Darren Waller Injury Update Could Boost Bryan Edwards' Fantasy Outlook

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller missed practice on Friday, marking his third straight absence for an undisclosed reason. It's far too early to hit the panic button on Waller, and fantasy managers should sit tight until there's more information available. In all likelihood, the superstar tight end will be completely fine by the time the season rolls around.

But Waller's absence creates more opportunities for the Raiders' young receivers to build chemistry with quarterback Derek Carr. And no one has been doing that better than second-year wideout Bryan Edwards.

Bryan Edwards Fantasy Outlook

Edwards has reportedly been an absolute monster in training camp thus far. Head coach Jon Gruden even went so far as to compare him to NFL legend Terrell Owens. That's remarkably high praise for a guy who currently carries an Average Draft Position (ADP) of WR91, per FantasyPros.

With Waller on the sidelines, Edwards is likely the best possession receiver on the team. That should lead to a ton of increased reps and opportunities for Edwards over the next few days of camp. And if he carries the success he's had thus far into the season, look out.

Edwards has a breakout age of 17.8, putting him in the 100th percentile among wideouts. Finding success that young at the collegiate level is typically one of the best predictors of success in the NFL. That's a great sign for Edwards' future moving forward, even if his 2020 rookie campaign was a disappointment.

There's also plenty of opportunity available behind a healthy Waller in this offense. Fellow second-year wideout Henry Ruggs didn't flash the way many hoped he would last year, and Nelson Agholor became the team's de-facto No. 1 WR.

With Agholor now a member of the New England Patriots, it seems likely that either Ruggs or Edwards will become the team's No. 1 WR (and No. 2 option in the passing game). And right now, it looks like Edwards might have the advantage.

With Carr coming off a season that saw him finish with the 11th-most passing yards in the league, that role could be extremely valuable in fantasy. Edwards' ADP is likely to skyrocket in the coming days, but he seems like one of the best late-round values in fantasy right now.

SIGN UP AND GET AN INSTANT DEPOSIT BONUS UP TO 500! We'll match 20% of your first deposit on FanDuel Fantasy Sports. Max bonus $500

Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.