Beat the Waiver Wire: Week 7

Get ahead of your league mates and grab the players off the waiver wire that might explode in fantasy a week early.

Julia Papworth's Beat the Waiver Wire: Week 7 Julia Papworth Published 10/18/2024

 

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Here are some players to consider picking up this week, if available, to get ahead of the other managers in your league. These players include potential bye-week fill-ins, players who are returning from injury, and defenses to look at in advance. 

Week 6 Byes: Cowboys and Bears

Beat the Waiver Wire: No-Brainers

In most leagues, these guys aren't available. But if you're fortunate enough to see them on the waiver wire, grab them.

TE Cole Kmet, Chicago (74% rostered on Sleeper)

With Chicago going on a bye this week, there will be some managers who don’t want to roster two tight ends. Kmet was the TE1 last week, and after the bye, he gets to face Washington and Arizona, whose defenses have allowed the 4th and 5th most passing EPA per play. Caleb Williams has had his coming out party, and if you can grab a part of that offense, consider yourself lucky.

TE David Njoku, Cleveland (73% rostered on Sleeper)

Amari Cooper is headed out of town, and Njoku could step in to be the number one target. The passing game still needs to improve with Deshaun Watson under center, but Njoku could be a gold mine on targets alone. Managers who had him down the stretch last season will remind us how great Njoku was with good matchups, and Cleveland has some of the best for tight ends again this year.

RB Jonathon Brooks, Carolina (71% rostered on Sleeper)

Brooks was undoubtedly drafted and stashed if your league has IR, but if you don’t have IR, he might still be out there. The Panthers activated Brooks this week, opening his 21-day window. The team is taking it slow with Brooks, who tore his ACL last November, but if you have room to stash him, he might be able to help you in the fantasy playoffs.

Beat the Waiver Wire: Quarterbacks

Drake Maye, New England  (22% rostered on Sleeper)

I mentioned Maye last week, so he might have been scooped up in your league, but if not, he could be a good stopgap for bye weeks and injuries. He started slow on Sunday but finished with 243 yards passing and three touchdowns. He also showed off his legs, making him a good prospect coming into the league, rushing for 38 yards. It isn’t the best schedule for the Patriots moving forward, but that rushing baseline might be enough to make it worthwhile. Keep an eye on the injury report regarding his knee.

Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh (7% rostered on Sleeper)

Wilson took first-team reps for Pittsburgh, suggesting he might make his first start this weekend. As underwhelming as Wilson may have seemed last season in Denver, he finished the season as QB14. He threw for over 3000 yards and ran for 341. He loves throwing it deep, and that could prove fruitful with George Pickens downfield.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami (45% rostered on Sleeper)

This one is a gamble, but if Tua does return, he will still be working with some of the best offensive weapons in the league. This week, it was reported that head coach Mike McDaniel expects Tua to play again in 2024, but the question is when. The Dolphins have a nice matchup against Arizona in Week 8, a defense that has given opposing quarterbacks the eighth-longest amount of time to throw and fourth-fewest quarterback pressures on the season.

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Beat the Waiver Wire: Running Backs

Trey Benson, Arizona (26% rostered on Sleeper)
Emari Demercado, Arizona (2% rostered on Sleeper)

James Conner had his first bad week last week and only played a startling 28% of the snaps. It is tough to say if it was because of the game script/blowout by Green Bay or a possible ankle injury. There is little info about his ankle (he came out to get it taped and then returned), but Conner has never played an entire season in his career. Benson and Demarcado filled in the gaps for the Cardinals, and if Conner missed time, these two would see their playing time skyrocket. The more explosive Benson might have the highest upside, as he was clearly drafted to be the future heir apparent for Conner.

Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay (40% rostered on Sleeper)

Tucker had an incredible game last week against New Orleans, with Rachaad White out for the week. He finished with 136 yards on the ground, 45 after contact. A lot of managers with deep benches grabbed him this week on waivers, but he is still available and should be considered moving forward. He might be the most talented player in that backfield, and he can be successful both through an injury to White or Bucky Irving, but he also has stand-alone value. 

The Bucs are looking to be contenders this season, and if they see White as their workhorse, they could also limit his touches to keep him fresh—another bonus for Tucker. The next few games aren't great matchups for Tampa's RBs, but the schedule during the fantasy playoffs looks lovely, with the championship week against Carolina, one of the worst rushing defenses in the league.

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay (13% rostered on Sleeper)

Lloyd went to IR with an ankle injury and was eligible to return to practice this week. Head coach Matt LaFleur said they are getting closer to Lloyd's return, and when he does, the rookie will be the primary backup to Josh Jacobs, who has a lot of tread on his tires. The Green Bay offense is popping, and fantasy managers should be slowly collecting backup running backs with upsides if their bench space allows it.

Beat the Waiver Wire: Wide Receivers

Adam Thielen, Carolina (21% rostered on Sleeper)

Eligible to return to practice in Week 8 after spending time on the IR with a hamstring injury, Thielen will come back to a completely different vibe in Carolina. Currently, Diontae Johnson is tied for the second most targets in the NFL, and with the switch to Andy Dalton, Thielen will gladly soak up some of those targets upon his return. The Panthers have a rougher few weeks for wide receiver matchups, but it does open up near the fantasy playoffs.

Troy Franklin, Denver (7% rostered on Sleeper)

After playing 65% of snaps against the Chargers - his most so far this year - we might see rookie Franklin carve out more of a role in this Denver offense. After the game, head coach Sean Payton talked specifically about getting Franklin involved moving forward. The kid is explosive and has a college connection with Bo Nix, who is coming on in his own right.

Beat the Waiver Wire: Tight Ends

Theo Johnson, New York (6% rostered on Sleeper)

It continues to be rough out there for tight ends. Johnson’s snap percentage has been continually increasing, and even with Malik Nabers' return, the Giants now know they will have to spread the ball around more to give Nabers some longevity. Johnson has the fifth-highest routes run among all tight ends, and New York has a couple of good tight-end matchups coming up, with Pittsburgh and Carolina on the horizon.

Beat the Waiver Wire: Defense/Special Teams

Arizona Cardinals (2% rostered on Sleeper)

The Cards play Miami in Week 8. We don’t know if Tua will be back yet, but even if he is, the Dolphins are allowing 5.6 fantasy points over expectation to the opposing defense. That is the second-highest in the league.

Los Angeles Chargers (38% rostered on Sleeper)

I mentioned the Chargers last week, and if you can grab them now, I still would. After Arizona this week, they get New Orleans (rookie quarterback), Cleveland (Deshaun Watson), and then Tennesee (Will Levis).

Los Angeles Rams (19% rostered on Sleeper)

A great stash, the Rams have a run of opponents from Week 9 through Week 13 that have all given up fantasy points over expectation to opposing defenses. The team has also had its bye week, so you won’t have to worry about rostering more than one defense. 

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