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Dan's top quarterback Week 7 fantasy pickups (2026). The best QB fantasy waiver wire pickups to add and Week 7 QB streamers for 1QB, 2QB and superflex leagues.
Week 6 was not an ideal week for quarterback production in fantasy football. Not only were fantasy managers missing some big names because of bye weeks (Jared Goff, Joe Burrow, and Kyler Murray), but teams in general struggled to put up points through the air.
Only six quarterbacks (Trevor Lawrence, Tyler Shough, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., C.J. Stroud, and Kirk Cousins) scored over 20.0 fantasy points heading into Sunday night. Only five (Lawrence, Maye, Penix, Stroud, and Shough) had more than two passing touchdowns.
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In this article, I will focus on players under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 25% rostered). Let’s look at who you should consider picking up for Week 3 below. All roster percentages will be from Yahoo fantasy leagues.
Single-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers
Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
Yahoo: 51% rostered
The Minnesota Vikings entered their Week 6 bye despite getting underwhelming results from Kyler Murray. Murray suffered a concussion in the team’s opening game and subsequently missed Week 2 because of the injury.
His play since returning in Week 3 has been uninspiring (68.8% completion rate with 644 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception plus 18 carries for 84 yards) but largely ignored due to the high-end performances of the Vikings’ defense.
As a positive, Murray had his best fantasy performance heading into the bye week, scoring 18.2 points thanks to 229 passing yards and a touchdown and 10 carries for 51 yards in a win over the New Orleans Saints. The 10 carries matched his season total over his first three games played.
That alone is a reason to be optimistic about Murray’s outlook coming out of the bye week, but there is also a chance the offensive coaching staff can use the break to figure out the best way to utilize the veteran quarterback going forward.
That, combined with a very fantasy-friendly schedule over the next three weeks (Indianapolis, Detroit, and Buffalo), makes Murray the highest priority quarterback on waiver wires heading into Week 7. He has multi-week streaming upside.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Yahoo: 15% rostered
Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons offense struggled to get much going throughout the first three quarters against the Chicago Bears in Week 6, but ultimately flipped a switch in the fourth quarter.
Penix ultimately threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 31-23 loss to the Bears. Penix scored 23.1 fantasy points in the effort, his highest mark since becoming the team’s starter in Week 3.
Penix to Dotson! The @AtlantaFalcons looking to win it 👀
@BALvsATL on NBC/Peacock
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/tYGlJCkGEx— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2026
The third-year quarterback has at least 14.0 fantasy points in three of four starts this season and has potential shootout games against the 49ers (Week 7), Bengals (Week 9), and Chiefs (Week 10) before the team’s Week 11 bye.
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Yahoo: 43% rostered
Aaron Rodgers broke his three game streak of 20+ fantasy performances against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6, but still scored 16.0 fantasy points by throwing for 253 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Rodgers had a season-high 49 pass attempts in the overtime win and has now thrown at least 40 passes in three games this season. The Steelers are averaging 38.3 pass attempts per game this season, giving Rodgers the pure volume he needs to be a QB2 with top-12 upside each week for fantasy managers.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yahoo: 24% rostered
Recent reports suggest that Baker Mayfield could return to the field in Week 7 after suffering a thumb injury in Week 3. Mayfield struggled in the Buccaneers’ first three games, completing just 63.5% of his passes for 615 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also added 11 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The veteran quarterback failed to score 15.0+ fantasy points in his first three starts, but he’s shown in the past that he can provide stretches of top 10 play thanks to his passing volume and functional rushing ability.
If Mayfield can cut down on the mistakes and turnovers, he can return to that level of play as long as his thumb is healthy. He’s a player worth stashing with bye weeks coming up in the hopes that he can recapture his form.
Two-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Stashes
Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles
Yahoo: 4% rostered
Jalen Hurts was surprisingly ruled out of the Eagles’ Week 6 matchup against the Carolina Panthers thanks to a blood clot issue. Before Sunday, the team ultimately decided to put Hurts on the injured reserve while they figure out next steps on his recovery.
Blood clots are extremely dangerous, and if doctors decide the best way to address the issue is through blood thinners, then there is a very good chance Hurts’s 2026 season is over. For now, we can safely assume that he will miss at least four games.
The Eagles started Tanner McKee in Week 6. He showed some flashes in the second half of a 25-14 loss to the Panthers, but finished with just 215 passing yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions.
Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Yahoo: 19% rostered
Fantasy managers who spent a late-round draft pick on Miami Dolphins’ quarterback Malik Willis are undoubtedly frustrated with what they have gotten. The hope was that Willis would be able to overcome a questionable supporting cast in fantasy thanks to his ability to generate fantasy points on the ground. So far that has not been the case.
Willis has just two weeks this season (Week 1 and Week 5) with more than 15.0 fantasy points scored. Coincidentally, those were the two weeks he scored a rushing touchdown. Outside of that, he has just one game with more than 10.0 fantasy points scored.
In total, the veteran quarterback has 849 passing yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. He's also added 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He is tied with Cam Ward for 29th among quarterbacks with 12.9 fantasy points per game.
Ideally, the Dolphins have used the bye week to calibrate their offense, especially with running back De’Von Achane set to miss the rest of the season. If the passing game can find some consistency (and Willis can continue to utilize his legs as a rusher) there could be some good fantasy days ahead.
J.J. McCarthy, New York Giants
Yahoo: 1% rostered
The Jameis Winston experience was excellent in Week 4 against Arizona (19.0 fantasy points) and Week 5 against the Commanders (25.7 points), but came crashing back to Earth against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6. He was ultimately benched for third year quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy was impressive at times while trying to engineer a fourth-quarter comeback, completing just 52.4% of his passes but throwing for 243 yards, a touchdown and an interception while carrying the ball two times for 26 yards. He scored 16.3 fantasy points, but ultimately fell short of leading the comeback in the final moments.
J.J. McCarthy and Isaiah Likely moving the Giants down the field!
NOvsNYG on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/Qqdku6PiTI— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
The Giants have been gradually working McCarthy onto the field (primarily as a rusher), but there is a chance that this performance encourages the team to get a longer look at him under center.
Winston may make one more start against the Houston defense in Week 7 (the Giants have a bye Week 8), but it won’t be surprising if we see McCarthy starting games in Week 9 and beyond.
Carson Beck, Arizona Cardinals
Yahoo: 1% rostered
The Arizona Cardinals offense has struggled to start the 2026 season, and reports have started to surface stating that the team intends to eventually get a look at rookie third-round quarterback Carson Beck as soon as November.
Beck impressed in his lone preseason game, completing 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he also suffered a rib injury in that game that sidelined him for the rest of the preseason. He’s healthy now but has yet to be more than the team’s emergency quarterback on game days this season.
The Cardinals won’t be competing for anything in 2026, so they need to identify any young talent worth keeping around in 2027 and beyond. If Beck does get his chance and makes the most of it, the team could reasonably pivot to other positions with a high draft pick in 2027.
It’s a matter of when, not if, Beck gets his chance to start at this point. He’s a worthwhile stash.
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