Waiver Wire Targets: Week 7
The difference in your week one game may have been changed based on one injury or one player putting up a dud. In order to prevent that from happening next week and each week following, here are a couple guys at each position who are owned in 50% of leagues or less according to NFL.com:
Quarterback:
Andy Dalton, Bengals – Owned in 29% of leagues
Andy Dalton has been one of the most consistent backup fantasy QBs this season. He has performed well in tough games and this week should be no different. Going up against the offensive juggernaut that is the KC Chiefs, Dalton and the offense will need to perform to give their team a realistic chance of winning. Combined that with the Chiefs’ defense who has allowed 23.41 fantasy points against to opposing QBs and things are looking good for Dalton this week.
Dak Prescott, Cowboys – Owned in 20.9% of leagues
Dak Prescott showed a whole new version of himself this past week. For the first time all year, Dak topped 20 fantasy points. He rushed for 82 yards which is a career high and doing it against a tough Jaguars’ defense is even more impressive. This is the first time we have seen the Dak that was so impressive his rookie year. If he can continue this newfound production, he could become a viable fantasy QB going forward.
Eli Manning, Giants – Owned in 4.8% of leagues
Eli Manning has been absolutely dreadful this year. The only reason he has any reason to be on a fantasy team at this point is based on matchup and supporting cast. The Atlanta Falcons’ defense has allowed over 25 fantasy PPG to QBs this year. Every team who has played them has pretty much had success throwing the football. With playmakers such as OBJ, Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley, it just seems so difficult to think Eli will do poorly this week.
Running Back:
Wendell Smallwood, Eagles – Owned in 12.9% of leagues
Smallwood took the primary RB role for the Eagles this past week as we predicted. He led the team in carries despite Clement having a better day from a fantasy perspective. This backfield may turn into a full blown committee between Smallwood and Clement, but we have seen multiple Eagles’ RBs remain fantasy relevant in committees in the past so he is still worth a roster spot for anyone in need of RB help.
Latavius Murray, Vikings – Owned in 18.1% of leagues
Murray was the starter this week after Dalvin was ruled out late in the week. He definitely took advantage of the opportunity this time. He ran for 155 yards on 24 carries and scored a touchdown. This season has been a mixed bag for Murray who has failed to live up to the hype in previous weeks. If he keeps getting opportunities from Cook being out, he will continue to have value. He should at the very least be picked up by any owners who have Dalvin as a handcuff.
Frank Gore, Dolphins – Owned in 5.2% of leagues
The ageless wonder strike again. At this point, it just seems crazy that Gore is not only still playing, but he is thriving. On Sunday, he became the RB all year to have over 100 yards rushing against the stingy Bears’ defense. This was the 4th straight week where Gore has received more carries than Kenyan Drake. While Drake is still talented and he will continue to have a role, the Dolphins clearly believe Gore has some juice left in the tank.
Ito Smith, Falcons – Owned in 0.5% of leagues
Ito has had a quietly productive rookie year from a fantasy perspective. While he has struggled with efficiency running the ball, he has scored a TD in each of the last three weeks. With Freeman now on IR, expect the falcons to continue to distribute the ball between Smith and Coleman. He is at the very least worth a bench spot and could be a great plug in when other RBs have byes.
Raheem Mostert, 49ers – Owned in <.1% of leagues
To the displeasure of many fantasy owners, we got fooled by “Shanahanigans”. This time it was Coach Kyle Shanahan who surprisingly benched Alfred Morris for unproven Mostert. It was later discovered the primary reason was he believed Mostert had a better week of practice and he would complement Breida better in this matchup. Whatever the reasoning was, Mostert took advantage of the opportunity and he led the 49ers in rushing yards. Mostert may just be a one week wonder, but if he isn’t he is a great stash player given Breida’s injury issues.
Wide Receiver:
Taylor Gabriel, Bears – Owned in 3.2% of leagues
Gabriel has really stepped into the spotlight in Chicago becoming their primary deep threat. He now has over 100 yards receiving in two straight games and he leads the Bears in receiving yards on the season. He still is risky as most deep threat WRs are, but his ability to break a huge play at any time makes him an ideal pickup for people looking to add some upside to their roster. He is the WR to own in Chicago.
Cole Beasley, Cowboys – Owned in 2.8% of leagues
Cole Beasley has always been a sneakily solid fantasy player. After some slow weeks to start the season, he finally had his breakout game catching nine passes for 101 yards and two TDs. Dak had one of his best games of the season and Beasley was the main beneficiary. The experience and chemistry between Beasley and Dak should allow them to continue where they left off next week in a division matchup against the Redskins.
Albert Wilson, Dolphins – Owned in 1.1% of leagues
Albert Wilson has been one of the most explosive WRs in the NFL this season. I thought having Brock Osweiler in would significantly inhibit Miami’s ability to throw the football, but clearly, he was able to step up and Wilson benefitted significantly. He has definitely passed Parker on the depth chart and expect Adam Gase to continue to look for more ways to get Wilson the ball in space and let him make plays.
Chester Rogers, Colts – Owned in 0.8% of leagues
Rogers has been one player who has really stepped up since T.Y. went down with an injury a couple weeks back. He has over 50 yards in each of the last three weeks as well as 32 targets over that time. Whether T.Y. comes back this week or not, Rogers has earned the #2 WR role on the Colts and he is quickly emerging as one of Andrew Luck’s favorite receivers.
Christian Kirk, Cardinals – Owned in 1.9% of leagues
Kirk has been the best receiver on the Cardinals in recent weeks. He had a good showing this week catching six passes for 77 yards. This is the third time in four games that he has led the Cardinals in receiving and he clearly has the better chemistry with rookie QB Josh Rosen. Despite Larry Fitzgerald being one of the better veterans in the league, it looks like it might not be too long till Kirk becomes the top receiver on the team (if he hasn’t already).
Tight End:
Austin Hooper, Falcons – Owned in 22.6% of leagues
Austin Hooper has legitimized himself as a quality fantasy tight end this season. He has now caught 18 of 22 targets for 148 yards in Atlanta’s last two games. The Falcons have desperately needed all the receivers they can get since they have relied on their offense to win shootouts in just about every week they have played. Hooper has really stepped up and he is becoming a target that Matt Ryan relies on.
C.J. Uzomah, Bengals – Owned in 2% of leagues
Uzomah has been a hot name on the waiver wire this week for tight ends. He is still owned in only 2% of leagues despite his recent success. While he has yet to find the endzone since taking over the starting role, Dalton looked very comfortable throwing him the ball. It seems like he has become Dalton’s go to guy behind Green and Boyd. Expect Uzomah to continue to improve as the season goes on and he is a great pickup option for anyone who needs a tight end.
O.J. Howard, Buccaneers – Owned in 38.6% of leagues
After some time off, Howard was able to recover from the knee injury he has been dealing with and had a good rebound game. He was able to connect with Winston for the first time this season and he should be the Bucs’ TE to own for the rest of the year. Howard has scored at least five points every game that he has played the full time. If he can continue to have good chemistry with Winston, there’s no reason why he wouldn’t be able to have a productive fantasy season.