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- Week 7 Waiver Targets
By: Tony Kneepkens (@tonytk44)
These are the top players to consider adding from waivers this week. Unless otherwise noted, all players below are available in greater than 50% of Yahoo leagues (as of Sunday evening). Priorities and FAAB recommendations are meant to differentiate between some of the options available and are assuming 12-team, single-QB, fantasy formats.
This week’s waiver wire offers another high-priority RB option for managers to consider as well as some pass catchers who seem poised to take on larger roles filling in for injured teammates. I’ve tried to spell out players who I see as longer term holds, short-term spot starters, etc.
Week 7 teams on bye: Bills, Ravens
QB Pickups
Jaxson Dart, NYG, Week 7 at DEN
Dart passed for 198-1 and added a 58-1 rushing line in last week’s win over the Eagles. He’s shown a fantasy-friendly skill set so far, rushing for 50+ yards and accounting for multiple TDs in each of his three career starts.
Low-to-medium priority add. Dart’s rushing ability from the QB position appears to be his fantasy calling card and should provide a decent weekly floor. I don’t like his matchup in Denver this week, but that’s how I felt last week against the Eagles, to be fair. The Giants have a rematch in Philly on tap for Week 8.
5% or less of FAAB.
J.J. McCarthy, MIN, Week 7 vs PHI
McCarthy is expected to practice this week and could be close to returning from his ankle injury suffered in Week 2. J.J. will soon be taking (back) over an offense that’s run by a great playcaller and affords him some of the league’s top playmakers to distribute the ball to.
Low-priority add. There weren’t any widely available streaming options that jumped out at me this week. I like JJM as a bench stash for a manager who has a good option for this week but may need to cover a bye or play matchups at QB later in the fantasy season.
3% or less of FAAB.
RB Pickups
Kimani Vidal, LAC, Week 7 vs IND
Vidal, a second-year RB, had a career day in Week 6 with 138 scrimmage yards and a TD catch. Vidal and Hassan Haskins were the next options in the LAC backfield with Omarion Hampton placed on short-term IR, but it was Vidal who handled 75% of the RB carries and 80% of the RB targets last week.
High-priority add. Vidal had a great game and a strong role for playing for an offense with a high-level QB. He should have a shot at a few more weeks of strong usage with Hampton set to miss at least three more games. Adding a usable RB on a decent offense right in the heart of bye weeks is a very impactful use of waiver priority or FAAB.
40 - 60% of FAAB.
Tyjae Spears, TEN, Week 7 vs NE
Spears played his second game of the season last week after an early-season ankle injury. He had nine touches for 50 scrimmage yards in the loss to the Raiders, compared to his teammate Tony Pollard’s dozen touches for 47 scrimmage yards. Tennessee fired head coach Brian Callahan on Monday.
Medium-priority add. Spears is at worst a primary backup RB on a bad offense who has shown he can play a versatile role. At best, he has a chance to take the majority of touches from Pollard and the offense starts to put some drives together as the season progresses. I like stashing Spears to see how this all shakes out with the interim coach in place.
10 - 20% of FAAB.
Bam Knight, AZ, Week 7 vs GB
Knight led the Cardinals RBs with 11 carries to Michael Carter’s nine in Week 6 with both RBs rushing for 34 yards on their opportunities. Knight added a catch for 20 yards while Carter caught two of his five targets for 30 yards.
Low-to-medium priority add. Any RB leading his team in carries and touches is worthy of strong consideration but the Cards will be on their bye Week 8 after hosting the Packers as underdogs this week. Carter remains the AZ RB that I prefer based on him seeing five targets in each of the past two weeks, but Knight belongs on rosters to see how Week 7 shakes out.
10% or less of FAAB.
Some additional lower-priority RB adds to consider ::
Bhayshul Tuten (JAX) - The explosive rookie is a great bench stash as a backup RB who could continue to see his role expand.
Kendre Miller (NO) - Primary backup RB to a veteran teammate on a fast-paced Saints offense.
Brian Robinson Jr. (SF) - On the short list of the top RB handcuffs in all of fantasy backing up CMC. He’s a great bench stash if you can add him.
Kenneth Gainwell (PIT) - Handled six carries and was second on the Steelers with six targets in Week 6, compiling 36 scrimmage yards on his touches.
Jaydon Blue (DAL) - The speedy rookie saw his first three carries on offense but finished with zero yards. He is battling FB Hunter Luepke for work behind starter Javonte Williams.
WR Pickups
Kayshon Boutte, NE, Week 7 at TEN
Boutte led the Patriots in all receiving categories against the Saints, catching all five of his targets from Drake Maye for 93 yards and a pair of TDs in the road win. He’s in the top three in catches, yards, and TDs for the Patriots through six weeks.
Medium-priority add. Boutte is my favorite WR to add this week as a regular receiving option tied to an ascending fantasy star in Maye. The matchup with the Titans is fine, but he’s more of a long term stash than a priority spot starter for me.
5 - 15% of FAAB.
Elic Ayomanor, TEN, Week 7 vs NE
Ayomanor’s veteran WR teammate, Calvin Ridley, left last week’s game early with a hamstring injury and could miss additional time. Ayomanor, already leading TEN WRs in catches, could see additional targets in Ridley’s absence.
Low-to-medium priority add. EA has been written up in this space nearly every week this season and don’t think I’m stopping now with a new interim coach in place and a potential uptick in volume if Ridley misses time. We just need the offense as a whole to start to show some progress.
10% or less of FAAB.
Kendrick Bourne, SF, Week 7 vs ATL
Bourne has consecutive 142-yard receiving games catching a combined 15 passes from Mac Jones over the past two weeks. The 49ers offense remains in flux, with injury statuses for starter Brock Purdy, several WRs, and star TE George Kittle all seemingly up in the air heading to Week 7.
Low-to-medium priority add. If you have a clearer read on 49ers injury news than I do, I’m willing to admit this could be too low of a recommendation for Bourne. If he’s the top option another week for Mac Jones, he’s likely to be a great spot starter, once again.
10% or less of FAAB.
Some additional lower-priority WR adds to consider ::
Tre Tucker (LV) - Leads the Raiders with 356-4 receiving on the year after catching all five of his targets for 70 yards last week.
Tre Harris (LAC) - Caught four of five targets for 27 yards playing an expanded role with teammate Quentin Johnston out injured. I like Harris as a deep-league stash as the WR4 on a team that really features its top three receivers weekly.
Sterling Shepard, Tez Johnson, and Kameron Johson (TB) - These three combined to catch seven of 10 targets for 160 yards and a pair of TDs from Baker Mayfield last week in a game that the team finished without their top four WRs on the depth chart. I listed them in the order I’d rank them in a league deep enough to speculate on their Week 7 roles if you need to.
TE Pickups
Harold Fannin Jr., CLE, Week 7 vs MIA
Fannin’s TE teammate, David Njoku, left the game with a knee/thigh issue last week and his short-term status is unknown. Fannin already leads the Browns with a 28-254-1 receiving line on the season playing alongside his talented veteran teammate.
Medium-priority add. Fannin is an exciting rookie who has already been seeing ample volume, albeit on one of the worst offenses in the league. He’s a volume-based starting option this week against the Dolphins and a longer-term hold as an ascending rookie TE already leading his team in receiving for the season.
5 - 15% of FAAB.
Cade Otton, TB, Week 7 at DET
Otton had just 34 yards on eight targets through four weeks but has caught nine of his 11 targets for 132 yards over the past two games for the depleted Tampa offense, now potentially missing its top four WRs.
Low-to-medium priority add. Otton is a strong TE streaming option playing with a talented QB and a depleted WR group in a high-total road game against the Lions.
5% or less of FAAB.
Oronde Gadsden, TEAM, Week 7 vs IND
Gadsden caught seven of his eight targets for 68 yards in last week’s win over the Dolphins. He was one of four LAC TEs to play in the game but led the position in snaps and receiving production last week in a game the teams’ leading receiver, QJ, missed with an injury.
Low-to-medium priority add. Gadsden is worth a bench stash to see how many looks he might be afforded when the team has all three of their top WRs healthy.
5% or less of FAAB.
Some additional lower-priority TE adds to consider ::
Michael Mayer (LV) - Led the team with seven targets and had a nice 5-50-1 line. He’s a solid spot starter for another week if Brock Bowers misses another game.
Chig Okonkwo (TEN) - Caught all six of his targets for 46 yards in Week 6 and leads the Titans with 23 catches on the year.
DEFENSE (Top pickups for Week 7)
Browns (vs Dolphins)
Seahawks (vs Texans)
Dolphins (at Browns)
Bears (vs Saints)