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Anthony breaks down his must add fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. Add these players now off the waiver wire and win more.
RotoBaller drops our top 2025 fantasy football Week 7 waiver wire pickups for RB, WR, TE, and QB. This week's top picks include a rookie wide receiver who is getting more targets in a potent offense, a veteran who may be breaking out, and another rookie wide receiver who may be unexpectedly thrust into a featured role in one of the NFL's best offenses. This may be your big chance to add them off waivers.
This week's must-add fantasy football free agents are hand-picked to ensure you make the right picks -- waiver wire winners heading into Week 7 for running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks. Win more in 2025 with RotoBaller!
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2025 Fantasy Football: Week 7 Waiver Wire Adds
Luther Burden III, WR, Bears
Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III has shown a high ceiling in his first five games in the NFL, and it looks like he could have more work coming his way in the coming weeks. After a bye week in Week 5, he led all Bears' wide receivers with 51 receiving yards on his four catches on four targets in Monday night's win over the Commanders.
Burden had 101 yards and a touchdown in Week 3 against the Cowboys, but then had a down game in Week 4 with two catches for a total of -2 yards. Olamide Zaccheaus actually led the team with six targets, while D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze each had one more than Burden. However, with Moore's status uncertain after spending the night in the hospital, Burden could step into a more involved role in Week 7 against the Saints.
The rookie brings a high ceiling if he's on the waiver wire and is worth a speculative pickup in standard-sized leagues since the Bears are past their bye and have favorable matchups against the Saints, Ravens, Bengals, and Giants in the next four weeks.
Tez Johnson, WR, Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson seems to be trending towards a potential breakout game against the Lions in Week 7, since the Bucs will likely need him to take on a larger load due to injuries at the position. Mike Evans (hamstring), Emeka Egbuka (hamstring), and Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) are all uncertain this week and likely to be limited if available.
Johnson could be the next man up for the Bucs and offers a ton of upside as a big-play specialist against the Lions, when the Bucs will need big plays to keep up with the high-scoring Detroit offense in the Motor City. Johnson had just one catch for a 45-yard touchdown in Week 6 after snagging four catches for 59 yards in Week 5 in Seattle.
His speed and after-the-catch elusiveness give the seventh-round rookie a very high ceiling, although he has never carried the workload of a WR1 this season. He's high-risk but also potentially brings high reward from this week's waiver wire.
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Browns
Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has already been through the waiver wire cycle this season, but the rookie is heating back up and could be even more productive in the coming weeks. Fannin led the Browns with seven catches and 81 receiving yards in Week 6 against the Steelers. He was second on the team with 10 targets behind only Jerry Jeudy.
He seems to have formed a strong connection with rookie QB Dillon Gabriel, and the Browns seem ready to let Gabriel air it out, as evidenced by his massive 52 pass attempts on Sunday in Pittsburgh. Fannin played 80% of snaps in Week 6 and could be in for even more snaps and targets depending on the status of David Njoku (knee), who left the game and returned twice before ultimately being ruled out in the fourth quarter.
If Njoku misses time, there will be even more work for Fannin, although his target share is already impressive enough to make him a strong waiver wire pickup and potential play this week in a very favorable matchup against the Dolphins.
Kendrick Bourne, WR, 49ers
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne was again a pivotal part of his team's success this past weekend, and could be in store for extended work once more in Week 7. The 30-year-old has stepped up admirably with a myriad of injuries around him, compiling a 15/284 line through the last two weeks on a whopping 20 targets.
While teammates Ricky Pearsall (knee) and George Kittle (hamstring) are expected back in due time, that may not come to fruition for their meeting with the Lions on Monday night. Furthermore, fellow WR Jauan Jennings is battling multiple broken ribs, leaving his efficacy in question.
At present, Bourne seems like a good bet to be heavily involved again when his team next takes the field, with the uncertainty surrounding the return of his teammates.
Bam Knight, RB, Cardinals
Late Sunday morning, it was announced that Arizona Cardinals' running back Bam Knight was bumped up to the top of the Cardinals' depth chart at running back, and he responded with 34 yards on 11 carries and scored a one-yard touchdown in the Cardinals' 31-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Knight also contributed through the air, hauling in one of his two targets for a 20-yard reception.
Meanwhile, Michael Carter had a very similar line, rushing for 34 yards on 11 carries and had two receptions for 30 yards. Emari Demercado was barely involved, seeing only one carry on the afternoon. All of this to say, it appears that the Cardinals have no interest in giving Carter the full reins of this backfield, and moving forward, both Knight and Carter will provide RB3 value, and fantasy managers should expect them both to see 10-15 touches per game.
The Cardinals have a tough matchup coming up against the Green Bay Packers before their Week 8 bye. Fantasy managers beware, Trey Benson (knee) is eligible to return in Week 10 and will likely become the lead back once he returns.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal exploded in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins with 18 carries for 124 yards (6.89 YPC) and three catches for 14 yards with a receiving touchdown.
With rookie sensation Omarion Hampton (ankle) set to miss at minimum the next three games, Vidal was the clear RB1 in this offense, with Hassan Haskins hardly used on Sunday, with only six carries for 14 yards and one reception for nine yards. Vidal played 70% of the snaps, while Haskins played only 28% of them.
Vidal proved he is the running back fantasy managers should prioritize in this offense, and moving forward, Vidal should provide low-end RB2 value until Hampton returns. Up next for the Chargers is a tougher matchup at home against the Indianapolis Colts, who rank in the top 10 against opposing running backs.
Cade Otton, TE, Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has seen more involvement in the offense over the last two weeks, with the team's receiving corps extremely banged up. Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (leg) were unavailable in Sunday's win over the San Francisco 49ers, and rookie first-rounder Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) also suffered an injury that is expected to cost him time.
Otton caught five of a season-high six targets for 51 yards in Week 6 and now has nine grabs on 11 targets for 132 yards in the last two games. The 26-year-old's five catches led the team against San Fran.
Even if Evans can make it back for the Monday night game in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, Otton should be in line for an elevated role once again with both Egbuka and Godwin sidelined. He deserves attention on the waiver wire this week and is rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues. Otton will be a TE2 streamer in Week 7.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Luther Burden, Tez Johnson, Harold Fannin, Kendrick Bourne, Bam Knight, Kimani Vidal, Sterling Shepard, Hassan Haskins, Josh Downs, Cade Otton, Mason Taylor, Jordan Whittington, Sean Tucker, Luke McCaffrey. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Darren Waller, Kimani Vidal, Hassan Haskins, Kenneth Gainwell, Romeo Doubs, Mason Taylor, Tory Horton, Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence. 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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.
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Popular Waiver Wire Searches. Curious to see some tough waiver wire decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Pickup? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Luther Burden, Tez Johnson, Harold Fannin, Kendrick Bourne, Bam Knight, Kimani Vidal, Sterling Shepard, Hassan Haskins, Josh Downs, Cade Otton, Mason Taylor, Jordan Whittington, Sean Tucker, Luke McCaffrey:
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