Darren Waller

Waller took the long path to NFL stardom, with his breakout performance occurring four days before he turned 27 in Week 1 last year. He doubled his career receiving yardage by Week 3, eventually finishing the season top 3 among tight ends in catches and yards. Waller also tied for second among tight ends in YPT (9.8), while he was sixth in YAC average (6.6) and second in broken tackles (eight). Four years earlier, the sixth-round pick had entered the NFL as an oversized wide receiver before transitioning to tight end in his second season with the Ravens, but he never had much of a chance to develop at the position while serving suspensions for substance abuse violations. Waller has been open about his struggle, pointing to a sober, healthy lifestyle as the spark that eventually led to on-field success. Clearly impressed, the Raiders signed him to a four-year, $29.8 million extension in October, though they also went shopping for depth in the offseason with Jason Witten coming in on a one-year contract. While there's no doubt Waller will be the team's top receiving threat at tight end, he could see his snaps scaled back from last year's 90.3 percent share, with any decrease potentially impacting his target volume. There is also some incoming target competition from other positions, after the Raiders selected Henry Ruggs, Lynn Bowden and Bryan Edwards within the first three rounds of the 2020 draft. The good news is that Waller has shown enough talent and polish to survive as a fantasy asset even if his volume dips.

There are big shoes to fill at tight end in Oakland following the departure of Jared Cook in free agency as the 2018 Pro Bowler racked up a combined 122 catches for 1,584 yards and eight touchdowns on 187 targets over his two seasons with the Raiders. Waller, an athletic former-receiver type, has been picking up steam as the likely replacement for Cook with plenty of upside and sleeper value given the potential volume available and lack of overall competition at tight end. The Georgia Tech product has a history of reliability concerns and off-the-field issues, but Waller provided a brief spark throughout the Raiders' final four contests last season when he caught all six of his targets for 75 yards, including a 44-yard pickup against the Bengals in Week 15.

Waller's athletic upside coupled with Baltimore's attrition at the tight end position made him a trendy deep sleeper early in the summer; however, a year-long suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy throws cold water on his fantasy relevance until 2018.

Waller shifted from wide receiver to tight end during the offseason, which makes sense given his 6-foot-6, 245 pound frame. As a rookie in 2015, he saw action in just six games and only hauled in two catches. Suspended the first four games of 2016 and in his first year at tight end, it seems unlikely he has much fantasy value, though some improvement from last year should be expected.

At 6-6, 238 pounds, Waller recorded a 4.46 40-yard dash and 37.5-inch vertical leap at the NFL Combine. He still lasted until the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, after catching just 51 passes during his three years at Georgia Tech. He may have to compete for a roster spot, but the Ravens will likely look for a way to keep him around, even if he isn't expected to contribute in 2015.