Tyrell Williams, Darren Waller Fantasy Outlooks After Antonio Brown Suspension

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Oakland Raiders plan to suspend wideout Antonio Brown after he and general manager Mike Mayock got into a confrontation Wednesday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport followed that news up with a report that the Raiders are planning to be without Brown for their Week 1 opener against the Denver Broncos.

It's unclear whether the absence will be due to a suspension or an inactive designation, but regardless, the Raiders must move on without their top offensive talent.

That in turn creates more opportunities for the rest of the Raiders' pass-catchers, namely No. 2 wideout Tyrell Williams and tight end Darren Waller.

Williams should move into the top spot on the depth chart one season after he racked up 41 catches for 653 yards and five touchdowns as the Los Angeles Chargers' No. 3 wideout. Waller, a breakout candidate, could be due for far more looks Monday with Brown likely sidelined.

The 6'6", 255-pound Waller only had six catches for 75 yards in four games last season, but he joined the team late in the year and had more competition for touches at tight end.

He's now Oakland's No. 1 option at his position, and analysts such as Kipp Heisterman of Rotoballer and Evan Macy of Philly Voice called him a sleeper.

Matthew Berry of ESPN gave a rundown on how Brown's absence impacts Williams and Waller:

While it's unclear what type of target share Brown was due to get, he did amass 168 of them in 2018. It's likely Williams will see a much larger number than the 65 he saw last year even if Brown returns soon.

Williams could also put up numbers similar to his 2016 stats, when he was the Bolts' No. 1 wideout after Keenan Allen was lost for the year to a knee injury in Week 1. He excelled with the increased opportunity, as evidenced by his 69 receptions (on 119 targets), 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns.

It's possible Williams could post something in the neighborhood of those figures if this suspension stretches for multiple games or if the Brown-Raiders union sours to the point of his leaving the team. That would make Williams a great flex option at worst and a strong second wideout selection at best on a weekly basis.

As for Waller, the talented tight end has the physical tools to excel. The question is whether that translates to production, which has been limited since the Baltimore Ravens drafted him in 2015.

However, Waller suffered from substance abuse during the early portion of his career and was suspended for the entire 2017 season. He received treatment and has a second chance in the NFL. The Raiders are giving him every shot to take advantage of that opportunity, and with Brown suspended, Waller could end up being an every-week fantasy starter at tight end—perhaps a top-10 or top-12 option.

We'll see how the saga between the Raiders front office and Brown develops, but as long as the wideout is out, Williams and Waller can be started in daily and season-long fantasy leagues with confidence.