Darren Waller has been getting the first team reps at practice and hit 20.8 mph on a route on Monday. The Panthers recently signed the 34 year old Waller after his 1.75 Yards Per Route Run (YPRR) ranked No. 8 in 2025. Waller’s athleticism is showcased by a 127.3 (90th percentile) Burst Score and 10.38 (97th percentile) Catch Radius, and he will serve as the No. 3 pass-catching option behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker for quarterback Bryce Young.
Monitor Carolina’s tight end usage in Week 1 before plugging Waller into fantasy lineups. Waller has been an ADP value for redraft leagues, especially TE-premium scoring formats. The Panthers offense will determine whether Waller is a fantasy staple or merely a match-up driven streaming fantasy football option. ~Jason Diaz
Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller is not expected ...
The Carolina Panthers are easing veteran tight end Darren ...
Former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and the Carolina ...
After coming off retirement to register 283 receiving yards and six touchdowns across nine games in Miami, Darren Waller brings a 131.6 Athleticism Score (100th percentile) and a 4.46 40-Yard Dash (100th percentile) to Carolina. Though he is much dustier now, Waller steps into a tight end room featuring Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, and Ja’Tavion Sanders, and will immediately start commanding high-leverage red zone usage.
While age and injury history limit his full-season ceiling, his path to high-value targets renders him a viable late-round option in redraft formats. However, Waller’s true utility will be realized in best ball and tight end premium fantasy football formats.
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 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 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)
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)
