Is Darren Waller playing Thursday night? Fantasy injury update for Raiders-Rams Week 14 Thursday Night Football

Matt Lutovsky

Is Darren Waller playing Thursday night? Fantasy injury update for Raiders-Rams Week 14 Thursday Night Football image

Heading into the season, Darren Waller was part of the "Big Five" at tight end, but as we enter Week 14, many fantasy football owners have seemingly forgotten that he even exists. The former Pro Bowler has missed the Raiders' past seven games because of a hamstring injury, and even though he's eligible to come off the IR and return for Thursday night's showdown against the Rams, there hasn't been much clamoring for updates on his availability. That would change in a hurry if Waller returns to practice, though, and given the sad state of the TE position, he would immediately be involved in a lot of 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 Thursday around 6:50 p.m. ET.

MORE TNF: Jacobs update

Is Darren Waller playing Thursday night Week 14? 

UPDATE: ESPN's Paul Gutierrez reported on Tuesday that Waller is "on track" to come off the IR in Week 15, so fantasy owners can forget about him for Thursday's game against the Rams.

Waller hasn't played since Week 5 because of a nagging hamstring injury, and since being placed on the IR ahead of Week 10, there have been hardly any updates on his status. We did get a little something from Raiders' coach Josh McDaniels last week when he said that he wasn't sure if Waller would play in Week 14 against the Rams. However, he did add that Vegas' star TE is "close" to getting back on the field.

The real question is whether fantasy owners should play Waller if he is active. In his four full games this year, her averaged just four catches, six targets, and 43.8 yards per contest. He scored once and twice posted fewer than 30 receiving yards. Even if you chalk some of that up to an "adjustment period" playing with WR Davante Adams, it's unlikely that Waller will be any more comfortable after missing the past seven games. Given his injury and the risk of aggravation, it's probably wise to leave him on your benches during his first game back.

WEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

That said, there are reasons for taking the risk if Waller returns this week. Tight end has been decimated by injuries, and in a week with six teams on bye, there are fewer streamer options. The Raiders likely wouldn't risk it with Waller unless they thought he could play around 50 percent of snaps, and we know he's always a threat to score when he's on the field. Perhaps most encouraging is the matchup, as L.A. has yielded TE touchdowns in five of the past six games. The only time a TE didn't score in that span is when Zach Ertz hurt his knee in the first quarter against the Rams in Week 10. Clearly, this defense has holes, and Waller could exploit them if he gets the chance. 

WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

It seems likely that Waller will miss at least one more game as he gets back up to speed after his lengthy layoff. If that's the case, Foster Moreau would once again start in Week 14 and garner deep-league streamer consideration in the slightly favorable matchup. However, this situation has been unpredictable all season, so continue to monitor the news wire for any signs of Waller's availability.

Matt Lutovsky

Matt Lutovsky Photo

Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.