Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Tucker Kraft

Friday, January 2, 12:55 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (groin) will be placed on Injured Reserve on Friday, according to Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN. Waller will miss the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday versus the division-rival New England Patriots. The 33-year-old veteran came out of retirement to play for the Dolphins in 2025 and will finish with 24 catches for 283 yards and six touchdowns in only nine games played. Waller got a late start to the season as he worked his way into playing shape and also missed time with a hamstring injury. He was not the same player he was earlier in his career with the Raiders, but Waller still had plenty of red-zone prowess in his return this year. It remains to be seen if he'll attempt to return in 2026 with Miami or another organization. Greg Dulcich should be the Dolphins' top pass-catching TE in Week 18.

Monday, January 12, 3:07 PM

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) said on Monday that he's targeting a Week 1 return for the start of the 2026 season this fall, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. "By the time Week 1 rolls around, I'll be 10 months post-surgery and hopefully bulletproofed by then. I already feel pretty good. My progress so far has been great. Some would say even ahead of schedule," Kraft said. The 25-year-old tore his ACL in the Week 9 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Before the season-ending injury, Kraft was well on his way to a breakout campaign in his third year in the league, as he caught 32 of his 44 targets for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight starts. In 2024, he had a 50-707-7 line in 17 regular-season games. Kraft's 2026 fantasy value will mainly be tied to whether he's ready for the season opener, and if he is, he should be considered a strong TE1 target.