Tight End Busts for 2020

Darren Waller – Las Vegas Raiders

Darren Waller was the TE gem in 2019, catching 90 passes for 1145 yards and 3 touchdowns.  All of this came out of nowhere, especially since Waller had been in the NFL for 3 years prior to this explosion.  In his first three years, Waller caught 18 total passes.  

So what changed from 2018 to 2019?  Could it be a fluke?  It’s hard to tell, and that’s one of the biggest reasons fantasy owners shouldn’t rush to draft Waller this season.  Also add to that that the Raiders added a lot of receiving talent to their team this offseason, including top rookie receiver Henry Ruggs III and veteran TE Jason Witten.  The Raiders also added WR Zay Jones and Nelson Agholor, both of who showed promise over the years but never lived up to the hype. WR Hunter Renfrow also had a mini breakout last season, and QB Derek Carr could rely more heavily on him this season.

The addition of 4 receiving pieces, as well as a healthy Tyrell Williams and further breakout of Renfrow could ruin Waller’s success.  Waller is the 5th TE off the board and going at the beginning of the 6th round, but he could easily fall out of the top 10 TEs if Carr decides to spread the ball around.