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Jackson Sparks' deeper-league waiver wire sleepers for Week 7 (2024). His top free agent sleepers for 14-team fantasy football leagues or deeper.
We're already onto Week 7 of the fantasy football season. As experienced deep-league fantasy managers know, the waiver wire is getting ultra-thin and there are rarely obvious pickups in these kinds of setups after the first few weeks of action. Most of these Week 7 waiver wire suggestions are speculative pickups who might have a tough time producing consistently. That's the nature of deep leagues, so let's get to it!
The top waiver-wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10- and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 teams or more. Some of these Week 7 deeper-league waiver-wire suggestions could have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future.
We won't cover chalk waiver-wire pickups for shallower leagues like Alexander Mattison and Tyrone Tracy Jr. Instead, we'll only mention players who are under 40% rostered in Yahoo leagues. Without further ado, here are the top deeper-league waiver-wire targets for Week 7, including Drake Maye, Tyler Allgeier, Kimani Vidal, Sean Tucker, Demario Douglas, Michael Wilson, Zach Ertz, and more.
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Running Back Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues
Tyler Allgeier is not a starter, which often leads to inexperienced fantasy managers staying away from him. However, he should have already been rostered in deep leagues, especially after his performance against the Panthers. The third year back out of BYU turned 19 touches into 108 yards and a touchdown working alongside Bijan Robinson. Allgeier has standalone flex value, and he's arguably the top handcuff RB in the NFL.
Isaac Guerendo ripped off a 76-yard run to seal the victory for the 49ers on Thursday Night, and Jordan Mason suffered a shoulder injury that puts his Week 7 status in doubt. Christian McCaffrey will not play in Week 7, so Guerendo could see a spot-start. If Mason is out, Guerendo has RB1 upside in one of the league's best offenses. If Mason plays, the rookie from Louisville is still worth stashing for now.
Ty Chandler could be Minnesota's starter at RB in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions. Aaron Jones suffered a hamstring and hip injury in Week 5's win over the Jets in London, so his status will be worth monitoring. Detroit's front seven has done a masterful job in limiting running backs, but especially in deep leagues, any starting ball carrier is worth rolling the dice on.
Roschon Johnson is out of action on a bye in Week 7. However, he's handled at least seven touches in each of the last four games and has three touchdowns on his 2024 resume. The Bears' offense led by Caleb Williams is starting to heat up, so Johnson could have flex value down the stretch.
Kimani Vidal racked up 51 total yards and a touchdown on just six touches in his NFL debut, and he's worth a roster spot while Gus Edwards is on Injured Reserve. Edwards cannot return until at least Week 10. Vidal might prove to have flex value behind J.K. Dobbins, and if Dobbins gets banged up, he'll likely lead the L.A. rushing attack, though Hassan Haskins might get some work, too.
kimani vidal's first nfl touch is a td
📺 | @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/D8GD2ZOroo
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) October 13, 2024
Jaylen Wright impressed in Week 5, leading Miami with 86 rushing yards and averaging 6.6 yards per carry. De'Von Achane suffered a concussion in that game but can likely return in Week 7. However, Achane and the aging Raheem Mostert continue to struggle to stay healthy, so Wright is a must-stash ball carrier. Miami's offense should get back on track soon, as QB Tua Tagovailoa is expected to return in Week 8.
Emanuel Wilson is averaging 5.0 yards per carry and has impressed with his limited workload. He's not worth starting in flex spots for now, but he's a strong handcuff option behind Josh Jacobs, at least until MarShawn Lloyd is activated off of the IR list.
Trey Benson rushed five times for 26 yards in the loss to the Green Bay Packers. Starter James Conner is dealing with ankle issues and has never played a full season in his career, so we could be approaching a Benson start soon.
Dameon Pierce ripped off a 54-yard touchdown on Sunday against the Patriots, and he looked as explosive as he has since entering the NFL in 2022. The Florida product is the clear RB2 behind Joe Mixon when healthy, giving him high-end handcuff status in C.J. Stroud's potent offense.
Zamir White has looked abysmal, and he's missed each of the last two games via injury. However, the Raiders are headed toward a lost season, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the organization wants to continue to evaluate its young running back. Alexander Mattison has had a nose for the end zone, but he's averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. White is likely free to pick up, so he's another option for RB-needy fantasy managers.
Ezekiel Elliott is averaging 3.0 yards per carry and looks well beyond his prime. That said, the Cowboys will look to get its offensive woes figured out during the Week 7 bye, and Elliott could at least develop into a goal-line vulture at some point this season. If you're desperate at running back, there are worse options. However, this is far from an upside play.
Sean Tucker shockingly produced 192 yards and two touchdowns in the absence of Rachaad White on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how Tucker's role shapes up when White is back, but that's the kind of performance that cannot be ignored. If you have an additional roster spot, it's worth picking him up to find out.
Tyler Goodson turned 12 touches into 65 yards in the Week 6 win over Tennessee. Trey Sermon mustered just 29 yards on 18 touches and has been inefficient in his two starts. If Jonathan Taylor misses another game, Goodson is a decent flex play in PPR setups.
Kendre Miller was activated from Injured Reserve last week, but he did not play in the blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It remains to be seen if he can push Jamaal Williams for the RB2 spot behind Alvin Kamara, but he's at least worth monitoring over the next few weeks.
D'Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong Jr. are next on the Cleveland RB depth chart if Jerome Ford has to miss Week 7 with a hamstring injury. However, the duo of backups is low on the list for now since Nick Chubb is trending toward returning to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. If Chubb does not return, Foreman and Strong will likely split action, but their upside is capped by a horrendous offensive environment.
IR Stashes: Keaton Mitchell, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Gus Edwards, MarShawn Lloyd
Note: Any direct backup running back, especially one in a good offense, should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues
JuJu Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 130 yards the last time we saw him before the Week 6 bye, yet he is still available in over 60% of leagues. With Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown unlikely to play again, JuJu is in position to operate as Patrick Mahomes' No. 2 option in the passing game, behind only Travis Kelce. Remember, Smith-Schuster finished as the overall PPR WR27 in Kansas City in 2022. Pick him up!
Romeo Doubs was suspended in Week 5 and looked to be trending down, but he returned in Week 6 and caught three passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns. No, he's not going to score two touchdowns every week, but he remains a starter in one of the best passing offenses, so he's worth a spot in deep formats.
There art thou Romeo #GoPackGo
📺: #AZvsGB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/Cv1xs69c8S— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Michael Wilson has either caught a touchdown or earned at least six targets in five of his six games this year, and Marvin Harrison Jr. could miss Week 7 after suffering a concussion in Week 6. Considering those two factors, he's a viable flex play for this week's slate.
Demario Douglas benefited from rookie quarterback Drake Maye entering the lineup against the Houston Texans. Douglas, who led all Patriots' wideouts in receiving last year, caught six of his nine targets for 92 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. He draws a favorable matchup against the putrid Jagaurs' secondary in London in Week 7, so he's a priority add at wideout.
Jordan Whittington has seen 18 targets in his last two games. The potential return of Cooper Kupp in Week 7 limits his upside, but Puka Nacua is expected to be sidelined for a little bit longer. There's a real chance Whittington acts as Matthew Stafford's WR2 until both star Rams receivers are back in the lineup.
Gabe Davis is averaging 5.5 targets per game this season, and the Jaguars struggling defense will cause its offense to continue its high pass-rate style. Davis caught two touchdowns in Week 6 and could have had another. Meanwhile, Christian Kirk continues to struggle. Davis is going to be up and down like he has been for most of his career, yet he's still worth a look during this week's waiver run.
Jalen Tolbert will continue to operate as Dallas' WR2 until Brandin Cooks returns from IR. Cooks can't come back until at least Week 10.
Xavier Legette is unlikely to be a consistent producer in the Carolina offense, but his two touchdowns in his last two full games warrant fantasy managers' attention.
Rashod Bateman has been teasing fantasy managers for the last few seasons, but he's collected eight of his 12 targets for 129 yards and a score in his last two games. When Baltimore is facing a worthy offense and has to pass, he's going to be on the flex radar.
Ray-Ray McCloud III has limited upside if Drake London and Darnell Mooney stay healthy, but he's still seen nearly six targets per game and can be utilized as a desperation PPR flex option as needed.
Noah Brown has at least three receptions in all four games he has been active for this year, and he saw a season-high eight targets in Week 6. The Commanders have a top-five offense in the NFL to this point, and Brown posted at least 150 receiving yards in two games last season with Houston. He has what it takes to become a fantasy factor.
Bub Means caught five passes for 45 yards and a touchdown last week in an enhanced role following Chris Olave leaving Sunday's contest with a concussion. It would be a surprise if Olave plays on Thursday Night Football against the Broncos, so Means is worth a flex spot for fantasy managers with a scarcity of options.
Rookie to Rookie: Spencer Rattler connects with Bub Means for the 10-yard TD - #SAINTS TAKE THE LEAD!#TBvsNO | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/kQl2PGuSXL
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 13, 2024
Zay Jones was suspended for the first five weeks of the season and did not play in Week 6, but with Marvin Harrison Jr. at risk of not playing on Monday Night Football against the Chargers, he could become a factor.
Andrei Iosivas is a rare "handcuff" wide receiver worth stashing. The second-year pass-catcher out of Princeton has three touchdowns this season and will be back on the flex radar if something happens to Tee Higgins or Ja'Marr Chase. Higgins has already missed time this year, and Chase hasn't played a full season of games since his rookie campaign in 2021.
DJ Chark could be activated from Injured Reserve any time soon, and Justin Herbert is lacking a downfield thread with elite speed. Chark could fill that need.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues
Zach Ertz has 13 targets in his last two games, which is borderline elite usage for a tight end. The former Pro Bowler is not the stud fantasy TE he used to be, but he has a decent PPR floor and could end the season as a TE1.
Colby Parkinson caught seven passes on 13 targets the last time we saw him, and like Jordan Whittington, he'll stay on the fantasy football radar until both Nacua and Kupp are back. It remains to be seen when Tyler Higbee will return from his ACL tear from last January.
Taysom Hill has missed the last two weeks with broken ribs, but as always, he's a touchdown-or-bust option when he returns. With Derek Carr out and rookie Spencer Rattler in, the team might opt to lean on Hill a bit more.
Hunter Henry caught three passes for 41 yards and a touchdown in Drake Maye's first start. It was just one week, but Maye put some life into the New England offense.
Drake Maye has another passing TD
📺: #HOUvsNE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/45DAsMdHfb— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Tyler Conklin has emerged as one of Aaron Rodgers' go-to weapons, making him a must-add player in the scarce position for production.
Grant Calcaterra could start a few games if Dallas Goedert has to miss time with a hamstring injury. After Calcaterra racked up 67 yards against the Browns, he's on the fantasy radar in at least tight-end premium leagues.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues/Superflex Leagues
Drake Maye posted 21.5 fantasy points in his NFL debut. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft completed 20 of his 33 passing attempts for 243 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also rushed for 38 yards. Maye has sneaky rushing upside, so there's a chance he becomes a somewhat viable starter in single-QB leagues. In Week 7, he'll face a Jaguars defense surrendering the most fantasy points per game to QBs.
Justin Herbert has acted as a game manager under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, but he draws a matchup with the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 on Monday Night Football. Arizona has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to QBs.
Andy Dalton has scored at least 16 fantasy points in three of his four starts this year and is set to face a generous Washington Commanders' secondary.
MY GOODNESS XAVIER LEGETTE!!
📺: #ATLvsCAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/n033nXPDvx— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Matthew Stafford could get his best buddy Cooper Kupp back for Sunday's contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. Sean McVay's offense will likely look better coming off the bye and getting a few key players back, so if you've struggled at the QB spot, Stafford is worth a look.
Backup Quarterbacks to Stash for Two-QB/Superflex Leagues
- Jameis Winston, Browns
- Drew Lock, Giants
- Michael Penix Jr., Falcons
- Mason Rudolph, Titans
- Tyrod Taylor, Jets
- Gardner Minshew II, Raiders
- Russell Wilson, Steelers
- Bryce Young, Panthers
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