Darren Waller Is SO Back. Sort Of. Maybe.

By Tim Goldberg (@FireUpFantasyTG) July 2nd, 2025

Darren Waller is back. WHAT THE HECK!

Waller will turn 33 years young the day before Miami’s Week 2 game against the New England Patriots. And yes, somehow, this version of Waller is once again fantasy relevant. Maybe.

Let’s rewind.

The Rise: 2019–2020 Dominance

There was once a time, five football years and 55 soft tissue injuries ago, when Darren Waller was THAT DUDE. From 2019 to 2020, he was one of the league’s top pass catchers at the tight end position. And not just “tight end good” he was a legitimate difference-maker.

2019: 90 receptions, 1,145 yards, 3 TDs (5 games over 100 yards)

 2020: 107 receptions, 1,196 yards, 9 TDs (5 games over 100 yards)

Waller wasn’t just producing, he was dominating intermediate routes, especially over the middle of the field. He lined up all over the field, using his speed to roast linebackers and his size to win over defensive backs. He was the exact mismatch nightmare we chase in fantasy every year and for two full seasons, he delivered.

The Fall: Injuries, Inconsistency, Hip-Hop, and a Hospital

Then came the avalanche.

2021: 11 games – 55 catches, 665 yards, 2 TDs 

2022: 8 games – 43 catches, 388 yards, 3 TDs 

2023: 12 games – 52 catches, 552 yards, 1 TD (with the Giants)

Three straight seasons of “meh” production and constant injury setbacks continued to hinder Waller’s output. He later revealed that during his season in New York, he developed a “fading passion for football” and faced plenty of off-field distractions, like his dream of becoming a famous hip-hop artist and a public divorce from WNBA superstar Kelsey Plum.

It seemed like Waller was unsure of where his life was headed. His behavior became so unorthodox that some even speculated about early-onset CTE. Realistically, though, Waller was just lost within it all.

On top of everything, he suffered a serious health scare before the 2024 season. He was hospitalized for four days, fighting for his life. Waller described the episode as “feeling like the power plug being pulled out.” Before calling 911, he had a moment where he thought he might “be dying on this couch and nobody knows.”

So, between the injuries, the fading passion, the public divorce, a near-death experience, and a dream to become the next Jay-Z, yeah, all of that led to Waller officially retiring in 2024.

The Plot Twist: Waller Returns

In true Jay-Z-esque fashion, Waller has un-retired and is making his unexpected return to the gridiron. He landed in a very favorable spot, stepping right into the starting tight end role for the Miami Dolphins, replacing Jonnu Smith who was traded to Pittsburgh after putting up 88/884/8 last year. (That’s a lot of 8’s.)

And you know what? This move kinda makes sense.

Miami’s offense thrives on speed and space. Tyreek Hill often lines up in the slot or in bunch formations, cooking DBs on deep crossers, go routes, and timing shots. Jaylen Waddle runs a healthy mix of digs, outs, and deep crosses, while also handling slants and bubble screens underneath.

That leaves a perfect hole in the middle of the field, Waller’s old stomping grounds. If he can still work that intermediate area like he used to, there’s a legitimate role for him in this offense.

And here’s the kicker: Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith has a fantastic relationship with Darren Waller. From 2018 to 2020, Smith was the Raiders’ tight ends coach and played a major role in Waller’s breakout, helping him produce those back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons during that stretch.

Waller even said in March, “The only two people I will listen to, I will say, is Jon Gruden and Frank Smith. The only two people I will hear out and give my ear about a return.”

Looks like Smith made a convincing pitch. Waller is lacing them back up, and it’s no coincidence that it’s under the coach who helped unlock his prime. Their bond goes deeper than football, Smith was instrumental not only in Waller’s development on the field but also in supporting his sobriety off it. That kind of trust and familiarity can’t be faked.

It’s not hard to see why this comeback makes sense: Waller gets to play in a system that fits him, for a coach who knows how to bring out his best, surrounded by speed demons in a city with beaches, sunshine, and nightlife. This isn’t just a comeback, it’s a reunion with the guy who helped make Waller, Waller.

Fantasy Outlook:

Waller’s current ADP on DraftKings is 197.6, gong between Rounds 16–18 in best ball drafts, right next to Cade Otton, Chig Okonkwo, and Dalton Schultz.

Here’s the reality:

·         Yes, Tyreek played hurt last year.

·         Yes, Waddle missed time.

·         Yes, Tua’s absence completely tanked Miami’s offense.

·         And yes, the Dolphins are desperate to avoid another injury-riddled collapse in what feels like a make-or-break year for both Mike McDaniel and Tyreek Hill.

If Waller stays healthy (I know, huge “if”) and recreates even half of what he did in 2019–2020, he could be a massive steal at his current ADP.

Best Ball Theory: A Sneaky Week 17 Stack?

Immediately, Waller is shaping up to be a sneaky late-round back-stack with Tua in best ball formats. You probably shouldn’t be reaching for him, but if you’re getting creative building out Tua/Waller/Achane stacks, with rookie WR Emeka Egbuka as the Week 17 Buccaneers bring-back, you might just have the nuts in a DraftKings Milly or Underdog BBMVI-winning lineup.

Call it crazy, call it impossible. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when Waller drops 6/80/2 Championship Week while “Best Ball Twitter” turns into a nuclear warzone of poor excuses and bruised ego threads.

Final Verdict: Mix, Don’t Hammer

Will I be hammering Darren Waller in drafts? Nope.

Will I be mixing him in when it makes sense? Absolutely.

Until we get news that Waller has re-retired and signed with Roc-A-Fella Records, he remains a viable option under the right circumstances. Just pray his early-onset CTE doesn’t ruin your plans (or your stack).

Draft with caution. Hope for upside. And maybe, just maybe, Darren Waller has a little bit of that dog left in him.