The Week 7 waiver wire is going to be a tricky one. For starters, there are plenty of injuries that fantasy football managers have to navigate. On top of those, the byes in Week 7 are some of the most significant of the season. Top players on Buffalo, Dallas, Jacksonville, Los Angeles (Chargers), Minnesota, and Pittsburgh all have the week off.
To make matters worse, the well at the waiver wire is pretty dried up. The opportunity to find a plug-in starter, especially at running back, is much harder at this point in the season. Still, there’s always value to consider, even just to bulk up the bench.
WEEK 7 BYES: BUF, DAL, JAX, LAC, MIN, PIT
Below, we’ll look at players at each position, who are on 50% or less of most fantasy football rosters, that could be considered on the Week 7 waiver wire.
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Week 7 Waiver Wire Rankings
Running Back
Demetric Felton and D’Ernest Johnson, Cleveland Browns
This season we’ve seen too many starting running backs miss time due to injuries. No team has it worse right now than the Cleveland Browns. Both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hut are unlikely to play this Thursday Night Football due to their own respective injuries.
As of now, Hunt is expected to miss approximately four to six weeks with a calf injury. However, Nick Chubb is expected back as soon as Week 8, if not Week 7. In their place, both D’Ernest Johnson and Demetric Felton are expected to fill in. I would expect Johnson to lead the two in carries considering Felton has yet to record one this season. Felton, on the other hand, will take over as the primary pass-catcher out of the backfield.
That being said, I like Felton for long-term value in PPR formats. If Chubb returns soon, Felton should still see flex value in Hunt’s place catching passes, especially when the Browns are behind. If you’re in a pinch ahead of Week 7, then Felton is a top target on the waiver wire to plug and play at home versus the Broncos, a game where the Browns are the favorites.
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
The rookie rises up on this week’s waiver wire. Previously, Stevenson’s been more of a bench stash. Now, with injuries and a significant group of byes, he becomes a bit more interesting. In back-to-back weeks, Stevenson has played an average of 33.5% of snaps. With Damien Harris seemingly finishing each game with some sort of injury designation, Stevenson’s potential to command the lead-back role in New England continues to hold value.
Stevenson enters Week 7 coming off his best game so far of his rookie campaign. In a home game versus the Dallas Cowboys, that went into overtime, Stevenson carried the ball five times for 23 yards and a score. He also added three receptions for 39 yards which netted 15.2 PPR fantasy points for the week.
Starting a Patriots running back any given week can be a roll of the dice. However, now more than ever, with a handful of injuries in New England, Stevenson has a chance to confidently lead the backfield in touches. Next week, the Pats get a home game versus the Jets where they’ll like lean on the run game to burn the clock while holding a lead. After that, they head to Los Angeles against the Chargers who are allowing the most rushing yards per game.
To round out October, Stevenson becomes an extremely interesting waiver wire add for those who need an immediate answer at running back.
Jarret Patterson, Washington Football Team
Patterson isn’t even averaging three snaps per game through six weeks. Not quite what you want in a waiver wire add. The only reason Patterson makes the list is due to Antonio Gibson’s nagging shin injury. I get the feeling that it won’t be long before Gibson misses a game, or possibly more. He just had an MRI on Monday.
The Washington Football Team has a bye in Week 9. With that said, it could provide an opportunity now for Gibson to get right over the next two weeks. If he does sit out, Patterson would likely see his fair share of carries in this backfield. J.D. McKissic is likely still the primary pass-catching back, but Patterson’s potential role is worth targeting amidst the plethora of running back injuries.
DeeJay Dallas and Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks
Chris Carson is still dealing with a neck injury, it seems, and his Week 7 status is therefore in doubt. If any longer, then Carson’s stock will surely take a major dip. Behind him, Alex Collins is now looking highly questionable, as well, having taken one too many tough hits on Sunday night, according to head coach, Pete Carroll.
Ahead of a Week 7 Monday Night Football matchup against the Saints in Seattle, both Dallas and Penny are waiver wire targets for larger leagues. Seattle opens the week as a five-point underdog. That has a lot to do with Geno Smith’s unsettling play filling in at quarterback.
With that said, if the Seahawks find themselves in such a deficit, DeeJay Dallas has the edge in PPR formats catching passes. Regardless of the game script, the Saints are giving up the third-most rushing yards per game to opponents. Rashaad Penny is set to return from an early-season calf injury. Keep an eye on reports this week for any indication on how these two could be used. I wouldn’t have them in my lineup in a 10-team league, but with injuries and byes, there may not be many other options.
Other Running Backs to Consider
Chris Evans stock is slowly rising after a positive performance for the Bengals in Week 6. The rookie saw seven opportunities carrying the ball four times and catching all three of his targets in a win over Detroit. Evans totaled 67 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season. With Samaje Perine on the Covid-19 list, Evans made his playing time count. He’s not a week-to-week starter, but an interesting add in 12 or more team leagues. He deserves more touches.
Week 7 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Kicker | D/ST | PPR | Flex
Wide Receivers
AJ Green, Arizona Cardinals
It’s clear to me now, ahead of Week 7, that AJ Green is the clear number two receiver in Arizona. After a few recent years of disappointment, it’s been hard to wrap my head around this idea in 2021. The Cardinals are the league’s last remaining undefeated team and Green’s playing a major role in this top-scoring offense.
He’s seen exactly six targets in five of six games this season and is second in targets amongst Arizona wide receivers. He’s scored at least 13.4 PPR points in four of the last five games with either a touchdown or over 100 receiving yards in each of those games.
Most importantly, the veteran receiver is so clearly playing the most snaps at receiver behind just DeAndre Hopkins. In fact, Green played a season-high 91% of snaps in Week 6. It should be the last time Green is an option for the waiver wire column. His usage and production are consistent. Don’t let someone else add him to their roster.
Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears
Similar to the aforementioned AJ Green, this is the last call for Mooney on the waiver wire. As rookie quarterback Justin Fields continues to develop, Mooney’s production should see a positive correlation.
Even with below-average quarterback play, Mooney is still leading the Bears wide receivers in targets with 39, an average of just under seven per game. This past week, in Field’s all-around best, albeit not great, performance, Mooney logged five catches for 45 yards and a score on a team-high eight targets.
His preseason hype looks like it’s finally taking shape. Some fantasy football managers may have Mooney on their benches refusing to drop him after spending a 10th round or so pick on him. Others, however, may have sent him to waivers. Now it’s time for you to scoop him up. Mooney is a matchup-based flex option for now but should have increased value in the short term.
The Bears’ passing volume should remain steady as they’re likely to trail most games. However, Fields’ unpolished play doesn’t provide enough scoring opportunities for a guy like Mooney. He’s still too good to be on waivers, so don’t miss an opportunity to add him.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
Bateman continues to trend upward coming off of a strong NFL debut. Having missed the first five games due to a core muscle injury, Bateman slid right in as a featured piece in Baltimore’s passing game. Looking at the box score, you will see Bateman led all wide receivers in targets with six. That tied star tight end, Mark Andrews.
More importantly, in his first-ever game, and returning from injury, Bateman played 65% of snaps. That was second amongst wide receivers behind just Marquis “Hollywood” Brown. It was a great day overall as the Ravens crushed the Chargers 34-6. It will be interesting to see Bateman’s role in a closer matchup.
The Ravens are the most run-heavy team in the NFL. Whether it’s a rotation of running backs or Lamar Jackson, the team loves to rush the football. This makes producing for fantasy football purposes an uphill battle for someone like Bateman. However, Lamar looks really sharp throwing the ball. If, and when, the Ravens are forced to throw, Bateman could be a beneficiary of most of the volume. Grab and stash him on your bench for now.
Demetric Felton, Cleveland Browns
Some formats have Felton listed as both a running back and wide receiver in fantasy football. If that’s the case, let this be a reminder you can prioritize him on the waiver wire and plug him in at wide receiver. If he does in fact fill in as the “Hunt role” in Cleveland’s offense, we could be talking top-20 to 25 potential any given week with plenty of room to boom.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
The NFL team a fantasy football player plays for doesn’t have to be good for a consistent quality fantasy output. The Detroit Lions are not good. However, they hold their own any given week and certainly have to pass a lot. Most of their offensive troubles rest on quarterback, Jared Goff’s, shoulders.
With that said, St. Brown is worth the add in 12-team or higher PPR leagues this week off of the waiver wire. There aren’t many receiving options in Detroit, to begin with, but it’s still worth noting St. Brown leads the position in targets this season. He’s one of the most heavily involved rookies this season.
He’s still seemingly the third option behind D’Andre Swift and TJ Hockenson. Even so, he’s gotten a total of 23 targets in the last three games. If that volume continues, St. Brown could prove to be a weekly flex option providing a steady floor to whichever fantasy team he’s on.
Other Wide Receivers to Consider
Donovan Peoples-Jones is going to be a popular name for some on this week’s waiver wire especially after scoring two touchdowns in Week 6. He turned five targets into four receptions for 101 yards and the two scores. More importantly, he blew Odell Beckham Jr. away in snaps playing 78% to OBJ’s 54%. He’s only got 15 targets this season, but 11 in the last two weeks. Keep in mind, however, that Jarvis Landry is returning soon. If Cleveland throws more without their star running backs, then “DPJ” could have value. Otherwise, he’s nothing more than a deep league and dynasty stash.
Robby Anderson is one of the bigger disappointments of fantasy football this season. I drafted him and have since released him. However, I’ve admittedly kept tabs on him, and for good reason. Anderson continues to be top-two in snap count and targets in Carolina. In fact, he’s totaled a whopping 29 targets the last three games. However, that’s resulted in just 25.0 PPR points. I’m not starting Robby A. unless desperate, but his volume is too good not to consider on the waiver wire if available.
Tight End
Ricky Seals-Jones, Washington Football Team
Ricky Seals-Jones should be a priority add on the waiver wire for anyone in dire need of a tight end for Week 7. He should then remain on your roster because his usage in this offense is that good. In back-to-back weeks, Seals-Jones has played 99% and 100% of snaps. He’s also seen just four fewer targets than receiver, Terry McLaurin. It’s clear that Taylor Heinicke trusts his tight end as a receiver. You’re simply not going to find another tight end on the waiver wire who’s on the field as much, and catching passes, as Ricky Seals-Jones.
Anthony Firkser, Tennessee Titans
This is a waiver wire add for those in need of a one-and-done play for Week 7. Anthony Firkser isn’t a season-long tight end we can trust. However, in Week 7, he gets a juicy matchup against a Kansas City defense that’s been extremely fantasy-friendly to tight ends as of late. In the last two weeks especially, both Dawson Knox and the aforementioned Seals-Jones have 20.7 and 15.8, respectively, to their names. The Titans may again be without Julio Jones due to a hamstring injury and look for Firkser to fill the void as a receiving option.
Other Tight Ends to Consider
Jared Cook and Tyler Conklin are both on bye this week. If you have room on your bench and want tight end depth, these are two names I’d look to add. Cook, on the Chargers, is more often than not going to be touchdown-dependent. He’s got seven or more targets in half of this season’s games, though. Conklin, also touchdown-dependent for the Vikings, is averaging five targets per game through six games. That’s enough for a deep league waiver wire add, at least.
Quarterback
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Some of the top fantasy football quarterbacks are on a bye in Week 7. Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, and Dak Prescott all have big shoes to fill. If you’re trying to fill that 20+ point void in Week 7, Matt Ryan is a strong streamer to grab off of the waiver wire. Ryan is coming off of the rest of a Week 6 bye. Before then, from Weeks 2 to 5, he’s thrown for at least two touchdowns. Ryan’s also averaging 292 passing yards per game. He gets back in action against the Dolphins who are allowing an average of 292.5 passing yards per game, the fourth-most across the league. Go with Matty Ice for Week 7 if you need a quarterback. The floor is safe and the ceiling is just under where your usual starter could probably account for.
More fantasy football fun for Week 7: Waiver Wire | FAAB Guide | Start & Sit | Loves & Hates | Stock Watch | Sleepers & Streamers | D/ST Streamers
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