RADIO
Alex's fantasy football WR waiver wire pickups for Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. Free agent wide receivers to add, stream, and stash off waivers.
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football wide receiver waiver wire pickups for Week 7. With bye weeks in full swing, we're fortunate to face another two-team bye in the slate of games ahead. Now is a perfect time, however, to prepare for the mega-bye coming up in Week 8. In just two weeks, six teams will get a game off.
There are a few more intriguing pass-catching options ahead of this coming week than in recent ones, but many of the same problems persist. Through most of six weeks, just 13 teams are averaging more than 225 passing yards per game, following the trend of 2024. With that said, we'll attempt to navigate injuries as we suss out the targets worth grabbing.
As always, all the athletes featured in this column are available in greater than 50% of leagues and are listed below in priority order. As a reminder, please review the scoring settings in your league when discerning between available players, considering PPR formats are typically assumed. Happy hunting!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders - 45% rostered
Sunday's 20-10 win against the Tennessee Titans marked the second straight contest that Raiders' receiver Tre Tucker led his team in receiving. The third-year pro corralled all five of his targets for 70 yards in Week 6 -- the third time in four games he's cleared 60 yards. Furthermore, he's out-targeted teammate Jakobi Meyers 22-21 over that span, and now leads all Raiders receivers in yards.
It may be too early to call for a changing of the guard at the position in Las Vegas. Still, Tucker has been a more consistent option since his breakout game back in Week 3, and is the better bet of him and Meyers to record an explosive play.
The target dynamics in Las Vegas will inevitably change once tight end Brock Bowers (knee) recovers from a pesky knee injury, but he's already been ruled out for Week 7's matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. Tucker is infringing upon WR3 territory.
Kendrick Bourne, San Francisco 49ers - 32% rostered
With San Francisco still down several offensive skill players, Kendrick Bourne was relied upon yet again as the team's primary pass catcher. The veteran has now posted back-to-back 142-yard efforts and has recorded a superb 15 receptions on 20 targets over the sample. The next closest receiver in terms of yardage during that time is running back Christian McCaffrey (139).
There goes Bourne 💨
📺: CBS
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4nCVJ pic.twitter.com/LjYbhoKI6O— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 12, 2025
Bourne has been excellent and was the team's engine, even with teammate Jauan Jennings returning from injury. Jennings played just two fewer snaps than the 30-year-old (53), but was handily out-targeted 9-3.
Fellow WR Ricky Pearsall (knee) has a chance to return in Week 7, which would hurt Bourne's production. That said, Pearsall's return isn't a guarantee, and Jennings is apparently playing through multiple broken ribs and various ankle sprains.
Bourne figures to be relevant again in next weekend's bout with the visiting Falcons.
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts - 48% rostered
Downs was able to build off of his six-catch performance last weekend to post another solid receiving line (6/42/1) in the Colts' 31-27 win over Arizona. Teammate Alec Pierce was back on the field in Week 6, resuming his duties as Indianapolis's WR2 based on snap share. However, it was Downs who placed second on the team in terms of targets, finishing one behind tight end Tyler Warren's nine.
If the former North Carolina Tarheel can remain healthy, he has a chance to be the Colts' most productive wideout. Downs is easily the best athlete -- and separator -- of Indianapolis' receivers, and a reliable option for quarterback Daniel Jones on all levels of the field.
There's room for Downs to post viable fantasy numbers in Indy's pass attack, but it would come at the expense of teammate Michael Pittman Jr.
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - 8% rostered
Christian Watson (knee) is the first of two injured options highlighted ahead of Week 7, but seemingly the one closest to return. The North Dakota State product is working his way back from a torn ACL and logged his first practice session of 2025 last week.
Watson could only practice in a limited capacity leading up to his team's win over the Bengals, but head coach Matt LaFleur reports he's looked "pretty damn good," hinting that his return is near.
There are a few too many variables in Green Bay's offense for owners to immediately (and confidently) place the fourth-year pro into their lineups when he's active. Still, Watson holds value in Green Bay as a solid deep threat.
He likely takes some targets -- and playing time -- away from rookie Matthew Golden eventually, and maybe even right away.
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers - 40% rostered
I've already detailed San Francisco's injury woes above, so with that in mind, now is the perfect time to go poking around for Brandon Aiyuk (knee).
The Arizona State product is still at least a few weeks out from making his way back to the field, and, admittedly, my bet is he'll be a more valuable asset in 2026. Regardless, there's little reason he shouldn't be stashed with the injury turmoil in San Fran.
That turmoil isn't confined to the Bay Area, as the whole league has been swept up in a storm of injuries, leaving fantasy managers with little room in their IR spots. If that sounds like you, then Aiyuk can be avoided, as it's realistic that he doesn't play until November. If you have some space to spare, he's a low-cost lottery ticket on the off chance he's impactful down the stretch.
Deeper Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Pickups
Sterling Shepard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 5% rostered
There was some odd usage in the Buccaneers' offense in Week 6, and not just after Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) exited with an injury. Sterling Shepard was targeted twice on Tampa Bay's opening drive, but he didn't see his third (and final one) until a few minutes into the fourth quarter.
He'd finish with 51 yards on his two grabs, second on the team to Kameron Johnson.
It's strange that Shepard wasn't utilized at a higher clip, but Tampa Bay led with a more ground-centric attack than usual, which explains some of it. With uncertainty around Egbuka, as well as the return of veterans Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (leg), the 32-year-old should boast a sizable role in a Week 7 outing with the Detroit Lions.
It's worth noting that Shepard isn't guaranteed to operate as the Bucs' WR1, and didn't even log the most snaps in their win against the 49ers (Tez Johnson). However, he seems the most likely beneficiary of his position-mates' injury issues.
Zay Jones, Arizona Cardinals - 0% rostered
Zay Jones entered a more significant offensive role upon the exit of teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. (concussion) from Arizona's loss to the Colts. The former second-round pick missed Week 4 with a concussion of his own, but had been largely ineffective in his other four starts, hauling in no more than two catches in any outing, including appearances of one and zero receptions.
That changed in Week 6, as Jones led the Cardinals in receiving yards (79), ranking second in receptions (five) and targets (nine) behind TE Trey McBride. If Harrison clears protocol by Week 7, the veteran can be left as waiver wire fodder. If he's forced to miss more time, the latter is expected to see heavy usage again when they take on the Packers next Sunday.
Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots - 7% rostered
Kayshon Boutte appeared in Week 2's edition of this column after an impressive six-catch 103-yard effort in New England's season opener. However, he'd barely eclipsed those totals in the ensuing four games combined. In spite of the diminished production, the 23-year-old is the Patriots' snap leader at his position, on the season as a whole, and on a weekly basis.
.@KayshonBoutte1 to the end zone for the second time this half!
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/uMwUYvpaGW
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 12, 2025
There's sure to be some variance here with second-year pro Drake Maye spreading it around, but Maye has been fantastic, and Boutte has cleared 90 receiving yards in each game that he caught at least five passes. I'd still bet on Stefon Diggs coming out on top by season's end, but with some more consistency, the LSU product could have a decent weekly floor.
Van Jefferson, Tennessee Titans - 31% rostered
Jefferson is another case of "this player could be good if the guy in front of him remains injured" for next week's game, as running mate Calvin Ridley (hamstring) left the team's road loss to the Raiders with a hamstring injury. Hamstrings can be tricky, leaving Ridley's Week 7 status unclear. We'll know more in a day or two after some testing, but he should at least be a candidate for limited practice reps.
Quarterback Cam Ward is undoubtedly a work in progress, although Ridley was able to surpass 100 receiving yards in the previous game. Jefferson may not display as much success, but it's encouraging that Tennessee has seemed less shy about letting Ward throw it more recently, averaging 38.5 attempts over the past two weeks compared to 31.25 in the four games before.
I still like Elic Ayomanor in the long run, and he's playing more snaps. Jefferson could be a better, shorter-term asset, though, particularly if Ridley misses time.
Tez Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 1% rostered
Tez Johnson stepped into a larger role on Sunday, with Egbuka (hamstring) leaving the Buccaneers' 30-19 win against the 49ers, nabbing one of QB Baker Mayfield's touchdown passes on a slick fingertip snag.
TEZ JOHNSON 🙌
📺: #SFvsTB on CBS pic.twitter.com/VjxU6BYRxC
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 12, 2025
Johnson could only connect on 1-of-3 targets (45 yards), but he was out there for the most snaps amongst his teammates, playing more than Kameron Johnson and Shepard (26) in Egbuka's absence.
There's obviously some intrigue here, especially if Egbuka, Evans (hamstring), or Godwin (leg) are forced to miss more time. However, he'll be tough to trust if one of those assets returns for the team's Monday Night matchup with Detroit.
Johnson is a higher upside play than Shepard and someone to monitor for dynasty. We'll see if he can consistently crack lineups in redraft.
Thanks for reading, and good luck in your matchups next week!
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Kendrick Bourne, Tre Tucker, Josh Downs, Christian Watson, Zay Jones, Tez Johnson, and Sterling Shepard. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Kendrick Bourne, Tre Tucker, Josh Downs, Christian Watson, Zay Jones, Tez Johnson, and Sterling Shepard:
More Waiver Wire Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
