I don’t often gloat in my intros, especially about the Waiver Wire, but we did a damn fine job last week. On top of calling Kimani Vidal the lead back for the Chargers, two of my picks found the endzone in Week 6. Sure, Tory Horton put up a goose egg, but there was a reason he was the 5th option! All in all, a solid set of picks. Let’s see if we can stack them heading into Week 7.
A few quick notes: I use ESPN as my baseline, so players must be available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues to be included on the list. I’m also a proponent of streaming QB, TE, K, and DEF, so you’ll rarely see those positions on my list; they’re easily available for free after the waiver period. Save your FAAB! Now, let’s hit the Top 5.
Bye Week Notes: This week, the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are on bye. Watch your league’s drops this week for players from these teams who were cut out of desperation.
Week 7 Fantasy Football Waivers
Jaxson Dart (65% Available on ESPN, 55% on Sleeper)
As mentioned in the intro, I only suggest QBs or TEs if I think they can take you out of the streaming game. After three weeks, Dart seems to be that guy. Since taking over the job in Week 4, Dart is the QB8 in fantasy. He’s thrown a TD in every game and, after a rocky first outing, he has been around 200 yards passing in each of the last two. And he’s doing that with almost no help at wide receiver. His fantasy ranking is mainly owed to his legs. Dart is averaging 56 rushing yards per game and already has two rushing TDs in those three starts. That production gives him a safe floor. FAIR WARNING: The Giants play in Denver in Week 7, and they have been rough on QBs. Don’t let one bad week scare you away, though.
Kimani Vidal (73% Available on ESPN, 54% on Sleeper)
I know it’s impolite to say I told you so. So, I definitely won’t say I told you so…even though I definitely told you so. Is Vidal going to rush for 100 yards and be a top-10 back every week? No, no, he is not. But he is likely to lead this backfield if the Chargers don’t swing a trade, and that will make him an RB2 option for fantasy managers. Plus, reports are that Omarion Hampton will miss more than the minimum four weeks on IR, meaning Vidal could carry you well into November. Vidal is a solid runner and a decent pass-catcher. He does both of those things better than Hassan Haskins and Nyheim Hines. He’s safer than you think, as long as that is his competition.
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Tyjae Spears (77% Available on ESPN, 67% on Sleeper)
The Titans are impossible to trust, but Spears outsnapped and outperformed Tony Pollard this week. Tennessee was getting beaten…again…and the team probably just used garbage time to get Spears back acclimated after missing the first month of the season. Still, Spears is a good runner and an above-average pass-catcher. He caught four balls in Week 6. Fantasy managers should not ignore that, especially those already rostering Tony Pollard.
Sterling Shepard (85% Available on ESPN, 76% on Sleeper)
Who the hell else is Baker Mayfield throwing to? Mike Evans: Still hurt. Chris Godwin: Hurt again. Emeka Egbuka: Might be hurt. Shepard could be the most reliable target left on one of the league’s better passing offenses. He’s been a top-40 receiver the last two weeks, filling in for Godwin, and should see a bump in Week 7 if Egbuka misses time. Shepard is not going to match the yardage numbers we’ve seen from the rookie, but he is a nice PPR option and has already found the endzone this season.
Zonovan “Bam” Knight (95% Available on ESPN, 82% on Sleeper)
Are you tired of guessing which Arizona RB to roster yet? All three have made this list in consecutive weeks. In fact, Trey Benson was here before his injury, so we are four for four in the worst way possible. As I mentioned with Emari Demercado and Michael Carter, don’t blow a lot of FAAB or your #1 priority on Knight, but if you can get him cheap, have at it. Two touchdowns in two weeks indicate he has secured the short-yardage role, which will provide him with some RB2/Flex value until Benson returns. Carter is still the best pass-catcher of the group, and that makes him a better fantasy option if he’s available in your league.
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You can also find Club Fantasy’s Week 7 rankings here!