serious and the team is hopeful he can play, according to another report from ESPN.
Darren Waller injury status: Betting and DFS implications for Week 1
The Giants are 3.5-point underdogs in Sunday night matchup against their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. The projected point total is 45.5 points. With Waller in the lineup, I’d feel confident taking the Giants to cover and even the over in this one. But if he can’t go, it’d be harder to feel comfortable with taking the Giants to cover or win.
Waller’s one of the top tight ends available in fantasy football lineups, but it sounds like he should be able to suit up for this one. Daniel Bellinger, his backup, caught 30 passes for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season, and he could be a sneaky option for DFS lineups if you don’t want to allocate a ton to another top-tier tight end. He’d be especially solid in any Sunday night-only contests.