Fantasy Football: 5 bold predictions for Week 17

Bold Prediction #3: Darren Waller is a baller in his return

If you have been able to make it to the championship game despite waiting on Darren Waller to return from injury, good for you. He’s been someone who has been inconsistent all season, and he’s missed the last four games, and it’s not like he’s been awesome this season. He has some good games in PPR, but in standard scoring leagues, Waller only has one really good game, and it came in Week 1.

None of that matters now. Waller is expected to return this week against the Indianapolis Colts. This is a huge game when it comes to playoff implications. The Colts have been surging as of late, and the Raiders are still somehow in this thing despite the insane season that locker room has faced. The Raiders have two straight wins, and now the Colts will be without Carson Wentz after he was placed on the COVID/reserve list.

This gives the Raiders an opening to win. Waller actually has a pretty good matchup here. The Colts are the third worst defense against the tight end in fantasy. They are the only team in the league to allow 1,000 receiving yards to the tight end position this season. They’ve given up two touchdowns to tight ends over the last two weeks.

Waller is motivated to show he is still one of the best players at his position. The Raiders are motivated to put on a winning performance after squeezing themselves into the playoff race int he AFC. This equals a must-start for Waller if he does indeed return.