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Going into the season, there were some who felt that Oakland Raiders tight end Darren Waller was a breakout candidate.
The talent was always there; it was just a matter of whether or not Waller, who had been tagged with drug-related suspensions in the past, was going to be able to stay on the field.
Well, if you are a Fantasy Football owner and you took Waller in your league, you picked up a steal, because the 27-year-old has logged 59 catches for 707 yards and three touchdowns through 11 games this season.
But, of course, the Raiders could not care less about Fantasy Football.
At 6-5 and with a monstrous game on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs looming, Oakland desperately needs a win, and in order for that to happen, Waller is probably going to need to step up.
How much more can he step up, you ask?
The thing is, Waller hasn't been great since the midway point. Most of his production came over the first six games of the season, where he tallied 44 of his receptions (including a 13-catch day back in Week 3).
Since then, however, Waller has been pretty ordinary, as he has posted a grand total of 15 grabs across his last five contests.
You don't need to be a mathematician to see that that is a drastic dip in production. It is certainly not all his fault, as the Raiders have been focusing heavily on the run game with dynamic rookie halfback Josh Jacobs, but with Hunter Renfrow now sidelined and Oakland going into a game where it must put up points, Waller's impact will be key.
For that reason, the Raiders really need the type of performance from Waller that he was regularly putting forth earlier in the year. Maybe not 13 catches, but a six or seven-catch day where he consistently moves the chain and reaches the end zone once or twice would be huge.
Let's face it: in general, Oakland is outgunned against Kansas City, especially if Tyreek Hill plays on Sunday (and it looks like he will). The Chiefs have the advantage at everywhere other than running back, meaning the Raiders will need a special outing from someone, especially at Arrowhead Stadium where it is incredibly difficult to win.
That someone probably needs to be Waller, as Oakland is very thin in terms of its weapons at the moment.
Right now, Tyrell Williams is the only other pass-catcher that Derek Carr can rely on. Renfrow was really forging a prominent role within the offense over the last several weeks, but his rib injury has thrown a wrench into things.
Who else can Carr throw to? Zay Jones has been a non-factor since arriving. Trevor Davis and Keelan Doss have combined for 18 catches.
Waller is going to have to be the guy to elevate his game and be more the tight end we saw during the first half of the season rather than the one we have seen since Week 8, when he hasn't made much of a dent in opposing defenses.
