This week in the NFL, plenty of unlikely names put up massive fantasy outputs. What is exciting for fantasy managers is that many of those unlikely names are available on the waiver wire. Once again, a few key players are battling injury, and the depth of your fantasy teams will likely be tested. Here are the Week 7 players to target on the waiver wire.
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Waiver Wire Quarterbacks
Drake Maye – New England Patriots
People tend to notice whenever a highly drafted rookie quarterback takes the field. Patriots rookie Drake Maye made his NFL debut on Sunday and performed admirably. Maye threw for 243 yards with three passing touchdowns, but he also turned the ball over three times (two interceptions and one fumble). Also, Maye added five rushes for 38 yards. Maye is the future of the Patriots, and they will continue to work with him through his rookie struggles. Maye should be added in all Superflex leagues, and he can be stashed in 1QB leagues with 12+ teams. Expect to use around 10% FAAB on the rookie, but he could easily go for more if a team is desperate.
Waiver Wire Running Backs
Sean Tucker – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were without running back Rachaad White in Week 6. But that opened the door for Sean Tucker to get some run. To the surprise of everyone, Tucker was the number one running back in all of fantasy football for Week 6. He rushed 14 times for 136 yards and one touchdown. Also, he added three receptions for 56 yards with one touchdown. His 34.2 fantasy points were among the highest of the entire season. Tucker may get a lesser role once White returns, but his effectiveness on Sunday is hard to ignore. Even though he was outsnapped 49-29 by Bucky Irving, Tucker was far more effective. Do not overpay for Tucker, but he could be worth around 8-10% FAAB for a team looking for running back depth.
Ray Davis – Buffalo Bills
Many people did not know Ray Davis before Monday Night, but his performance on primetime was his breakout moment. James Cook was a late inactive, vaulting Davis into the RB1 role for Buffalo. He carried the ball 20 times for 97 yards and caught three passes for 55 yards. That outing was good for 18.2 fantasy points. The status for Cook is uncertain going forward, but if he were to miss another game, Davis would become a must-start. The rookie rusher is worth around 8% FAAB and could be a fun bench stash.
Kimani Vidal – Los Angeles Chargers
It looks like Week 6 was the week of the rookie running back. As mentioned above, we saw great performances from Davis, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. had a great showing. Another rookie who played well on limited snaps was Kimani Vidal. In 19 snaps (24.4% snap count), he carried the ball four times for 11 yards while catching two passes 40 yards and one touchdown. With Gus Edwards on IR, Vidal will slide into the RB2 role in Los Angeles for the next month. He has a chance to make a significant impact if anything were to happen to J.K. Dobbins. Please do not spend more than 5% FAAB on Vidal; he is nothing more than a bench stash for now.
Waiver Wire Wide Receivers
Demario Douglas – New England Patriots
The quarterback change in New England seems great for wide receiver Demario Douglas. In his first game, catching passes from Maye, Douglas recorded six catches (nine targets) for 92 yards and one touchdown. The Patriots will likely be trailing in many games, forcing them to throw. Douglas has a chance to be a target hog with Maye, making him fantasy-relevant. If you are desperate for a wide receiver, spending up to 15% FAAB on Douglas makes sense.
Juju Smith-Schuster – Kansas City Chiefs
Many people may have forgotten Juju Smith-Schuster’s performance two weeks ago. He caught seven passes on eight targets for 130 yards. The Chiefs’ bye this past week means Smith-Schuster could still be sitting on the waiver wire. He should be added to all leagues just for the upside of being Patrick Mahomes’ go-t0 receiver. Spend around 15% FAAB on Smith-Schuster and hope he can continue to develop chemistry with the league’s best passer.
Rashod Bateman – Baltimore Ravens
We have waited a while for the Rashod Bateman breakout, but it is finally happening. Bateman caught all four of his targets on Sunday for 71 yards—that 11.1-point fantasy performance gave him back-to-back games with 10+ PPR points. The Ravens have plenty of weapons, and Lamar Jackson likes to spread the ball around, but Bateman seems to be someone worth owning in fantasy. The fourth-year player played 69.1% of the snaps on Sunday. He is a good target in 12+ team leagues and could be a desperation flex play worth around 7% FAAB.
Bub Means – New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints play on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. They will likely be without Chris Olave and Rasheed Shaheed for that game, so the Saints will need other pass-catchers to step up. One player who played a significant role on Sunday was rookie Bub Means. He caught five of eight targets for 45 yards and one touchdown. His 71.4% snap share on Sunday shows he will likely be the WR1 for New Orleans on Thursday. Means may only carry value for the upcoming Week 7 games, but he could be seen as a flex play in deep leagues with the injuries around him.
Waiver Wire Tight Ends
Cade Otton – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tight end continues to be a significant problem in fantasy football leagues. Finding someone who consistently puts up points from that position has been a challenge. One player who at least sees targets is Cade Otton. He has seen at least four targets in four straight games and even caught his first touchdown of the year this past week. Otton is not a player with a high ceiling, but he does seem to have a consistent floor. Otton may be your guy if you are looking for around 7+ points from your TE. He will not be worth much on the waiver wire, as %% FAAB should be enough to land him.
