Fantasy Football Week 7 Waiver Wire: Best Pickups At Each Position
Another week, another injury to a marquee fantasy football player.
Aaron Rodgers became the latest NFL superstar to go down with a serious injury, sustaining a broken collarbone early in the Green Bay Packers’ game against the Minnesota Vikings. The star quarterback reportedly could miss the rest of the season.
That’s obviously terrible news for the Packers and fantasy football players alike. It’s impossible to totally replace a player of Rodgers’ caliber, but you should be able to somewhat fill the void on the waiver wire.
Aside from replacing an injured player, the waiver wire can help you align advantageous matchups for the upcoming week, or weather the storm if your team is suffering from the bye week.
So, which players are worthy of adding ahead of Week 7? Here are the best players at each position owned in 65 percent or less of Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
Quarterback: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (38 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues)
We don’t think anyone could have imagined Goff making this big of a jump in his second NFL season. The 23-year-old looked dreadful in seven starts last season, but new head coach Sean McVay’s arrival has taken the Rams’ offense to new heights. Goff has a multitude of versatile weapons, including Todd Gurley, Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp. The former No. 1 overall pick has thrown a touchdown in all but one of Los Angeles’ first six games, and he’s only thrown three interceptions. All in all, Goff is a low-risk, high-reward pickup.
Other quarterbacks to target: Josh McCown (NYJ), Brett Hundley (GB)
Running Back: Dion Lewis, New England Patriots (10 percent owned)
Lewis turned in his best performance of the season in New England’s 24-17 victory over the New York Jets, carrying the ball 11 times for 52 yards with a touchdown. While those numbers aren’t eye-popping, Lewis’ involvement in the Patriots’ Week 6 attack indicates he’ll start seeing more action on a week-to-week basis. The shifty running back can run through the tackles and also is a capable pass catcher. Not to mention, New England will face underwhelming defenses in its next two games, as the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers visit Gillette Stadium in Weeks 7 and 8, respectively.
Other running backs to pursue: Chris Ivory (JAX), Matt Forte (NYJ), Samaje Perine (WAS)
Wide Receiver: Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions (54 percent owned)
One of the NFL’s premier passing attacks resides in The Motor City. The Lions are as pass-happy as they come, as quarterback Matthew Stafford loves slinging the ball around to his slew of weapons. Golden Tate sits atop Detroit’s wide receiver depth chart, but Jones is a very strong second option. The veteran wideout shined against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, hauling in six catches for 96 yards with a touchdown. The Lions will be on bye in Week 7, but friendly matchups against average defenses like the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears await in the coming weeks.
Other wide receivers to target: Ted Ginn Jr. (NO), John Brown (ARI), Marqise Lee (JAX)
Tight End: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, New York Jets (62 percent owned)
The New York Jets weren’t expected to be well-represented on fantasy football rosters this season, but here we are. The Jets’ offense has impressed through six weeks, which has helped the team get off to a respectable 3-3 start. New York doesn’t have any elite offensive options, so McCown tends to spread the ball around. Seferian-Jenkins has become one of his favorite targets, though, as the big tight end paced the team in catches in Weeks 5 and 6. At 6-foot-5 and 262 pounds, Seferian-Jenkins is a nightmare to cover, especially in the red zone.
Other tight ends to pursue: Dion Sims (CHI)
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
