Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or DeVonta Smith

Friday, September 5, 5:07 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (hip) was unable to practice all week and was officially ruled out for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, per Travis Wingfield of MiamiDolphins.com. Waller retired and did not play football in 2024 but came out of retirement to play for the Dolphins this season. Miami took it easy on him this summer in training camp as he worked his way back into football shape before suffering a setback with his hip before Thursday's practice. The 32-year-old veteran will now miss the season opener and could also be in danger of sitting out in Week 2 against the division-rival New England Patiots. At best, Waller is a bench stash as a TE2 in deeper leagues while he tries to get into shape and overcome a hip ailment. Fantasy managers should ignore Julian Hill and Tanner Conner, who will split TE duties with Waller sidelined.

Tuesday, September 2, 5:01 PM

Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (groin) was not listed on Philadelphia's Tuesday injury report and will likely be set to play Week 1. Smith is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he accumulated 68 catches for 833 yards and eight touchdowns in just 13 games, once again cementing himself as one of the top number-two receivers in the league. Philly opens the season against the Cowboys, a familiar matchup for Smith as he enters his fifth season in the NFC East. He was boom-or-bust against Dallas last year, tallying just 14 yards in his first face-off then following that up with 120 yards and two touchdowns in their second meeting. With an offense as explosive as Philly's, Smith is always in the running for a good amount of looks going his way. He's a high-end WR2 going into Thursday.