Week 7 Early Waiver Wire Report
In Week 7, six teams (BUF, LAC, DAL, JAC, PIT, and MIN) are on a bye week. Quarterbacks from four of those teams (Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, and Kirk Cousins) rank in the top 10 after five weeks. Fantasy managers must also find replacements for stud running backs Austin Ekeler, Najee Harris, Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, James Robinson, and Zack Moss. In addition, some top-notch wide receivers like Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Marvin Jones, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen will leave voids in fantasy team’s starting lineups.
Week 7 Pickups
QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
After missing three games with a rib issue, Tagovailoa passed for 329 yards and two scores against the Jaguars. Unfortunately, the Dolphins have two top receivers injured (Will Fuller and DeVante Parker), hurting his ceiling in more challenging matches. Miami plays as home vs. the Falcons, giving Tagovailoa starting replacement value in Week 7. He also has a favorable contest vs. the Texans in Week 9 and two dates with Jets later in the season. He is a free agent in 85% of Yahoo leagues.
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QB Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Jones threw the ball well against the Cowboys (229 yards, two touchdowns) despite having a first-half touchdown to Jakobi Meyers called back due to a penalty. He attempted only 21 passes due to the Cowboys controlling the clock. A Week 7 date with the Jets at home should offer more upside than his short outing against them in New York (186/0). New York showed more risk in coverage over their past two matchups against quarterbacks (298 yards/one touchdown and 342yards/two touchdowns).
QB Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
With Cleveland running the ball at a high level over the first five weeks, Mayfield sits 24th in quarterback scoring (18.76 fantasy points) in four-point passing touchdowns leagues. He passed for over 539 yards in his previous two matchups with four touchdowns. This week, the Browns face Denver on Thursday, which looks unfavorable based on the Broncos’ top 10 rank defending quarterbacks after the first six weeks. Only a desperation dart if a better option doesn’t reside on your bench or in the free-agent pool.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Damien Harris made the start on Sunday after missing practice all week with a rib issue. New England gave Stevenson RB2 snaps on Sunday, leading to 62 combined yards with a touchdown and three catches. He played with a burst, pointing to a bright future in the Patriots’ system. The key to his playable value is success in the passing game plus better execution in pass protection.
RB Demetric Felton, Cleveland Browns
Injuries to Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt create an excellent opportunity for Felton in Week 7. He owns a pass-catching skill set, but his size (5’9” and 190 lbs.) points to a change of pace role while also possessing the ability to make big plays. At the very least, Felton works as bye week cover with more upside if Chubb ends up missing more time. It appears Hunt's calf injury may cost him a game or two. Felton had two catches for 14 yards against the Cardinals in Week 6.
RB D’Ernest Johnson, Cleveland Browns
Johnson had minimal chances in Week 7 (nine yards and one catch on two touches), but Cleveland should lean on him on Thursday night. Over his short career in the NFL, he gained 281 combined yards with nine catches on 48 touches. Over this span, Johnson averaged 5.0 yards per rush and 9.4 yards per catch. If Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt don't suit up on Thursday night, his floor should be 15 fantasy points in PPR leagues.
RB Kenyan Drake, Las Vegas Raiders
A couple of top high-stakes players decided to dump Drake into the free-agent pool after back-to-back dull weeks (2 and 11 yards) while also seeing the Raiders use Peyton Barber in front of him when Josh Jacobs missed a couple of games. Drake should offer starting running back value in Week 7 after regaining a pulse against the Broncos (73 combined yards with two touchdowns and two catches).
WR Donavan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns
Jarvis Landry may return to action on Thursday. If so, the momentum by Peoples-Jones (five catches for 70 yards and four receptions for 101 yards and two scores) may come to an end. His summer reports were positive, and his star is starting to shine. If he keeps the WR2 job for the Browns in Week 7, I’d consider him as a starting option, depending on my choices.
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WR T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
Hilton returned to action this week after missing the first five games with a neck issue. Most fantasy owners didn’t start him off his long layoff while expecting him to have limited snaps and chances out of the gate. The Colts only looked his way four times on Sunday, but Hilton caught all of his chances for 80 yards. At a minimum, he should be a WR4 in PPR leagues going forward.
WR Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
Ravens fans saw their 2021 first-round draft pick play for the first time in Week 6. Baltimore had 38 run attempts in a blowout game against the Chargers, but Bateman still finished with WR2 targets, leading to four catches for 29 yards. I view him more as a buy-and-hold than a Week 7 start.
TE Ricky Seals-Jones, Washington Football Team
Washington threw the ball nine times to Seals-Jones in Week 5, leading to five catches for 41 yards which resulted in some attention last week on the waiver wire. His success in Week 6 (four catches for 58 yards and one score) won’t go unnoticed by fantasy owners this week. Seals-Jones will be Washington's starting tight end until Logan Thomas returns from his hamstring issue (looks like a long-term injury).
