It's not officially fantasy football season until Darren Waller is "questionable" on an injury report. Well, I guess it's officially fantasy football season because Waller is a game-time decision for the Giants' Week 1 Sunday Night Football matchup with the Cowboys. Welcome to another exciting year of checking for injury updates before locking in your start 'em, sit 'em decisions!
We'll continue to update this article with news on Waller until the official active/inactive report comes out on Sunday around 6:50 p.m. ET.
WEEK 1 INJURY UPDATES:
Stevenson | WRs | TEs | Hall
Is Darren Waller playing Sunday night Week 1?
UPDATE: Waller is officially ACTIVE.
Late-week downgrades are usually bad signs, so when Waller (hamstring) only managed a limited practice on Friday and was listed as "questionable" on the final injury report, his owners were understandably worried. Fortunately, ESPN's Jordan Raanan said Friday that Waller was "moving well" in practice, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported later in the day that Waller's injury is "not believed to be serious."
WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Ultimately, it sounds like the veteran TE will make his debut with the Giants on Sunday night, and as long as he does, he should be in fantasy lineups. New York lacks a true No. 1 wide receiver, so Waller is expected to be the top option, as he often was with the Raiders. Opportunities are everything in fantasy, and that's especially true at a thin position like tight end. Even at 80 percent, Waller is better than almost any other option.
WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
The big risk here is Waller being a surprise scratch and forcing his owners to scramble for a replacement on Sunday night. Your options will be limited, but Waller's upside outweighs that risk, so he's worth the wait.
WEEK 1 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Who should you pick up in fantasy if Darren Waller is out?
Jake Ferguson, Tyler Conklin, Dawson Knox, and Waller's own replacement, Daniel Bellinger, are all available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, so if you have Waller, you should pick one up before Sunday night. We slightly favor Conklin given his reportedly strong rapport with Aaron Rodgers, but Ferguson has a lot of upside, too. Knox always has solid TD potential, and Bellinger had some good games last year, so you should be covered as long as you plan ahead.