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    NFL Week 2: Oakland Raiders aiming to extensively involve Darren Waller in offense

    The Raiders picked up a victory in Week 1 and Darren Waller popped off the screen.
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    The Oakland Raiders were under the microscope for the entirety of the off-season, with the team chronicled on HBO's Hard Knocks and all kinds of drama surrounding the eventual exit of Antonio Brown. With that as the backdrop, not much was expected for the Raiders as an underdog in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos but, after 60 minutes of football, Oakland kicked off the campaign with a win and tight end Darren Waller was a big part of the resurgence. 

    Waller, who caught seven passes for 70 yards in the opener, took a massive step forward in the offense and was seen by many as a fantasy football sleeper. To that end, he showed more than many expected against the Broncos and head coach Jon Gruden backed that up with a vote of confidence after the game concluded. 

    "We're going to get the ball to Waller," Gruden told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Waller's special. If you've gone to training camp, you've seen that every day.

    "He's a good blocker. We think we can run the ball with him as a conventional tight end. He played a little H-back for us and he's also been able to flex out as a wideout, which is in his background at Georgia Tech."

    Waller was on the field for all 55 offensive snaps against Denver and, as Gruden notes, he is an effective blocker. The former Georgia Tech standout had not started a game since 2016 with the Ravens but, after a topsy-turvy period, Waller now projects to be a key cog for an offense that isn't overflowing with weapons without Brown. 

    In fact, Waller and Tyrell Williams appear to be the clear top two in terms of options for Derek Carr to utilize. Waller had only 18 career catches before Monday night but, if Gruden is to be taken at face value with these comments, there are big plans in store for the talented tight end as the Raiders play host to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.

    So which teams should you back in Week 2 of the 2019 NFL season? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? ... Join SportsLine here to see which teams are winning more than 50 percent of simulations, all from the model that has returned over $7,000 on its top-rated picks! 

    Brad Rowland

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