There were plenty of intriguing developments around the NFL in Week 6 that matriculated into the fantasy football world as well. Injuries at various positions, evolving running back timeshares and QB changes must all be considered when deciding on the best Week 7 fantasy football waiver wire pickups. As teams continue to cycle through their bye weeks, there will no doubt be plenty of managers scouring the waiver wire for the best fill-in options as well.
As always, managers are advised to prioritize situations, snap counts, workload and target shares over a one-week scoring output when deciding on which players to claim. These are the stats and trends that will better predict sustainable success. Read on for our top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 7.
Note: Players must be owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups column. Ownership percentages will reflect their status on Tuesday mornings ahead of standard waiver processing.
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Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 7
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (46.4%)
Among the handful of players making a repeat appearance in this column from a week ago is Jared Goff. Fresh off a bye week, Goff passed for 315 yards and three touchdowns to finish as the QB4 in fantasy in Week 6. He has now surpassed 25 fantasy points in each of his last two games. Despite this, the Detroit Lions’ signal-caller remains owned in less than half of ESPN leagues. Goff will have his work cut out trying to dissect the Brian Flores-coached Minnesota Vikings defense in Week 7, but the Lions offense certainly appears to be finding its groove.
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (10.3%)
Don’t look now, but Bo Nix is the QB14 in fantasy football scoring! The Denver Broncos may have had their winning streak snapped this past Sunday, but Nix was able to pass for a pair of touchdowns in the second half that helped him surpass 20 fantasy points for the second week in a row. The other sneaky component of Nix’s game is his rushing ability. His 61 yards on the ground Sunday marked a new high. He now has four games with 25+ yards rushing and has reached paydirt three times on the ground this season. At the very least, Nix is a serviceable bye-week fill-in.
MORE: NFL Power Rankings Week 7 – More Penalties, More Problems
Our NFL Power Rankings are as consistent as the weekly ref show! Click through the latest update to see where your team stands heading into Week 7!
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills (10.2%)
With James Cook sidelined by a toe injury, Ray Davis finally got to show the NFL world what he is capable of. One week after not logging a single carry, Davis toted the ball 20 times for 97 yards (4.9 yards per carry) in the Buffalo Bills’ Monday night victory. He flashed his ability as a pass-catcher as well with 55 yards on three receptions. Cook’s status will certainly impact Davis’ outlook as a fantasy asset. However, the fact that he commanded the backfield over Ty Johnson in his absence indicates that he is the RB to own behind the Bills’ starter.
Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas Raiders (35.6%)
With Zamir White out of commission for the second straight week, Alexander Mattison got to serve as the top gun in the Las Vegas Raiders backfield. This is notably a Raiders offense that has been horrendous when it comes to running the football all season. Mattison was incredibly inefficient with his 14 carries, but he did add five receptions and found the end zone. Speaking of the end zone, even when White has been healthy and drawing the bulk of the carries, Mattison has been the RB handling red zone work. Whether he plays the majority of snaps or not, he appears to be the preferred Raiders running back for fantasy purposes at this juncture.
WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (49.1%)
This marks the third consecutive week that Josh Downs has appeared in our fantasy football waiver wire pickups column, and I am begging for it to be the last. Seriously, what more does a player have to do to be rostered in 50% of leagues?! Downs has seen 9+ targets and 7+ receptions in three straight games. He has averaged 19.2 PPR points spanning those three contests and ranks as the WR35 on the season despite missing the first two games entirely! The fear of some drop-off is valid when Anthony Richardson inevitably takes back the reins from Joe Flacco at quarterback, but Downs’ role in the Indianapolis Colts’ offense isn’t going anywhere.
JuJu Smith-Schuster (17.8%)
Managers can often overlook players on a team coming off a bye when making their fantasy football waiver wire pickups. This week’s case study is Kansas City Chiefs’ wideout, JuJu Smith-Schuster. In the team’s first game after losing Rashee Rice to injury, it was Smith-Schuster who rose to the occasion over the rest of the receiving corps. The veteran caught seven of eight targets for 130 yards, good for his best performance in well over a year. Operating out of the slot, he will remain a primary option for Patrick Mahomes moving forward.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (18.3%)
Whether or not the New England Patriots’ quarterback switch from Jacoby Brissett to rookie Drake Maye provides a long-term boost to the skill position players remains to be seen. Given how thin the TE position is in fantasy, Hunter Henry remains a decent option. As rookie QBs tend to lean on their tight ends, Henry is perhaps the player who will benefit most from the change going forward. He found the end zone for the first time this season in Week 6, and his five total targets marked the second-most he has seen in a game thus far. Given how bad the Pats’ offensive line is, managers can expect Henry to at least have streamable value as a security blanket for Maye.
Theo Johnson, New York Giants (2.9%)
Theo Johnson continues to operate as the top TE in the New York Giants offense as a rookie. He played 89% of the team’s offensive snaps in Week 6, marking a new career high. Although he is far from the top weapon at Daniel Jones’ disposal in the passing game, Johnson has seen at least three targets in four games thus far. The last two games have been his most productive from a yardage and fantasy standpoint. Malik Nabers’ return could hurt his target share to some extent, but Johnson is getting enough snaps to warrant consideration as a bye-week filler or bench stash in deep leagues at fantasy’s leanest position.
