Sit Darren Waller in Week 10 if you have a real alternative — 4.3 projected points lands 2.7 under the TE starter line.
- Projection
- 4.3 pts
- TE rank
- #17
- Matchup
- at NO
Darren Waller's fantasy role in Week 10
Darren Waller goes into Week 10 of the 2026 season as a deep-league TE flyer for the CAR. He is rostered in 19% of leagues and actually started in 9% of them, and we rank him TE17 on our own weekly board at 4.3 projected points.
Interest is climbing — roster rates moved up about 11% over the last week, which usually means managers are reacting to a bigger snap or target share.
No injury designation to work around right now, which keeps his projection honest.
Week 10 matchup breakdown
The matchup: at NO. Our Pepper Meter heat rating for this spot is 1 out of 5, which is how we grade the combination of role, projection and opponent difficulty.
Against a typical starting TE baseline of 7 points, his 4.3-point projection is 2.7 points short. That gap is the whole start/sit argument in one number.
How to play it
Sit Darren Waller in Week 10 if you have a real alternative — 4.3 projected points lands 2.7 under the TE starter line.
If you are deciding between him and another TE, compare projections first, then lean on the Pepper Meter heat rating as the tiebreaker.
Sally's take
Peppers & Picks ranks Darren Waller (CAR TE), our TE17 this week for Week 10 of the 2026 NFL season at NO, projecting 4.3 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. Sally wants fireworks, and 2.7 points below a typical starter isn't fireworks. 4.3 points is roughly 39% short of the TE baseline, and I rank on output, not name recognition. Facing NO away from home, the script reads neutral to friendly, not scary. Mild on the Pepper Meter is generous, honestly.
Tina's take
Peppers & Picks ranks Darren Waller (CAR TE), our TE17 this week for Week 10 of the 2026 NFL season at NO, projecting 4.3 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. Tina would rather take the cheaper, steadier option than 2.7 points of shortfall. Managers added him at a 11% clip this week — that kind of movement usually follows real snaps, not vibes. 9% of managers already start him, and the depth-chart role behind that number looks stable. 4.3 points is roughly 39% short of the TE baseline, and I honestly rank on output, not name recognition. The Pepper Meter cools him to Mild, and that reading is doing its job.