The New York Giants made a huge mistake in 2023 trading for veteran tight end Darren Waller.
Although the move made sense at the time for the G-Men and did not require a significant sacrifice to acquire Waller, he was not productive at all during his time in New York.
He would ultimately retire after one season with the team, where he played just 12 games, requiring the Giants to pay the former Pro Bowler's remaining salary while he chose to focus on a music career.
Well, I guess you could say that music career was short-lived and is not panning out the way Waller had anticipated because he is returning to the NFL and trading in the Giants' blue for the Dolphins' teal and orange.
After Miami traded tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month, the Dolphins traded a 2026 sixth-round pick to the G-Men in exchange for Waller and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
Essentially, the Giants received a sixth-round pick for a 32-year-old player they were still paying, who was not in the league last season.
This is a win for Joe Schoen and Big Blue's front office, which adds draft capital while focusing on their current tight ends on the roster, such as Theo Johnson, Daniel Bellinger, and Thomas Fidone II.
Now that all 32 teams have reported to training camp starting this week, fantasy managers have begun paying attention every day ahead of many leagues' drafts in late August and early September, and surprisingly, some fantasy experts believe Waller is a targetable player.
Darren Waller expected to have sneaky fantasy value with Dolphins
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report recently posted a piece on the five best sleeper tight ends to target as value picks in fantasy football this year. In the article, he had Waller as the fifth-best sleeper tight end, which is...something.
Kay argues that the Dolphins are the perfect situation for Waller, as coach Mike McDaniel has installed a system that favors tight ends. He credits Jonnu's performance last season, where he finished fourth in fantasy points, and Kay believes the 32-year-old could have a similar impact.
Kay adds that Smith's 111 targets were only 12 behind team leader Tyreek Hill, and he believes a healthy and motivated Waller could put up similar numbers to Smith (88 receptions, 884 yards, eight touchdowns), which might not be all that surprising.
While he may not necessarily be wrong, it's hard to believe Waller would be able to put up any stats close to what Smith put up in 2024 for a few different reasons.
Waller has dealt with several injuries throughout his career, and now joins a new team after a year out of the league. It will take time for him to adjust to the game and this new system.
Tua Tagovailoa has also had his fair share of injuries throughout his career. Last year showed us how the Dolphins' offense is affected when Tua is not on the field, and that resulted in down seasons for Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Let's just put it this way: if you're looking to win your fantasy league this year, it may be beneficial to stay away from Waller in your drafts.