Week 7 fantasy football waivers are here, with several options still available to help your squad. Plus, we have the “Worry Report” for players like James Conner, and “Power Up” players, including the continued development of Caleb Williams.
HEADS UP
- Players must be under 60% rostered on Yahoo
- Listed in order of preference — I’ll regularly prioritize potential upside over immediate replacement production
- RB backups have a separate secondary list based on only if the lead option got hurt
- No FAB suggestions: It varies wildly by league tendencies and always relative (ex: if you lost your RB1 to injury and there is a clear backup, you’re going to be more aggressive)
- Streaming QB and TE are grouped together — weekly ranking can change once projections/ranks run — DST could shift a bit too
- Emojis for brevity
- 😏 = mentioned multiple times, multiple weeks — either you want him, or don’t
- 🫡 = Next Man Up but with deeper startability
BYES: CHI, DAL
WORRY REPORT
(Scale 1-5: more ducks = more worry)
- Dak Prescott, QB, DAL — 🦆🦆🦆 — Prescott is 30th in Pressure% (30.5), so that’s not it. He’s just 25th in OffTGT% (10.3), so that’s not it. Watching the Cowboys led to my looking up and confirming something interesting. As the league has gone more zone coverage, teams have been using man coverage more with Prescott, including a season-high 42.1% by the Lions (uptick on their 34.7% season rate). Some of that has been with coverage (doubling, etc.) to contain and limit CeeDee Lamb, hence just 7-for-89 against Detroit, even with 14 targets. Jalen Tolbert’s continued breakout will help, but the Cowboys need some run balance too, as being rather one-dimensional isn’t doing them favors. This is fixable (for Lamb too), but there is no guarantee this roster will turn the corner, so three ducks it is (but still buy low if you’re sitting comfortable).
- James Conner, RB, ARI — 🦆🦆 — Conner’s workload fell to a season-low and concerning amount — just 44.0 RBTouch% (11 total touches). However, part of that was game-script related, and Kyler Murray’s need for Conner in the passing game will remain. I’d buy low on Conner if a manager is panicking. We might not see the RB1 value of Conner from 2023, but he’s still a locked-in Top 20 RB while healthy.
- Brandon Aiyuk, WR, SF — 🦆🦆🦆 (until CMC is back) — Watching back for the differences from the Cardinals game to the rest, you see the Cardinals pulled in a bit tighter, often with nobody, or just one defender, deep. The rest of the games have defenders hanging back with a mix of Cover-2, Cover-3, five-plus defensive backs and such. That Cardinals matchup allowed Aiyuk to take advantage, while the rest are keeping coverage over top. It’s the 49ers, so they have enough weapons not to force any one thing, and if teams are going to play this style to contain Aiyuk and keep everything underneath, he’ll continue to be more of a WR3 with some big weeks, but several decent-not-great ones. I believe Christian McCaffrey’s return will force more attention up tighter given his threat in the receiving game, unlike Jordan Mason, and then we can get back to Aiyuk as a WR2, but there is no guarantee for when it happens.
POWER UP PLAYERS
(Scale 1-5: more Mario mushrooms = more excitement)
- Caleb Williams, QB, CHI — 🍄🍄🍄 — Yes, Williams is getting more comfortable, seeing the field better and even running. Yes, he’s also had a favorable schedule to develop his skills. I’m excited for Williams to enter the QB1 tier, but I’d have him as a QB1 in good matchups and be wary of others. Good news, everybody! The Bears get the Commanders (no Jonathan Allen) and Cardinals out of the bye before a test in Week 10 against the Patriots.
- J.K. Dobbins, RB, LAC — 🍄🍄🍄🍄 — Dobbins would get five mushrooms, or even the Mario arm smashing with mushrooms, if we knew he’d stay healthy. The Chargers are treating him like a bellcow, and Dobbins looks 100% like the pre-injury Dobbins. Bad matchup or not, Dobbins is in the RB1 conversation… while healthy.
- Romeo Doubs, WR, GB — 🍄🍄🍄 — Apparently fences are mended — returning from his team-imposed week off, Doubs led the Packers in routes, yet again. The truth remains — Jayden Reed is the No. 1 option and Doubs is the No. 2, but Doubs and Christian Watson will battle it out for the most-valuable second wideout each week… until Dontayvion Wicks returns and adds his name in the hat every few games.
STREAMING QUARTERBACKS
- Sam Darnold, MIN (vs DET)
- Matthew Stafford, LAR (vs LV)
- Daniel Jones, NYG (vs PHI) — if Malik Nabers is back
- Justin Fields, PIT (vs NYJ)
- Drake Maye, NE (at JAX)
- Justin Herbert, LAC (at ARI)
- Andy Dalton, CAR (at WSH)
- Tyler Huntley, MIA (at IND)
- Bo Nix, DEN (at NO)
WAIVER WIRE RUNNING BACK RANKS
- Isaac Guerendo, SF — Only lands here if Jordan Mason is out. Bottom of the list if Mason is back, which sounds likely.
- Ray Davis, BUF — Here if James Cook were to miss another game, but given how close he was to playing, it sounds like Cook should be back. If Cook returns, Davis falls down to the high-end backups worth stashing because, well, you saw why!
- Ty Chandler, MIN — Aaron Jones isn’t a certainty for this week yet, so Chandler would have RB2 value if Jones isn’t ready, though, it sounds as if Jones should be good to go.
- Tyrone Tracy Jr., NYG — Continues to warrant timeshare work with Devin Singletary, but that doesn’t guarantee Brian Daboll will give him even more than 30% of the work when Singletary is back. Nevertheless, while there are safer options below, almost no one has Tracy’s same ceiling.
- Alexander Mattison, LV — Leader of a bad offense, but in the old Cam Akers conversation when Akers had lead work.
- D’Ernest Johnson, JAX — With Travis Etienne Jr. ailing, Johnson stepped up and kept Tank Bigsby in his Bigsby role. This could lead to a Colts-like mess, but Johnson is worth grabbing if he takes the lead while Etienne is out (would be an RB2/3).
- Tyler Goodson, IND — As long as Jonathan Taylor is out, Goodson is a needy team’s RB2/3. Once Taylor returns, Goodson is droppable in many leagues.
- Tyler Allgeier, ATL — 🫡
- Kimani Vidal, LAC — With Gus Edwards on IR, Vidal takes his role as a player I compared to (good) AJ Dillon, and we know J.K. Dobbins has a checkered injury history.
- Sean Tucker, TB — If Rachaad White is out, Tucker would be in play as an RB3/4, but that’s only if White remains sidelined. If White returns, Tucker is at the bottom.
- Jaylen Warren, PIT — He’s back, and you know Arthur Smith will increase his share (also, sell high on Najee Harris if you didn’t already know).
- Antonio Gibson, NE — Easier matchup (Jaguars) and an RB2/3 even if Rhamondre Stevenson plays.
- Emanuel Wilson, GB — 🫡
- Justice Hill, BAL — 🫡
- Braelon Allen, NYJ — Just one game so not burying Allen, but if the coaching change is going back to bellcow Breece Hall (and for good reason), Allen would slide into being a high-end backup without startability.
- Trey Benson, ARI — See Worry Report. Benson could start eating into Conner’s workload, and it’s possible this could turn into a full-blown committee. He’s worth the pickup if you have room.
- Dameon Pierce, HOU — Back and worth stashing in case something happened to Joe Mixon again.
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC — Could be in the mix for the lead… or a non-factor. If waivers are thin and you have room, decent stash.
- Jaylen Wright, MIA — Similar to Chandler, we don’t know if De’Von Achane is good to go yet, but if Achane is out, Wright would be in the RB3/4 conversation.
- Blake Corum, LAR — Corum appears to have moved ahead of Ronnie Rivers — finally — giving Corum Top 15 upside if Kyren Williams were to get hurt.
- Audric Estime, DEN — A bulldozer who might get an opportunity to lead now that he’s healthy.
- Tyjae Spears, TEN — 🫡 Dealing with a hamstring injury but worth holding where you can.
- Roschon Johnson, CHI — Not overly usable outside deep and needy teams but worth a stash in case D’Andre Swift were to get hurt (Bears on bye, so no worries this week).
MEH, I’LL PASS
- Pierre Strong Jr., CLE — Jerome Ford got hurt, but Nick Chubb is set to return this week.
DUMPSVILLE
(order I’d drop)
- Trey Sermon, IND — No real upside or usability left with Goodson taking his share.
PURELY NEXT MAN UP RANKS
(if an injury ahead of them)
- Braelon Allen, NYJ
- Bucky Irving, TB
- Tyler Allgeier, ATL
- Chase Brown, CIN
- Zach Charbonnet, SEA
- Isaac Guerendo, SF
- Ray Davis, BUF
- Tyrone Tracy Jr., NYG
- Blake Corum, LAR
- Tank Bigsby, JAX
- Tyjae Spears, TEN
- Ty Chandler, MIN
- Kimani Vidal, LAC
- Jaylen Wright, MIA
- Emanuel Wilson, GB
- Trey Benson, ARI
- Kenneth Gainwell, PHI
WAIVER WIRE WIDE RECEIVER RANKS
- Josh Downs, IND — 😏
- JuJu Smith-Schuster, KC — Smith-Schuster looked invigorated in Week 5, so you have to take the chance on his potential for WR3+ value.
- Romeo Doubs, GB — Back on the team, back to producing, back here again… and again.
- Jalen Tolbert, DAL — Real weekly WR3 boom/bust value.
- Ladd McConkey, LAC — Don’t stress over the low score for McConkey, as it was a tough matchup, and he was playing through injury. It’s not clear what is wrong, but assuming it doesn’t hinder his Week 7 availability, McConkey is set for a nice rebound spot against the Cardinals, just like…
- Quentin Johnston, LAC — Rise and repeat McConkey (above), except we know it was Johnston’s ankle.
- Allen Lazard, NYJ — Could climb higher if the MNF Aaron Rodgers is here to stay.
- Demario Douglas, NE — With Ja’Lynn Polk struggling (more in a bit), Douglas and Kayshon Boutte benefited from the quarterback change. Douglas is the Wan’Dale Robinson of the week — nice production, limited ceiling.
- Xavier Legette, CAR — Until the Panthers go back to Bryce Young, Legette is a nice WR4.
- Tyler Lockett, SEA — 😏
- Christian Watson, GB — Jayden Reed and Doubs are the top two, but Watson’s upside makes for a risky gamble in good matchups or if you need a home run. Mixing sports — yay!
- Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell, LAR — Cooper Kupp could return, but even if he does, one of Whittington (higher upside) or Atwell (safer veteran) will still have value.
- DeAndre Hopkins, TEN — Potentially back to 100%, and he’s the No. 1 over Calvin Ridley.
- Kayshon Boutte, NE — If he’s a top-two receiver for the Patriots, Drake Maye makes Boutte the Christan Watson of New England.
- Michael Wilson, ARI — Wilson being the top option has often led to disappointment, but with Marvin Harrison Jr. likely out (concussion), Wilson will be a risky WR4 — plus, Zay Jones is being activated for another target stealer.
- Jakobi Meyers, LV — You know him, and you either want him or you don’t.
- Gabe Davis, JAX — I know people have a bit of Brian Thomas Jr. concern, but he ran the most routes and still had six targets and the second-highest TmTGT% on first and second down (Evan Engram first). The concern for all Jaguars wide receivers should be Trevor Lawrence’s play and Engram’s return. With Davis, this game doesn’t change anything. He’s still the boom/bust Davis we know, though as mentioned a few weeks ago, in the 2022 realm versus the terribleness of 2023. That makes him a WR4 with high risk/high reward, and Thomas is a good buy low for the panic.
- Keon Coleman, BUF — The (raw) Gabe Davis of the Bills… or, new Gabe Davis… or… you get it.
- Bub Means, NO — Short week means Chris Olave won’t play (concussion), but I’m not chasing Means outside of deep, deep leagues (facing Broncos), even with Rashid Shaheed’s injury a concern. After Week 7, maybe a deep play WR4/5.
- Greg Dortch, ARI — Here with Harrison out, but once Harrison is back, Dortch’s usability is done.
- Noah Brown, WSH — Noah Brown is a boom/bust WR5 play.
- Alec Pierce, IND — WR5 weekly Hail Mary play.
- Jerry Jeudy, CLE — If you need a few points — and I mean FEW — Jeudy has you.
- Ja’Lynn Polk, NE — Called out by Jerod Mayo, but Polk still has a high ceiling if he can get past Boutte on the depth chart.
DUMPSVILLE
(order I’d drop)
- Dontayvion Wicks, GB — Put him here last week to make sure you held on, but that was before Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson were officially back. Now, Wicks is banged up too.
MEH, I’LL PASS
- Troy Franklin, DEN — Continuing not to chase anyone in this offense outside being a needy team starting Courtland Sutton as a WR4.
- Tim Patrick, DET — Great story for him, but can’t use any Lions WR outside their big two without injury.
STREAMING TIGHT ENDS
- Taysom Hill, NO
- Cade Otton, TB
- Isaiah Likely, BAL
- Tyler Conklin, NYJ
- Zach Ertz, WSH
- Erick All, CIN
STREAMING DST
Week 7
- NO vs DEN
- WSH vs CAR
- NE at JAX
- IND vs MIA
- LAR vs LV
- CIN at CLE
Week 8 (thin)
- DET vs TEN
- GB at JAX
- KC at LV
- LAC vs NO
- WSH vs CHI
(Top photo of Romeo Doubs: Tork Mason/Imagn Images)
