Week 6 was arguably the grittiest week of the year for fantasy football managers. The running back landscape was barren, multiple high-end QBs were on bye, and injuries destroyed many lineups.
Hopefully you were all able to get through it and come out with a win.
But it’s now time to move on to the Week 7 waiver wire. We’ve reached the point in the year where nearly every matchup is crucial, so pinpointing the spot starters and bench stashes is rather important as we push towards the playoffs.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the top waiver wire pickups ahead of Week 7.
Note: Only players rostered in roughly <50% of ESPN leagues will be considered.
Note: Our Week 7 waiver wire targets will be updated as data and news become available.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 7 WAIVER WIRE TARGETS
QUARTERBACK
C.J. STROUD, HOU TEXANS (43.8% ROSTERED)
It’s time (for the majority of ESPN leagues) to acknowledge that C.J. Stroud is playing quality football this season.
Coming into Week 6, among all qualified passers, he ranked 11th in YPA, 13th in EPA/DB, and 2nd in CPOE, per NextGenStats.
He had also turned in two consecutive 20-point games in fantasy football, in large part due to more dropback volume than we’re accustomed to seeing in Houston.
Ahead of Week 6, Stroud ranked 6th in total dropbacks and the Texans ranked 7th in overall pass rate.
Those trends continued on Sunday. Stroud attempted 34 passes and stuffed the stat sheet with 312 yards and three scores, leading to a third 20-point outing in as many weeks.
The Texans seem to quite clearly understand that their offense is at its best when the passing game is emphasized, and Stroud is delivering results.
With Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel, and Marvin Harrison Jr. by his side, he can keep the good times rolling in the future.
AARON RODGERS, PIT STEELERS (26.2% ROSTERED)
This will now be the third week in a row that Aaron Rodgers is included in this waiver wire series. Despite clearly being among the stronger streaming options for teams without an every-week starter at QB, he remains rostered in less than 30% of leagues.
The thesis on Rodgers has not changed one bit this year. It’s rarely pretty, but Rodgers consistently sees enough volume to turn in impactful fantasy performances.
He attempted 49 passes in an overtime game in Week 6, his third time hitting 40 attempts this season. He’s also attempted at least 34 passes in every game but one thus far.
Even with lackluster efficiency numbers, Rodgers is talented enough to fill up the box score with that sort of volume.
He’s done just that. Before Week 6, when he scored 16.02 fantasy points, he’d eclipsed 20 points in his three previous outings.
It also helps that he’s been in a groove in the red zone, tossing multiple touchdowns in each of the last four weeks.
He’ll now face an attackable Saints defense in Week 7, a defense that was just shredded by JJ McCarthy for 243 yards in a single quarter.
Rodgers is certainly at the forefront of the streaming conversation this week.
RUNNING BACK
ROSCHON JOHNSON, CHI BEARS (2.4% ROSTERED)
Kyle Monangai has been sidelined for the last two weeks. As a result, we have seen Roschon Johnson step in as the complementary back behind D’Andre Swift in the Bears’ offense.
In Week 5, Johnson played 39.7% of snaps, but a blowout at the hands of the Packers prevented him from seeing many touches.
This past week, he played 40.3% of the snaps, and with Chicago in control of the game, he saw 13 carries and two targets, turning those opportunities into 85 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
He also nearly had a second touchdown, but decided to go down to ice the game.
Monangai did not practice in any capacity last week, so we could very easily see him sidelined once again, as the Bears have a short week ahead of Thursday Night Football.
If that’s the case, Johnson can be an emergency starter for RB-needy teams in what could be a fantasy-friendly matchup against the Patriots.
KENDRE MILLER, NO SAINTS (33.2% ROSTERED)
Alvin Kamara led the Saints’ backfield in scoring this week, but it was Kendre Miller who led the way in the usage department.
Miller played the most snaps (44.4%) of New Orleans’ RBs and handled 20 carries, compared to seven for Kamara.
The explanation for this is fairly straightforward.
Kamara has been dealing with a back injury for several weeks now, and he aggravated the injury on Sunday, causing him to miss a chunk of the game.
With the injury still lingering, we could see Miller hold a nice role once again in Week 7 against the Steelers.
Keep an eye on the news and injury reports coming out of New Orleans this week. If there’s reason to believe this injury will continue to hamper Kamara, Miller will be a viable option for teams in desperate need of help at RB.
JALEEL MCLAUGHLIN (7.9% ROSTERED) & DYLAN SAMPSON (8.3% ROSTERED), CLE BROWNS
The Browns’ backfield was quite messy this past week.
Quinshon Judkins seemed close to playing, but he ultimately sat out due to an ankle injury. Dylan Sampson (knee) had his practice window opened, but he did not suit up in Week 6, either.
With those two sidelined, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime led the Browns’ rushing attack. The results weren’t pretty. That duo combined for 18 carries and 60 yards, netting 3.33 YPC.
McLaughlin did function as the lead back, though. He played 61.9% of snaps, earned 13 opportunities (nine carries and four targets), and ran a route on 63.2% of dropbacks.
If both Sampson and Judkins can’t suit up, McLaughlin would likely reprise that 1A role, leading to some level of fantasy value.
If Sampson is good to go and Judkins remains sidelined, he’d likely lead the way in Cleveland’s backfield and would generate some fantasy appeal as a result.
Both are worth stashes in deeper leagues while monitoring the health of Cleveland’s RB room.
TYRONE TRACY, NY GIANTS (1.7% ROSTERED)
The situation in the Giants’ backfield was one of the strangest storylines of Week 6. After a string of fumbles to open the year, Cam Skattebo was flat-out benched, although John Harbaugh denies that is what took place.
In Skattebo’s place, we saw an ugly three-way split between Najee Harris, Devin Singletary, and Tyrone Tracy.
It was Tracy who led the backfield with nine opportunities (six carries, three targets). Singletary saw five and Harris had four.
Tracy was also the only back to do anything with his touches. He turned his carries into 18 rushing yards and a score, and his three targets resulted in two receptions for 27 yards and another touchdown.
It’s likely that Skattebo gets back in the mix next week, but there’s no knowing what the split looks like. If you’d care to bet on Tracy’s pair of TDs leading to a meaningful role moving forward, he can be added in the deepest of leagues.
Other Handcuff RBs Worth Rostering: Brian Robinson Jr. (44.6%), Kaelon Black (21.6%), Jonah Coleman (20.0%), Mike Washington Jr. (18.7%), Emmett Johnson (13.8%), Ray Davis (3.8%)
WIDE RECEIVER
GERMIE BERNARD, PIT STEELERS (44.4% ROSTERED)
If you didn’t pick up Germie Bernard after his breakout performance in Week 5, hopefully you’re in one of the 55% of ESPN leagues where he’s still available.
In the Steelers’ overtime win over the Buccaneers this week, Bernard looked like a player who should be a featured receiver in the offense moving forward.
He ended the day with an 11/87/1 stat line. For those doing the math at home, that adds up to 25.7 PPR points.
In terms of volume, his 12 targets ranked second on the team and were good for a 27.3% target share.
He also saw his fair share of first-read and designed targets, indicating that Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers trust that he’s capable of making an impact.
There’s not much to dislike here. He’s showing that he can earn targets, and the Steelers remain one of the most pass-heavy offenses in the NFL.
That’s a recipe for meaningful fantasy production.
If Bernard is still out there in your league, get aggressive on the waiver wire this week.
JAYLIN NOEL, HOU TEXANS (4.7% ROSTERED)
Last week, in this waiver wire column, I said, “Jaylin Noel keeps making plays.”
That continued in Week 6. He hauled in four balls for 107 yards in the Texans’ victory in London. One of those receptions was a touchdown, and another resulted in a 50-yard gain.
Altogether, Noel finished with 20.7 PPR points, a season high. He’s now averaging 15.9 PPG across the last three weeks.
The one frustrating aspect of Noel’s week-to-week outlook is his role. Despite continuing to impact games, he’s stuck in a rotation behind Nico Collins.
He ran just 22 routes on 36 C.J. Stroud dropbacks this week (61.1%), although those 22 routes ranked second among Houston’s WRs.
We’ll have to see if Noel’s knack for big plays leads to a shift in his deployment. It’s also important to acknowledge that the arrival of Marvin Harrison Jr. could further complicate things once he’s up to speed.
It’s a situation to monitor, but there’s no doubt that Noel deserves to be rostered, with hopes that his role grows in the coming weeks.
OMAR COOPER JR., NY JETS (2.9% ROSTERED)
Back in April, the Jets spent two first-round picks to beef up their pass-catching corps. Kenyon Sadiq was brought in at No. 16, and Omar Cooper Jr. was added at No. 30.
Cooper got off to a slow start. A high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 1 sent him to IR and cost him four games.
But in his return, Cooper was sensational. And most significantly, he immediately assumed a full-time role.
Running 28 routes on 33 dropbacks, Cooper scored 22.3 PPR points (6/103/1 stat line) and commanded a 24.1% target share.
Out-targeting Garrett Wilson isn’t something that we can expect from Cooper each week, but it remains encouraging that he was immediately heavily involved upon his return.
We’ll just have to wait and see whether Geno Smith and this Jets offense are capable of sustaining consistent production for a pass catcher behind Wilson.
For the time being, though, he should be added on waivers and stashed away. Perhaps he could even be started in Week 7 against the Dolphins for teams dealing with byes and injuries at WR.
DEMARIO DOUGLAS, NE PATRIOTS (13.8% ROSTERED)
Romeo Doubs went down with a shoulder injury, and A.J. Brown was still knocking the rust off this past week.
As a result, we saw DeMario Douglas step up once again for the Patriots’ offense. On 74.2% of the routes, Douglas accounted for 26.7% of the targets delivered by Drake Maye and scored 19.6 PPR points, thanks to 86 yards and a TD on seven receptions.
New England plays on Thursday Night Football in Week 7, and Mike Vrabel has initially been non-committal about Doubs’ availability.
If Doubs can’t go, Douglas will have the opportunity to run plenty of routes against a Bears secondary that has proven to be exploitable this season.
KEENAN ALLEN, IND COLTS (39.2% ROSTERED)
Keenan Allen is the epitome of a bye week or injury fill-in. Although he doesn’t feature much of a week-to-week ceiling, the floor is stable enough to feel comfortable with him in your lineup.
Here’s what Allen has done so far this season:
- Week 1: 6 targets (19.4%), 9.2 PPR points
- Week 2: 5 targets (16.1%), 1.5 PPR points
- Week 3: 9 targets (25.0%), 18.3 PPR points
- Week 5: 9 targets (20.9%), 9.5 PPR points
- Week 6: 11 targets (28.9%), 16.2 PPR points.
The return of Tyler Warren, whenever that happens, will make it difficult for Allen to push for a 30% target share, as he did in Week 6.
Still, we all know what the deal is here. Allen earns targets at a reasonable enough rate to deliver solid fantasy production because of that volume.
The upcoming matchup against the Vikings is less than ideal, but if you’re in a tough spot at WR or FLEX, Allen is worth a look.
TIGHT ENDS
HUNTER HENRY, NE PATRIOTS (42.7% ROSTERED)
The logic behind the Hunter Henry pickup is largely the same as what was outlined above when discussing DeMario Douglas.
With Romeo Doubs potentially out of the picture, the path to targets in the Patriots’ offense is cleaner.
More importantly, though, when looking for streaming TEs, we should be targeting fantasy-friendly game environments where scoring and play volume could be plentiful.
We could see just that on Thursday night when the Patriots take on the Bears. The total is currently hovering around 50 points, and we’ve got two offenses that can score 30-plus points in any given week.
That’s enough for Henry to be viewed as a fringe TE1 on the week.
