Darren Waller or Darnell Washington: who should I start?

What the sportsbooks price

The player markets price Darren Waller at 5.6 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 14 books. That is the 163rd highest figure of the 183 players the books price.

The player markets price Darnell Washington at 3.9 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 15 books. That is the 171st highest figure of the 183 players the books price.

Where the draft room stands

Drafters have formed no consensus on Darren Waller: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 144th overall on the rest of his evidence.

Drafters have formed no consensus on Darnell Washington: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 156th overall on the rest of his evidence.

This season through Week 1

Through Week 1, Darren Waller has been on the field for 35 percent of CAR snaps, drawn 6 percent of the targets and had 0 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 0 of the offence's 5 third down targets, had 0 of its 3 chances inside the five and seen 1 of its 3 two minute targets.

His 2 targets have averaged 4.0 air yards.

In Week 1 against CHI he caught 2 of 2 targets for 28 yards and did not score.

Through Week 1, Darnell Washington has been on the field for 64 percent of PIT snaps, drawn 5 percent of the targets and had 0 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 1 of the offence's 10 third down targets and seen 0 of its 4 two minute targets.

His 2 targets have averaged 3.0 air yards.

In Week 1 against ATL he caught 2 of 2 targets for 18 yards and did not score.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 Darren Waller played 9 games and scored 88.7 PPR points, 9.9 a game, finishing TE33.

He caught 24 of 34 targets for 283 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 7 red zone targets.

That came to 3.8 targets a game, a 71 percent catch rate and 11.8 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 45 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

In 2025 Darnell Washington played 16 games and scored 73.4 PPR points, 4.6 a game, finishing TE39.

He caught 31 of 43 targets for 364 yards and 1 touchdown, with 8 red zone targets.

That came to 2.7 targets a game, a 72 percent catch rate and 11.7 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 57 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

Darnell Washington was available for 7 games more.

Head to head

In 2025 Darren Waller scored 9.9 PPR points a game and Darnell Washington 4.6, 5.3 a game between them.

Darren Waller finished TE33 that year and Darnell Washington TE39.

Darnell Washington had 9 more targets than Darren Waller, 43 to 34.

Darnell Washington had 81 more receiving yards than Darren Waller, 364 to 283.

This season Darnell Washington holds the bigger snap share, 64 percent against 35 percent.

This season Darren Waller holds the bigger target share, 6 percent against 5 percent.

Byes and availability

Darren Waller is off in Week 5 and Darnell Washington in Week 9, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

1.7 points a game is the entire case. The books restate it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when the consensus sample holds these two again it can order them differently from the price, and this page will follow the sample rather than the books when it does.