The Week 7 waiver wire is more about necessity than anything. Injuries are piling up and bye weeks continue to limit options when setting starting lineups. Luckily, there are always options on the waiver wire. They may just not be as strong as they once were to begin the season.
You may be dealing with injuries, bye weeks, or just need to cycle out players from your bench. Whatever the case may be, the waiver wire is there to help. There’s not always a need to put in a claim for players each week, but if you do, make it count. 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 6 waiver wire.
Week 7 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire By Position
Running Back
Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers
After scoring a touchdown in his 15th straight game, Christian McCaffrey exited Week 6 with an oblique injury. We’re still waiting to hear how long he will be out, if at all. If he is to miss Week 7, I’m prioritizing Jordan Mason on the waiver wire. We’re nearing the second half of the fantasy football season and adding handcuffs should be something worth looking into regardless. Yes, Elijah Mitchell is back, but he’s dealt with ongoing knee injuries. In fact, Mason played more snaps and logged more touches, as well as a touchdown, in McCaffrey’s absence. Their Week 7 opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, aren’t an easy matchup for running backs, but the 49ers are averaging the second-most points per game this season.
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
With running back Khalil Herbert on Injured Reserve and quarterback Justin Fields dealing with a dislocated thumb, the Chicago Bears are likely to lean heavily on the run game in Week 7. I expect Roschon Johnson to clear the concussion protocol and return this week. The Bears host the Las Vegas Raiders who have allowed the seventh-most rushing yards per game to running backs this season. It will be hard to trust any Bears players, but given the limited options of trustworthy running backs in Week 7, Johnson has a matchup you can invest in.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
If you’re just looking to strengthen your depth at the running back position, then add Chuba Hubbard on the Week 7 waiver wire. Given that he started in place of Miles Sanders in Week 6, he may not be available unless the manager with him on their roster cuts him. The possibility of that is high given that Hubbard and the Panthers are on a bye in Week 7. Miles Sanders has now dealt with a groin and shoulder injury this season. Hubbard should be on rosters as a high-volume play in the event Sanders misses any more time this season. In Week 6, Hubbard totaled 90 yards on 20 touches and scored a touchdown.
Craig Reynolds, Detroit Lions
As rookie Jahmyr Gibbs looks to return from a hamstring injury, David Montgomery looks to be out the next few weeks with a rib cartilage injury. With a Week 9 bye looming for the Lions, we may not see Montgomery back on the field until Week 10. Given the uncertainty in this backfield, adding Craig Reynolds on the Week 7 waiver wire is worth considering. Following Montgomery’s second-quarter exit, Reynolds logged just 12 total touches for an underwhelming 43 scoreless yards. He holds some short-term value as he could lead the backfield in touches. Reynolds just won’t be as effective as Montgomery in the same role.
Devin Singletary, Houston Texans
Singletary played a season-high 34 snaps in Week 6. In fact, Dameon Pierce played a season-low 21 snaps after averaging 35.8 per game prior to. If this pattern continues, Singletary will hold standalone value moving forward behind an improving Houston Texans offensive line. We’ll have a better idea of what to expect in Week 7 when they play the Carolina Panthers who allow the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. That includes a league-high 11 rushing touchdowns.
Other Running Backs to Consider
- Kareem Hunt looked like his old self in a triumphant Week 6 win over NFC powerhouse, the San Francisco 49ers. Hunt’s 16.1 fantasy points land him just inside the top 12 for the week. Still, he played 10 fewer snaps and logged four fewer touches than Jerome Ford. Hunt should maintain a role in this backfield moving forward but is a touchdown-dependent flex for now.
- Zach Evans could see a big uptick in workload assuming Kyren Williams (ankle) does miss a week or two for the Los Angeles Rams. However, the rookie has played just six snaps this season. That said, the Rams could look to veteran Royce Freeman to lead the backfield in touches. This isn’t a situation I’m investing in unless truly desperate for Week 7 especially.
- Leonard Fournette is finally back in the mix with reports he is meeting with the Buffalo Bills. It’s more likely he signs there than not. With Damien Harris out indefinitely due to a concussion, Josh Allen dealing with a shoulder injury, and the Bills maintaining legitimate playoff hopes, adding Fournette to their backfield makes sense. He’s not a player I’m prioritizing on the waiver wire. However, he’s worth a speculative add in larger leagues or those with deep benches.
Wide Receiver
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts rookie now has 13.0 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games. Josh Downs even found the end zone for the first time in his young career in Week 6. Downs now has 14 targets in his last two games and a 19.3% target share on the season. Things could continue trending upward for Downs, as well, as Gardner Minshew looks to be the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. He’s targeted Downs more than rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson had this season. Furthermore, wide receiver Alec Pierce could miss time with a shoulder injury. Downs is the top wide receiver add from the Week 7 waiver wire.
Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders
Don’t look now, but Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson both have 31 total targets this season. That’s tied for second-most on the team. Over the last four weeks, Samuel has four more total targets than Dotson. Still, Dotson has the edge in playing time, leading all Commanders receivers in snaps this season, but we don’t play in “points per snap” fantasy leagues. Dotson is averaging just 6.16 points per game and failed to catch his lone Week 6 target. Like it or not, Curtis Samuel is a key piece to this offense. He is the WR11 over the last three weeks scoring a touchdown in each of the last three games.
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
Through six games this season, rookie Rashee Rice leads all Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers in targets (28) and fantasy points. He has scored double-digit fantasy points in four of six games this season. Beyond that, Rice’s eight red zone targets are tied for seventh-most amongst all wide receivers in the league. The Chiefs passing game still centers around tight end Travis Kelce. Adding Rice on the Week 7 waiver wire, though, lands you Patrick Mahomes’ second-favorite target.
Other Wide Receivers to Consider
- Jameson Williams caught a 53-yard touchdown pass. That’s cool. It’s the second touchdown of his career on just five total receptions. Both touchdowns exceeded 40 yards which is to be expected as Williams entered the league with major big play potential. He remains a boom-or-bust option on one of the better offenses in the league, the Detroit Lions. Williams will need to play significantly more snaps to be worth starting in any format.
- Rashid Shaheed remains significantly behind both Chris Olave and Michael Thomas in targets this season. He is, however, Derek Carr’s preferred deep-threat option in the New Orleans Saints’ passing game. He has a 40-yard or greater reception in three of six games this season.
Tight End
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers
Coming off of a Week 6 bye, rookie Luke Musgrave has the best Week 7 matchup for a tight end. Musgrave and the Packers head to Denver to take on the Broncos. They’ve allowed the fifth-most receptions, most yards, and most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. Musgrave has yet to eclipse 11.0 fantasy points in a single game but does have seven or more targets in two of his last three. The one that he didn’t, he exited early with a concussion. He’s at least worth stashing on your bench.
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
Without many notable tight ends on bye in Week 7, not many fantasy managers will be looking for a one-week fill-in. However, for the remainder of the season, Michael Mayer could hold long-term value. Over the last two weeks, Mayer has racked up 114 total yards, 61 of which are yards after the catch. That’s on nine total targets, and more specifically, a 19% target in Week 6. It looks like Brian Hoyer will take over for Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback as he tends to a back injury. Mayer should act as a top target for Hoyer who targeted him on two of his 10 pass attempts in place of Jimmy G. this past weekend.
Quarterback
Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
Let’s just pretend Sam Howell’s Week 3 outlier 4.6 point performance against the Buffalo Bills never happened. He’s averaging 20.36 points per game otherwise. With that performance, he’s still averaging a respectable 17.73 points per game. Howell ranks fifth in total pass attempts this season. The high-volume passing offense, with Eric Bieniemy as the offensive coordinator, plus high-quality receivers is a recipe for fantasy success. Howell gets a New York Giants defense that allows the fifth-most points per game to opposing teams.
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
After four of six games on the road to open the 2023 season, against some of the tougher defenses, Derek Carr’s schedule opens up nicely ahead of Week 7. His next four opponents all rank inside the top 10 in fantasy points per game allowed to quarterbacks. With just five passing touchdowns in six games, things can only go up from here. That’s a 17-game projection of just 14 passing touchdowns for Carr this season. Given the fact that he has Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and others at his disposal, he should get things going sooner rather than later moving forward. He gets the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football to start Week 7. Gardner Minshew just threw for 329 passing yards against their defense.
Week 7 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty