October 18, 2016

Tony Peters identifies deeper 2016 fantasy football PPR sleepers & Week 7 NFL waiver wire pickups. These PPR RBs, WRs & TEs should be added off the waiver wire as fantasy football sleepers.

Welcome, welcome, RotoBallers. Please join me for my deeper PPR league sleepers column for Week 7 of the NFL season.

In this weekly article, we are going to take a look at some deeper waiver wire options for PPR leagues and target players who could help out your team in the upcoming week.

The following waiver wire suggestions for Week 7 of the NFL season are all owned in 15% or less of Fleaflicker leagues (except for one, but he'll be there in a few days, no worries there).

Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 7 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS

PPR Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Adds

Kenny Britt (WR, LA) - 10% Owned

Being the lead receiver on the Rams is anything but a glamorous role. Yet that is the role that veteran Kenny Britt serves these days, and it's one that's only beginning to bear fruit. His quarterback, Case Keenum, is anything but a polished product, but he's finally showing signs of progress, which is all Britt needs to be a fantasy asset going forward. The Rams will have plenty of chances to throw in Week 7 against a Giants' team allowing the second-most targets and third-most yards to wide receivers on the season. Oh, and five touchdowns over the past four weeks, tied for fifth-most during that time.

Kendall Wright (WR, TEN) - 3% Owned

Since returning from a preseason hamstring injury, Kendall Wright had been a slow starter before his Week 6 outburst, something not helped by a bad streak from his quarterback, Marcus Mariota. But then Mariota went off against the Browns and Wright reaped the benefits, easily leading his team in receptions and yards with eight and 133, respectively. If there is one thing the Titans are struggling with, it has been finding someone for Mariota to throw it to as the team rotates fantasy black holes for receivers. Wright has a fabulous matchup against the Colts in Week 7, whose defense is giving up the seventh-most targets and yards to wide receivers this year. If Wright can stay on the field for the remainder of the season, he could be a deep league play beyond this week.

Ty Montgomery (WR, GB) - 1% Owned

Enter the next young player to make a loud fantasy boom: the Packers' Ty Montgomery. The second-year wide receiver who has had a fairly silent fantasy career so far was the star of the Packers' Week 6 30-16 loss to the Cowboys. He set new career-highs with 10 catches and 98 yards receiving, leading the all Packer receivers on the day. But don't get too excited with Montgomery, he might not be the next Cameron Meredith. He was used in five-receiver sets in Week 6 and saw a bigger role with running back James Starks out and fellow back Eddie Lacy playing with a bum ankle--even throwing in three rushes for six yards in his great game--which means he isn't going to be pushed into a bigger role on a full-time basis yet. But with a tasty matchup against a reeling Bears' team on short rest Thursday and Starks out for multiple weeks, Montgomery is worth a speculative add.

Others: Pierre Garcon (14% owned) might not be visiting the Lions' pass defense at their worst come Week 7, but with Jordan Reed dealing with concussion issues, that uptick in production is likely not an aberration while the star tight end is out. Ricardo Louis (0% owned) could be an emerging rookie on a Browns' team with nothing but the future to play for and a decent Week 7 matchup against a Bengals' defense giving up the 10th-most yards and fifth-most touchdowns to wide receivers over the past four weeks. Marqise Lee (1% owned) is starting to cut into the catches of other more-owned Jaguar receivers at a great time as the team faces a Raiders' pass defense that, while improving, is still giving up sixth-most targets and seventh-most yards to wide receivers over the past four weeks.

PPR Running Back Waiver Wire Adds

Chris Thompson (RB, WAS) - 8% Owned

Sorry to those in need of a pick-me-up at running back this week: the cupboard's fairly empty. But if you are really desperate, the Redskins' Chris Thompson is coming off an acceptable dual-threat Week 6 performance that saw him catch all three of his targets for 29 yards while rushing nine times for 37 yards. The Lions' run defense is fairly strong, but they are susceptible to damage from pass-catching backs. They are allowing the ninth-most targets and receiving yards to running backs this year.

Kyle Juszczyk (RB, BAL) - 0% Owned

I know, I keep talking about Kyle Juszczyk every week and his ownership rate keeps being non-existent. But after catching 4-of-6 targets for 25 yards in Week 6, he's tied for 10th in the NFL in targets with 21. However, as a short yardage target only, he has a meager 111 yards over that time. But PPR players don't need all those yards or even red zone targets to earn points, which keeps Juszczyk's flicker of PPR value alive in the deepest, darkest recesses of the waiver wire. He'll draw a great matchup Week 7 against a Jets' team allowing the sixth-most targets and seventh-most receiving yards to running backs over the past four weeks.

PPR Tight End Waiver Wire Adds

C.J. Fiedorowicz (TE, HOU) - 1% Owned

Another week has gone by and C.J. Fiedorowicz has another solid game under his belt as the space between him and the Texans' other current options at tight end keeps growing. Despite facing a Colts' defense Sunday that had been able to limit tight end production over the past four weeks, he caught 6-of-7 targets for 85 yards and a touchdown. Fiedorowicz draws a tough matchup on paper against the Broncos in Week 7, but they happen to be giving up roughly the same production to tight ends as the Colts have recently but with slightly more red zone targets (three to the Colts' one).

Vernon Davis (TE, WAS) - 4% Owned

An old-time favorite, Vernon Davis found his way back on the fantasy radar when the starter in front of him, Jordan Reed, went down with his most recent concussion last Sunday. While he's clearly not the player he was for the 49ers, Davis has caught 6-of-9 targets for 73 yards over the past three weeks, weeks in which Reed was healthy more often than not. With Reed's Week 7 status uncertain at the point, Davis could find himself in line for another day of moderate targets with the Redskins facing the porous Lions' defense. As long as quarterback Kirk Cousins can take advantage of a Lions' team giving up the seventh-most points to quarterbacks over the past four weeks, Davis should be able to cash-in on a team also giving up the eighth-most points to tight ends.

Others: Larry Donnell (1% owned) had a decent PPR day in his return from a concussion Week 6 when he caught 6-of-7 targets for 34 yards. He'll be limited in the yards department Week 7 when he faces the Rams, but he may be able to make up for that with a touchdown against a team allowing the most red zone targets to tight ends over the past four weeks with eight. Lance Kendricks (1% owned) is still doing just barely enough for PPR owners and could put together back-to-back touchdown games when the Rams face a Giants' defense that has allowed five red zone targets to tight ends over the last two weeks.