Tight End Darren Waller has been activated from the injured reserve by the Miami Dolphins
After a four-game hiatus to the IR, Darren Waller has been activated by the Dolphins. Although still listed as questionable for today’s game, an activation typically is immediately followed by a return to the lineup. The injury-riddled Miami team has little to play for in 2025, save for pride, their jobs, and the future of head coach Mike McDaniel. Considering Waller has only appeared in four games in 2025, this can best be viewed as his audition for the rest of the NFL in 2026.
The tight end’s audition in limited time has gone well thus far. While he has appeared in only a trio of games and posted a modest line of 10 receptions on 12 targets for 117 yards, he served a primary role in the red zone, scoring four touchdowns in those three games. He’ll have a chance to add to that for the balance of the season before becoming a free agent,
Fantasy lowdown: Waller is still a boom/bust proposition for fantasy managers seeking tight end or flex help, but it’s hard to argue with four touchdowns out of 10 total receptions. He should be all set today for a favorable matchup against the New Orleans Saints, as well as two plus-matchups in Weeks 15 and 16. He’ll take on Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and could be a key player down the stretch in the fantasy playoffs.
Author: Samwise (@BuyAndSellYou)
Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (pectoral) will have...
Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (hip) doesn't carry ...
Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (hip) was a limited ...
Dolphins star wideout Tyreek Hill to undergo season ending surgery for a torn ACL and multiple ligaments.
Miami Dolphins superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill is set to miss the rest of the 2025 season with a torn ACL and several other torn ligaments in his knee. The Dolphins will be without their top target which will require other talent to step up.
The logical expectation is that receiver Jaylen Waddle will take over the reins as the top target in the offense along with De’Von Achane who is a receiving threat out of the backfield. Of note, Darren Waller had a productive night versus the Jets with a 3-28-2 receiving line. Malik Washington figures to gain snap share from the slot as well.
Waddle has scored 13.2 fantasy points per game which ranks 24th. He is in line to become a higher end WR2 in fantasy football. Achane’s 25% target share is No.2 and will most assuredly go up which will help him return top-5 RB value the rest of the season.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
De’Von Achane is practicing for the first time in three weeks. The Miami Dolphins expect that he will be ready for week 1, as will Tyreek Hill and Darren Waller, per Cameron Wolfe.
De’Von Achane has been a consistent late first/early second-round draft pick in redraft leagues despite dealing with a calf injury for most of training camp. His return to practice is good news for fantasy owners. The 23-year-old will look to build on his RB5 season from last year, though his success seems to be tied to the health of his quarterback. If Tua can stay healthy, I expect Achane to be a top-8 back, at the very least, again in 2025.
Tyreek Hill is being drafted in the third round after a disappointing 2024. He’s dealing with an oblique injury, though it doesn’t seem like it will impact his week 1 status. You could argue that he’s a value in the third, but I have concerns with his durability. The Dolphins could take a step back this year, also. If they start slow out of the gates, Hill could be a trade candidate, as it’s rumored the team is growing tired of his presence in the locker room. I just have a bad feeling about him overall, and so I’m lower on him than ADP. I wouldn’t let him fall into the fourth round, however.
Darren Waller is someone to watch on waivers. The Dolphins demonstrated that they could garner excellent production from their TE1 last season, with Jonnu Smith finishing fourth overall at the position. I like Waller as a sneaky bet to finish inside the top 12, but I currently have him beyond that in my PPR rankings.
–Blake Stachel (@bllakkay)
Darren Waller, who was recently traded to the Miami Dolphins after coming out of retirement, will begin training camp on the PUP list.
The Dolphins are listing the reason for Waller’s absence as undisclosed. The 32-year-old tight-end will likely need to work himself back into playing shape before finding the field during training camp. He will be able to return at any point when the team deems him ready.
Waller last played in 2023 when he posted a 52/552/1 stat line. He finished as the TE22, playing in only 11 complete games, in what was a dreadful Giants offense that put up less than 16 points per game and the 4th fewest total yards.
I had forgotten how solid Waller was during his one year with the Giants. He averaged over 10 fantasy points per game catching passes from Tommy DeVito and Tyrod Taylor. There is definitely reason to be optimistic about his role in Miami. If he even sniffs the 88/884/8 stat line Jonnu Smith put up in the same offense last year, he will be productive for fantasy owners. A top-10 finish at this position is very realistic depending on what he has left in the tank.
– Blake Stachel (@bllakkay)
After his return from retirement and trade to the Dolphins, tight end Darren Waller is seeing an ADP spike!
After trading away 2024’s fantasy football TE4 in Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it left a void at the position. In a surprise move, the Dolphins traded for the then retired Darren Waller.
With plenty of trade buzz surfacing for players such as Cole Kmet, Michael Mayer, Isaiah Likely, and many more it came as a sudden surprise when Waller was acquired from the New York Giants. Since 2020, Darren Waller has seen a significant dive in production. In 2020, Waller was the TE2 in fantasy points per game with 17.4. Prior to retiring after the 2023 season, Waller only recorded 9.4 fantasy points per game.
On Underdog, Waller has surged from being wholly unranked to the late 16th round for a cumulative rise of 25 spots in the last week. There is little harm in adding Waller as a 3rd tight end in best ball builds as he goes late enough in drafts to where there still lies uncertainty for many surrounding him at cost. Drafters should have low expectations for Waller as he should only be a small part of a portfolio for those who draft in bulk.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
Tight end Darren Waller is putting a rap career on hold for one more shot at the NFL by joining the Miami Dolphins.
Tight end Darren Waller retired in 2024 to pursue a rap career. That appears to be put on hold at the moment as he is unretiring to join the Miami Dolphins. This comes right on the heels of the Dolphins trading away last year’s starting tight end Jonnu Smith and star cornerback Jalen Ramsey for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a couple of picks. The move makes sense for the Dolphins as their tight end room was left with unproven players on the roster in Julien Hill, Pharaoh Brown and Tanner Conner. For Waller it seems to be a calculated risk to potentially retire again in Miami to continue his rap career.
Waller is a risky fantasy pick as we do not know how his body has healed after retiring. Waller initially retired due to him no longer wanting to deal with the multiple injuries he suffered in his career. Good news is he returns with his tight end coach he had with the Raiders, in which he had his best stretch in his career. Waller may be a worthy pick in the last rounds of your drafts or a decent wavier wire option.
Author: Jesse Baldwin @J_Baldwin51
