83 Darren Waller TE

Waller (foot) does not carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Packers after practicing fully Friday, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Waller was added to the Raiders' Week 7 injury report after being limited at practice Thursday, but he'll be a go Sunday, which is good news for the team's passing attack, given that top wideout Tyrell Williams (foot) will remained sidelined this weekend. Five games into his 2019 season, Waller has racked up 37 catches (on 42 targets) for 359 yards, numbers that make him a startable fantasy tight end and also recently earned him a multi-year contract extension with the Raiders, worth about $9 million per season, according to Gutierrez.

Waller (foot) was limited at practice Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The tight end -- who recently signed a multi-year contract extension with the Raiders -- practiced fully Wednesday, so his limitations Thursday are worth noting. We'll revisit his status no later than Friday, but so far there's been nothing to suggest that Waller's status for Sunday's game against the Packers is in peril.

Waller and the Raiders agreed on an extension that is expected to keep him under contract through the 2023 season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Per Pelissero, the deal is expected to be worth around $9 million per season after his would-be restricted free agent year following the 2019 season. Waller has made a remarkable journey back from a battle with addiction and was originally signed off the Ravens' practice squad last November by the Raiders. The 27-year-old has established himself as a go-to guy for the Silver and Black this season, catching 37 of 42 targets for 359 yards through five games. More specifics surrounding the deal will likely become available in the coming days, but the Raiders were able to lock up their breakout tight end for the next three seasons.

Waller caught four of five targets for 39 yards during Sunday's 24-21 in over Chicago.

Waller figured to be the Raiders' top target with Tyrell Williams (foot) and J.J. Nelson (knee) on the shelf. Evidently, Chicago thought the same thing, as Waller was bottled up while his backup, Foster Moreau, led the team in receiving. After the Raiders' bye week, Waller has a difficult matchup Week 7 against the Packers. If Williams and Nelson are unavailable, Green Bay likely will have all eyes on Waller.

Waller is a candidate for extra targets in Sunday's Week 5 tilt against the Bears in London with wideouts Tyrell Williams (foot), J.J. Nelson (knee) and Dwayne Harris (ankle) all declared inactive for the contest.

The breakout tight end has seen no fewer than seven targets in any contest, and given the multiple absences and the relative inexperience of the receivers set to step up, Waller could be closer to the season-high 14 looks he saw Week 3 against the Vikings. The one damper on the possible increased opportunity naturally is a Bears defense that's allowed an average of just 50 receiving yards per game to tight ends this season.

Waller caught seven of eight passes for 53 yards during Sunday's 31-24 win over Indianapolis.

Waller was held to a season-low 53 yards Sunday as the Colts did well with their zone-heavy scheme of keeping the athletic tight end in front of them. That didn't stop him from snagging at least a half-dozen passes for the fourth consecutive game. Waller leads Oakland in catches, targets, and yards, but it's fair to wonder where the touchdowns are for a big-bodied target averaging over eight catches per game. Pay dirt has to be coming eventually, but the Bears will be a tough team to do it against in Week 5.

Waller could be in line for another significant target share in a Week 4 tilt against the Colts with wideouts J.J. Nelson (coach's decision) and Dwayne Harris (ankle) declared inactive for the contest.

It would be difficult for Waller to top the 14 targets he saw Week 3 against the Vikings, but the pair of absences in the wideout corps at least up the chances he reaches double-digit looks once again. Waller has arguably functioned as a 1-A receiver in the Raiders offense through the first three games anyhow, having brought in an impressive 26 of 29 targets for 267 yards. He'll also be drawing a favorable matchup Sunday, considering the Colts have allowed an 18-181-2 line to tight ends over their first three games.

Waller corralled 13 of his 14 targets, amassing 134 receiving yards during Sunday's 34-14 loss to Minnesota. He also registered one carry, logging a seven-yard gain on the play.

Waller looks like he may just be your prototypical "league winner," emerging from a late-round average draft position to become an elite fantasy producer over the course of the season. The 255-pound tight end has been targeted at least seven times in three straight games to start off the season, while providing an absurdly efficient catch rate of 89.7 percent. He also has offered a high floor with no fewer than 63 receiving yards in any game thus far in 2019. Look for Waller to keep things rolling in Week 4, facing a Colts defense that allowed Falcons tight end Austin Hooper to erupt for 66 yards and two touchdowns Sunday.

Waller caught six of seven targets for a team-high 63 yards in Sunday's 28-10 loss to the Chiefs.

The tight end was productive once again, although the Raiders' passing game as a whole took a step backwards from Week 1. Waller already has new career highs in catches (13) and receiving yards (133) on the season, and he appears to be Derek Carr's No. 2 option behind Tyrell Williams -- a role that should make him a valuable fantasy asset the rest of the way.

Waller caught seven of eight targets, accounting for 70 receiving yards during Monday night's 24-16 win against the Broncos.

After leading the team in targets in the season opener, Waller is the no-longer-secret secret weapon for an Oakland offense aiming to improve upon an 18th-place finish in passing yards per game. The 6-foot-6 Waller possesses elite athleticism for his position, with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash time and 4.25-second shuttle time recorded at his 2015 NFL Combine appearance. Existing within a Raiders offense that suddenly has targets up for grabs after the release of Antonio Brown on Saturday, Waller has a chance to enjoy a lucrative 2019 campaign at a tight end position that offers relatively few matchup-winning options across the league.

Waller could be a candidate to receive more targets after the Raiders released Antonio Brown on Saturday.

Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow and even J.J. Nelson are the more obvious names who stand to benefit from Brown's release, but Waller's already fast-rising fantasy value could skyrocket up further with Saturday's not-so-shocking announcement. The tight end was already turning heads throughout training camp, and benefited nationally from extra coverage throughout HBO's Hard Knocks, but a lack of obvious pass catchers in Oakland almost solidifies Waller's value as a low-floor, high-ceiling option. He'll face a difficult matchup Week 1 against the Broncos, but it's not hard to envision a scenario where Waller puts together numbers similar to Jared Cook, who was the Raiders' primary pass catcher in 2018 to the tune of 68 receptions, 896 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Waller (shoulder) got the start and caught one of two targets for seven yards in Thursday's preseason win over the Cardinals.

Oakland's first snap featured two tight ends and a fullback, with Waller, Foster Moreau and Alec Ingold joining halfback Josh Jacobs and wideout Tyrell Williams. Starting quarterback Derek Carr only threw two passes -- one to Williams and one to fellow wideout Ryan Grant. Despite the modest performance, Waller still appears on track for the top pass-catching role at tight end, if for no other reason than a lack of competition. He's listed in the top spot on Oakland's preseason depth chart, followed by Moreau, Derek Carrier and Luke Willson, in that order.

Waller was as "active [in Tuesday's practice] as he has been since suffering his shoulder sprain" earlier this month, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The status of top wideout Antonio Brown has been capturing headlines out of Oakland's training camp of late, but Waller is nonetheless a player to monitor. The 26-year-old logged just six catches for 75 yards in four games for the Raiders last season, but with Jared Cook no longer in the mix, there's a clear opportunity for the athletic Waller -- who tops the team's depth chart at tight end -- to see an uptick in targets in 2019. It's a scenario that has landed the 6-foot-6 Waller firmly in the fantasy sleeper discussion.

Waller (shoulder) took part in individual drills Tuesday, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

The report adds that the Raiders plan to hold Waller out of intrasquad practices with Rams. On the plus side, however, Eddie Paskal of the team's official site notes that Waller -- who is listed as the Raiders' top tight end on their posted depth chart -- has been "one of the team's most reliable playmakers" in training camp. The 26-year-old was limited to six catches in four games with Oakland last season, but with Jared Cook no longer in the mix, there's an opportunity for the athletic Waller to carve out out a key role in the team's passing offense in 2019.

Waller (shoulder) was able to suit up for Sunday's practice, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Waller evidently suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder during Saturday's practice, but as evidenced by this news he wasn't sidelined him for very long. The 26-year-old has been getting regular first-team work as the primary receiving tight end in the Oakland offense this offseason, and now that he's back healthy he should continue to do so.

Waller left Saturday's practice with a shoulder injury, Michael Gelhken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Waller evidently suffered an AC joint sprain, but it's not expected to keep the converted wide receiver off the field for very long. The 26-year-old has made a positive impression on the coaching staff during the early portions of training camp, acting as the starting tight end ahead of Luke Willson and Derek Carrier.

Waller is getting regular first-team work as the primary receiving tight end in the Oakland offense, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock both talked up Waller earlier this spring, noting that the 26-year-old would have a big opportunity after Jared Cook left for New Orleans. A converted college wideout, Waller ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, but he caught just 12 passes in 18 games for the Ravens after they selected him in the sixth round. He then latched on with Oakland last season and had six receptions for 75 yards over the final three weeks. The competition at tight end appears soft, consisting of Luke Willson (concussion), Erik Swoope and rookie fourth-round pick Foster Moreau. There's a real chance for Waller to carve out a handful of targets per game.

General manager Mike Mayock hopes Waller can become the Raiders' top receiving threat at tight end, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

There was buzz about the Raiders using an early draft pick on a tight end, but they instead waited until the fourth round to select Foster Moreau, who caught 52 passes in 49 games at LSU. The rookie figures to compete with Lee Smith and Derek Carrier (concussion) for inline blocking snaps, while Waller and Luke Willson (concussion) will battle for the pass-catching role. None of the bunch is likely to come anywhere near Jared Cook's 2018 production, but there's at least a hint of upside with Waller, a converted college wideout who ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the 2015 combine. He flashed his potential at the end of last season with six catches for 75 yards on six targets over the final three weeks in December.

Coach Jon Gruden said Waller has the "chance of a lifetime" with Jared Cook leaving for New Orleans, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Waller won't enter training camp atop the Oakland depth chart, but the guys he's behind -- Lee Smith and Derek Carrier (concussion) -- are noted for blocking far more than pass catching. Waller, on the other hand, is a converted college wide receiver who ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the 2015 combine before Baltimore selected him in the sixth round. He only has 18 receptions in 22 NFL appearances, but raw athleticism and special teams experience should at least get his foot in the door. Of course, it's a good bet the Raiders add to their tight end room during the upcoming draft, potentially as soon as the first round.

Waller hauled in all three of his targets for 23 yards during Sunday's 35-3 loss to the Chiefs.

Waller logged a season-high 15 offensive snaps during the Raiders' season finale behind starter Jared Cook, as the former totaled 75 yards on six catches in four contests with the silver and black in 2018. Waller would be inexpensive to keep on the roster in 2019, though he'll likely need to earn his spot with the Raiders expected to make an effort to re-sign Cook.