The Oakland Raiders are just days away from taking on the Denver Broncos in Week 1 of the regular season. However, all the talk surrounding the Raiders has nothing to do with their upcoming game. But instead of focusing on one player who may or may not play on Monday night, it’s to breakdown players who could have an impact on this week’s contest.
One player that could be the difference-maker in Week 1 is tight end, Darren Waller. The Broncos have been notoriously bad at defending tight ends, and with speed at wide receiver for Oakland, the middle of the field should be wide open for Waller to operate.
In a recent article by Matt Camp of Bleacher Report, Waller was named a potential “fantasy sleeper” for Week 1 of the regular season. Take a look at why Camp believes Waller could be a breakout performer this week:
(Antonio) Brown’s absence likely gives (Tyrell) Williams the biggest boost. But at a position with a lack of reliable fantasy options, Waller has to get immediate lineup consideration for Week 1 when he faces the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have one of the better defensive units in the league but ranked in the bottom 10 against fantasy tight ends in 2018.
If you get one decent week out of Waller, picking him up will be worth it. He could pay much bigger dividends if Brown’s absence lingers or is permanent.
Given just how good Waller has looked in training camp and through the preseason, it wouldn’t be a shock to anyone if he “broke out” early in the season. Expect the former Georgia Tech receiver to get a lot of looks due to the potential absence of Brown.
