Waiver Wire: Week 7
Here at Fighting Chance Fantasy, we will have a collective effort to bring some options to improve your team. Seth Quinn (@SethFQuinn) will cover quarterbacks, Michael Chasco (@ChascoFCF) will cover running backs, Matt Miles (@DirtyAirFC) will cover wide receivers, and Leo Grandio (@smooth1074) will cover the tight ends and defense streamers.
Quarterbacks (Seth Quinn)
Check to see if these quarterbacks are available to add first: CJ Stroud 73%, Matthew Stafford 72% Rostered, and Russell Wilson 55% Rostered.
Sam Howell | Washington Commanders
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 38%
Sam Howell continues his solid fantasy play, putting up 18.34 fantasy points this past week against the Atlanta Falcons. He still has good weapons and has been good despite Jahan Dotson not getting involved as much as people expected so far this season. If Howell continues to spread the ball around to his weapons under Eric Bieniemy’s guidance, he will continue to succeed in fantasy.
Derek Carr | New Orleans Saints
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 25%
With the return to form from Alvin Kamara, Derek Carr is starting to get his footing in the Saints' offense, putting up 17.32 fantasy points this past week. Carr has also done a good job of getting his top weapons involved beyond Kamara out of the backfield with Chris Olave putting up a typical solid stat line for him of 7 catches for 96 yards, and Rashid Shaheed making the most of his four touches with 103 total yards and a touchdown. If Carr continues to take advantage of his weapons, he will only get better fantasy-wise from here.
Tyrod Taylor | New York Giants
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 2%
Assuming Daniel Jones is out longer due to injury, Tyrod Taylor makes sense to add. The Giants don’t have the best weapons, but Taylor’s combination of smart decision-making and solid running ability makes him an interesting fantasy option. Taylor won’t wow fans or fantasy managers with his play, but he has the potential to put up solid fantasy numbers on a consistent basis after putting up 10.40 points against a good Bills defense.
Running Backs (Michael Chasco)
Devin Singletary | Texans
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 13%
Could we have a new timeshare to monitor in Houston? It was Devin Singletary and not Dameon Pierce who was trying to close out a stout Saints defense on Sunday. A surprising development, considering Pierce had dominated snaps and touches during the previous five games of the season for the Texans.
Singletary played nine of the 13 snaps in the fourth quarter of a tightly contested game compared to Pierce's two. Singletary eventually out-snapped Pierce for the game and saw season-high percentages in snaps, rushing attempts, and targets. It was Pierce's worst game of the season, from a usage standpoint, finishing with season-low percentages in snaps and rushing attempts while failing to earn a single target. Coach DeMeco Ryans had a positive view of the backfield, speaking in the postgame on Sunday. Could this hint to more work for Singletary going forward?
Too bad we will have to wait another week to see how this backfield shakes out. If the split continues, Singletary could play himself into fantasy lineups soon after the bye. Some fantasy managers don't have the luxury to stash a player this week, so you might be able to get Singletary cheap to find out if you have a viable fantasy starter for free. You could get lucky and add a long-term player with upside under the fantasy radar.
Zach Evans | Rams
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 4%
In the last couple of weeks, the Rams opted to use Zach Evans as the third running back behind starter Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers. Los Angeles lost Williams and Rivers to injury against the Cardinals, which may lead to more opportunities for the sixth-round rookie, Evans. Williams is expected to miss next week but may have a short stay on the inactive list with an ankle injury. Rivers will be out at least a month with a PCL sprain and could be a candidate for the Injured Reserve and miss the next four games. Even if Williams can somehow come back to play this week Evans could still have a role going forward.
Jordan Mason | 49ers
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 7%
Another backfield to monitor this week is how San Francisco treats the injury to fantasy star Christian McCaffrey. After an MRI earlier this week, the 49ers believe McCaffrey escaped a long-term IR stay after suffering core injuries to his ribs and oblique. If McCaffrey were to miss their next game, Mason and veteran Elijah Mitchell would form an interesting timeshare until McCaffrey is ready to return.
Kareem Hunt | Browns
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 37%
Kareem Hunt came into Week 6 with just 12 total touches since signing with the Browns earlier this season but saw an expanded role in the upset win against San Francisco. Hunt carried the ball 12 times for 47 yards and a touchdown, playing behind starter Jerome Ford. Ford is the clear starter, and Hunt is more of a complementary piece rather than threatening for lead role duties at this stage of his career. If Hunt can remain in a timeshare with Ford, he can reach flex-option territory as long as he continues to receive double-digit touches.
Tyjae Spears | Titans
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 48%
Another backfield to keep an eye on during its bye week is Tennessee. Ryan Tannehill suffered an ankle injury last week, and the veteran quarterback may miss extra time. If Tannehill isn't fit to play, the Titans could lean more on the dynamic duo of Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears going forward. The run game can be featured more as either young quarterback Malik Willis or Will Levis manages the game while Tannehill is out. It was Willis who hit Spears on a 48-yard screenplay coming in for the injured Tannehill.
Spears appeared in 52% of Tennessee's offensive snaps on Sunday and took 25% of the rushing attempts. If you have been reading previous weeks, you know Spears has had a role in this offense all season long. At the very least, we know how the Titans are using Spears in the offense. Spears has played 100% of the long down and distance and two-minute snaps for the last two weeks. The limit to his upside is Henry has 100% of the snaps inside of the five-yard line. If Henry were to miss time for any reason, Spears could be launched inside the top 15 options for that week. Can we get him to at least 50% rostered before Week 8?
Latavius Murray | Bills
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 14%
Latavius Murray saw his largest workload of the season for the Bills last week. Surprisingly, Murray received the majority of the first-quarter snaps on Sunday Night, putting a large scare into fantasy managers who were counting on James Cook to save their matchups. Murray finished with 45 yards and 12 carries while splitting carries with Cook. Murray was already seeing a significant uptick in usage before his teammate Damien Harris left the contest with a neck injury. Murray is worth a look on waiver wires as long as he's settling into two-minute and RedZone situations and possibly more. Murray is the oldest active running back in the league but could carve out a significant role in one of the best fantasy offenses. If Cook were to miss any time, Murray could become an RB2 option down the road. Before you add, be aware the Bills are kicking the tires on free agent Leonard Fournette. Stay tuned.
Craig Reynolds | Lions
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 2%
Leadback David Montgomery is expected to miss time after suffering a rib injury last Sunday against Tampa Bay. Rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs missed the last two weeks due to a hamstring injury and didn't practice at all last week. If Gibbs isn't able to play this week, Reynolds could be a short-term RB2 play with a more primary role. This is a backfield to monitor as the week progresses.
Wide Receivers (Matt Miles)
Check to see if these Wide Receivers are available to add first: TuTu Atwell 54%, Tank Dell 58% Rostered, and Romeo Doubs 64% Rostered.
Josh Downs | Indianapolis Colts
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 33%
This is your last call to grab Josh Downs. Gardner Minshew might end up as the starting quarterback for the rest of 2023 for the Indianapolis Colts. Downs was second in targets last week with eight, posting a 5/21/1 line. With a shoulder injury to Alec Pierce, Downs is shaping up to be a PPR Slot Machine, giving serviceable WR2 numbers with Minshew at the helm, making Downs a must-add this week.
Curtis Samuel | Washington Commanders
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 34%
Pop-quiz: Who has more PPR points this season? Devonta Smith or Curtis Samuel? Smith has 73.4 points while Samuel has 75.5. Samuel has been Sam Howell's security blanket this season. Samuel's target share and role in the Commanders' offense is the same every week, making him a solid floor-play for the bye weeks. Grab Samuel now before your league mates do.
Marvin Mims Jr. | Denver Broncos
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 25%
Marvin Mimms Jr's efficiency is off the charts. Every time he touches the ball, he's a threat for an explosive play. Add in the strong trade rumors for Jerry Jeudy and Mims makes an excellent speculative play to pop in the weeks ahead. Bonus for return yards and return touchdowns if your league scoring counts them. Get Mims on your roster!
Tight Ends (Leo Grandio)
Check to see if these tight ends are available to add first: Pat Freiermuth 54%, Logan Thomas 58% Rostered, Dalton Kincaid 50% Rostered, Zach Ertz 53% Rostered, Dalton Schultz 51% Rostered.
Luke Musgrave | Green Bay Packers
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 19%
With so many teams on bye and with most of the tight ends that I have been touting now rostered in over 50% of leagues, the pickings may be slim at tight end this week. Luke Musgrave was targeted seven times before last week’s bye and was able to bring in six receptions for 34 yards. In Week 7 Musgrave will be facing the Broncos who are allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season and he is worth adding in 12-team leagues.
Jonnu Smith | Atlanta Falcons
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 19%
I must say even with Kyle Pitts finally being productive, it’s pretty amazing that Jonnu Smith has still been useful for fantasy managers. Over the last five weeks, Smith has averaged 11.48 fantasy points per contest. With Byemagedon here Smith is must add in 12-team leagues.
Michael Mayer | Las Vegas Raiders
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 5%
Dalton Kincaid, and Sam LaPorta have gotten most of the love so far from the fantasy community. Now fellow rookie Michael Mayer is ready to join the party. Over the last two weeks, Mayer has started to see his usage continue to grow in the offense. In Week 6, he set a new career high in snaps as he was in the offense in 57 out of the 70 snaps the Raiders had on Sunday. With so many teams on bye this week Mayer is another tight end to add since he has a favorable match-up in Week 7. The Bears are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season.
Trey McBride | Arizona Cardinals
Yahoo! Roster Ownership: 1%
In deeper leagues, a tight end to consider adding is Trey McBride. There may be a change in the guard happening in Arizona as McBride actually out-snapped Zach Ertz for the first time this season 44 to 35. This led to McBride posting four receptions for 62 yards on five targets.
Defense (Leo Grandio)
Cleveland Browns Defense 29% Rostered: The Browns Defense gets to face the Gardener Minshew-led Colts. Minshew just turned the ball over four times, making the Browns very intriguing add this week.
Seattle Seahawks Defense 23% Rostered: The Seahawks have the Cardinals coming to town in Week 7.
Washington Commanders Defense 31% Rostered: The Commanders play the Giants in Week 7 who are allowing the most fantasy points to opposing defenses this season.
Las Vegas Raiders Defense 47% Rostered: The Raiders tangle with the Bears who will be without Justin Fields this week.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further feel free to reach out to us at @FCFantasySports.