Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Add These Players For Week 7

Bye weeks. The very utterance of those words sends shivers down the spines of fantasy managers. This week is no different, as six teams get their annual week off: Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, and Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s a lot of good players, folks. There are at least four fantasy-relevant players on each team (maybe just three on the Jaguars). That’s why it’s imperative to score big on this week’s waivers. 

Injuries have especially impacted the running back position as countless big names could miss Week 7. Unfortunately, there aren’t many promising possible replacements. I suggest scouring the trade market instead. In the meantime, here are some players you should consider adding this week. 

Have any more fantasy questions? Hit me up on Twitter @ZachCohenFB. I’ll try to respond like always!  

Quarterbacks

Tua Tagovailoa (QB - MIA)

Week 6 Stat Line: 21.36 points, 329 passing yards, 2 passing TD, 22 rushing yards

I had Tagovailoa in this space last week, so his respectable performance against the Jaguars wasn’t too shocking. It’s becoming tougher and tougher to find a viable starting quarterback among waivers, so if you need one ahead of the upcoming bye weeks, I’d suggest pouncing on Tagovailoa if he’s still available. He doesn’t present much upside due to a confined gameplan, but his production thus far has been steady enough. While he’s only started and played for two games of the season, his Week 1 performance was a modest 16.18 points. He gets a Falcons’ defense that’s allowed between 260-290 passing yards in four of their five games this season, though. Tagovailoa isn’t a bad starter if you need one in Week 7.

Derek Carr (QB - LV)

Week 6 Stat Line: 21.54 points, 341 passing yards, 2 passing TD

Carr is averaging 18.8 points this season, but let’s take a closer look at those numbers. Excluding his two games against the Chargers and the Bears, Carr is actually averaging roughly 23 points per game. In those two games, Carr threw for about 200 passing yards. In the other four games, he tossed for 435, 382, 386, and 341. So what am I getting at here? Carr definitely has the capability to put up a good fantasy performance. If you need a quarterback, consider picking him up and starting him against the Eagles this week. The rest of his schedule seems fairly easy too.

Players to watch: Carson Wentz, Sam Darnold

Running Backs

Alex Collins (RB - SEA)

Week 6 Stat Line: 16.8 points, 101 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 1 catch on 1 target, -3 receiving yards

As long as Chris Carson remains out, Collins is worth a roster spot. That’s even true when Carson comes back, who has yet to play a full season and could miss more time. While Collins did miss overtime due to a hip injury, Pete Carroll said it wasn’t significant and Collins will be evaluated within the next few days. Looking at his usage, it’s clear he’s the top back in Seattle when Carson is inactive. If Collins is still available, make him your No. 1 priority.

J.D. McKissic (RB - WSH)

Week 6 Stat Line: 19 points, 45 rushing yards, 8 catches on 10 targets, 65 receiving yards

McKissic was a huge part of Washington’s offense Sunday, though it was largely due to Antonio Gibson’s so-so health. I’ve been pounding the table for McKissic for some time now because of how valuable he is in Washington’s offense. I’m not saying I agree with it, but McKissic is getting more valuable opportunities for fantasy. In the last five games, McKissic has nearly doubled Gibson’s target share and has seen just one fewer attempt inside the 5-yard line. If Gibson misses a game or two, McKissic would be an immediate fantasy starter due to his involvement in the passing game.

Khalil Herbert (RB - CHI)

Week 6 Stat Line: 19.2 points, 97 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 2 catches on 3 targets, 15 receiving yards

Herbert may not be a priority as Damien Williams should be activated off the COVID-19 list soon, but the rookie played well enough Sunday to make me wonder about his role in Chicago‘s offense. Could Matt Nagy hand the keys to Herbert until David Montgomery comes back? It’s certainly possible since that’s what he’s done in the Bears’ previous two games. A week after Herbert saw 18 carries, he was given 19 against the Packers. I understand the reluctance to scoop up Herbert, especially if Williams comes back this week. But the waiver wire is so thin with running backs that I don’t blame you for taking a chance on Herbert. I just wouldn’t advise a hefty investment on him.

D’Ernest Johnson/Demetric Felton (RBs - CLE) 

Week 6 Stat Line: Barely anything lol

Let’s set the scene in Cleveland. Kareem Hunt will be out for at least three weeks with a calf injury. Nick Chubb was a non-participant in Monday’s estimated practice report. That leaves Johnson and Felton, who have done very little for fantasy this season. At least Johnson saw 13 carries for 95 yards at one point last season, but that was only when he filled in for Chubb. It’s unclear how this backfield will shake up Thursday night, but there’s a good chance neither Chubb nor Hunt will suit up. Keep an eye on news out of Cleveland on Tuesday because Johnson or Felton could be the biggest waiver pickup of the week if Chubb isn’t available. As for which running back to scoop up, both played 12 snaps, but Felton ran three more routes and had two total targets. Johnson saw no targets and had the lone carry between the two backs. It sounds like Felton could take Hunt’s role—the Browns mostly used him as a receiver—and Johnson could take Chubb’s role.

Players to watch: Chris Evans, Mark Ingram, Rhamondre Stevenson, DeeJay Dallas

Wide Receivers

A.J. Green (WR - ARI)

Week 6 Stat Line: 18.9 points, 5 catches on 6 targets, 79 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD 

I’ll admit it: I was skeptical of Green. I did not think he would be a factor in the Cardinals’ offense. I guess Green must’ve heard about this because he’s had four games of more than 13 points this season. He’s also seen exactly six targets in every game but last week when he had two. Green is a close second on the team in targets, too. FantasyPros.com says Green is available in roughly 62% of leagues, so if you need a wide receiver, Green is the player to target.

T.Y. Hilton (WR - IND)

Week 6 Stat Line: 12 points, 4 catches on 4 targets, 80 receiving yards

Welcome back, T.Y. Hilton! The veteran receiver was limited in his first game of the season, yet he still found a way to make an impact. Indianapolis didn’t need to throw the ball much either since they were blowing out Houston, so Hilton is still an under-the-radar value. Now that Parris Campbell will miss time with a significant foot injury, Hilton could be seeing the ball a lot more than he did in Week 7. The best part: He’s still available in nearly 70% of leagues. While the Colts are a run-focused team, Hilton is still not a bad addition to your roster. He’s worth a waiver claim or some FAAB.

Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR - CLE)

Week 6 Stat Line: 26.1 points, 4 catches on 5 targets, 101 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD 

Don’t let the huge performance fool you: Peoples-Jones is not a must-add. However, he deserves some waiver consideration, but not for his stat line, which was inflated by a Hail Mary to end the first half. With the entire offense struggling to stay healthy, something tells me Peoples-Jones may be in line for more work. I can even see him getting a couple more targets now that Kareem Hunt and potentially Odell Beckham Jr. will miss time. Peoples-Jones is a solid stash in all formats.

Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR - DET)

Week 6 Stat Line: 9.6 points, 5 catches on 7 targets, 26 receiving yards

I had St. Brown here last week so let’s add on to what I said: “St. Brown’s involvement has increased over the last two games compared to his involvement over the first three games. It’s good enough to make him worthy of a bench stash in case he becomes Jared Goff’s favorite target out of the slot.” Well, his involvement has now increased over the last *three* games and he seemingly has become Goff’s favorite wideout to target. St. Brown should be added in all leagues.

Players to watch: Demarcus Robinson, KJ Osborn, Cedrick Wilson, Jamal Agnew

Tight Ends

Ricky Seals-Jones (TE - WSH)

Week 6 Stat Line: 15.8 points, 4 catches on 6 targets, 58 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD

Like I said last week, Seals-Jones is a viable starter as long as Thomas is out. He produced the above stat line and played every single snap for Washington. He also saw the second-most targets on the team. Sometimes in the fantasy community, we may overreact to certain performances. This is not the case. Add Seals-Jones if you need a tight end ASAP.

O.J. Howard (TE - TB)

Week 6 Stat Line: 16.9 points, 6 catches on 7 targets, 49 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD

The Buccaneers have not one, but two capable tight ends to replace Rob Gronkowski. In past weeks, I’ve suggested going with Brate over Howard. However, Howard has seen more targets than Brate in the last two weeks. Look, it’s a thin position in fantasy. You know that. I wouldn’t advise starting Howard or Brate this week, but I can see why you would pick up Howard if you’re desperate. Ironically, Brate has seen the field more than Howard. If you start Howard, you‘re hoping he scores because I don’t think he’ll see enough work to put up reliable enough stats. He’s still a fine investment at the position, though.

Players to watch: Pat Freiermuth, Mo Alie-Cox, Tommy Tremble