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Kyle's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and waiver wire sleepers ahead of Week 7 (2023). He picks high-upside NFL players to stash on your fantasy teams and helps outline a plan to maximize the bye weeks.
Alright, fantasy addicts. We are now into the heart of the NFL fantasy season and things have gotten even more complicated with six teams on a bye in Week 7. Hopefully, your squads are sitting atop the standings, and being able to stay proactive on the waiver wire well ahead of time is a skill worth having. Not every player on this list will turn into something, but being able to spot a potential breakout player who could shine in a good situation can help you save those FAAB dollars for when you need them to block your league mates in the playoffs.
Last week's article had this author feeling like a bit of a proud papa as several players who were mentioned as stashes in several weeks' articles like WR Rashee Rice (KC), QB Sam Howell (WAS), WR Curtis Samuel (WAS), RB Chuba Hubbard (CAR), and RB Zach Evans (LAR) are now rostered across the majority of fantasy leagues and no longer qualify as stashes for the purposes of this article.
Week 7 has the Bengals, Cowboys, Jets, Panthers, Texans, and Titans all on a bye. You shouldn't prioritize stash players over ones who could provide immediate fantasy production should you need it this week, but if you are in a deeper league (14 teams) or leagues that have extra bench spots, then maybe you have the luxury of stashing a player or two away for later. Nonetheless, let's dive into the potential stashes on the waiver wire for Week 7! Heading into Week 8, there will be no teams on a bye. Make it make sense, NFL!
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Weekend Waiver Wire Stashes Before Week 7
Latavius Murray, (RB) Buffalo Bills
19% rostered on Yahoo, 16% on ESPN
After a scary, scary incident involving Damien Harris last week, the RB has been placed on injured reserve for the next four games, which has opened the door for Murray. Starting RB James Cook has shined at times, but has yet to completely take over the Bills backfield. Last week, Murray saw four of the team's four goal-line touches as well as six of the seven RB snaps on third down. He might be an older running back, but Murray could be the type of player to have some massive TD upside should his role in their offense increase.
In Week 6, Murray had 12 carries for 45 yards in a 14-9 Bills win over the Giants. It wasn't pretty by any means, but with Harris out for the next four games, he's just one spot on the depth chart away from having a significant role in one of the NFL's best offenses. Is it likely that a 33-year-old Murray will go out and light up the fantasy scoreboard? Stranger things have definitely happened and so far the 2023 season has taught us to expect the unexpected. Murray has the potential for a multi-TD game.
Desmond Ridder, (QB) Atlanta Falcons
13% rostered on Yahoo, 6% on ESPN
I get it. It's been ugly for Ridder so far, but he had some solid performances in Weeks 5 and 6, finishing as the QB6 and QB5, respectively. It's also easy to forget that Ridder only has 10 career NFL starts under his belt and is still very much learning the position at the NFL level.
The Falcons offense has been frustrating at times for fantasy, but they are loaded with young, talented skill players and it's not hard to imagine the situation completely breaking the other way if Ridder were to continue to get better as a quarterback. Is it the most likely outcome? Probably not and there were reasons why Ridder lasted until the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Nonetheless, he's got 4.50 speed and we know that mobile QBs can be a cheat code for fantasy. Ridder hasn't run a lot for fantasy purposes yet, but he has potential. Atlanta's schedule is pretty favorable over the next four games with the Bucs, Titans, Vikings, and Cardinals coming up. Ridder has thrown for 300+ yards passing in back-to-back weeks.
Michael Mayer, (TE) Las Vegas Raiders
23% rostered on Yahoo, 7% on ESPN
Many scouts out there had Mayer as a higher-graded prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft than Sam LaPorta, but LaPorta obviously wound up in a better situation in a better offense out of the gate. We have seen with tight ends in the past that the situation they are in matters greatly for fantasy purposes.
After not playing much for the first month of the year, Mayer has overtaken veteran Austin Hooper and has seen a total of nine targets in the last two games and finished as the TE5 in Week 6 with five receptions for 75 yards. He showed some promise and could be an emerging player for fantasy as the Raiders' offense has looked much better than expected.
The bad news? Starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo has been ruled out for Week 7 and backup Brian Hoyer gets the nod. The good news? The Raiders still get the abysmal Chicago Bears defense. If you are hurting at tight end for fantasy this year (as a lot of teams are), Mayer could be the guy to save your season.
Josh Downs, (WR) Indianapolis Colts
35% rostered on Yahoo, 34% on ESPN
There's a buzz in the air, and it's all about Downs, who's carving out a name for himself in the Colts' offense. He's potentially leapfrogging a possibly injured Alec Pierce to snatch that No. 2 spot in the pass-catching pecking order.
Unfortunately, rookie QB Anthony Richardson will be sidelined for the season. Backup QB Gardner Minshew, who has a history of sprinkling fantasy magic, is stepping up, and he's no stranger to keeping those pigskins flying. More aerial antics in Indy? Downs is all smiles, ready to reap the rewards. The bad news? The Colts get the stout Browns defense in Week 7.
If there is one area of weakness for the Browns' defense, it has been slot receivers. Downs has seen a hefty 21 targets over three games and with a college highlight reel that's pretty as a peach, Downs is making waves. Sure, he's not the tallest guy on the field, but he might find his home sweet home in the slot.
Kyler Murray, (QB) Arizona Cardinals
24% rostered on Yahoo, 14% on ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals designated Murray to return from injured reserve yesterday, meaning his 21-day window to return has now started. Murray is a must-stash in all leagues where you can play the injured reserve card. The Cardinals' offense has been better than expected in 2023, and if Murray steps back onto the turf, expect some fantasy fireworks.
Now, don't bank on him instantly channeling his 2020 mojo when he dashed for over 800 yards like he had jetpacks on his cleats, but remember, this guy's got the moves to dazzle with his legs. And in the fantasy realm, a QB who can scamper is like finding a golden ticket in your chocolate bar.
Keep Murray on your fantasy radar, folks. An early comeback could spell a bonanza, especially if your QB roster isn't exactly brimming with the crème de la crème of fantasy point hoarders. Keep those fingers crossed! We need to temper our expectations slightly since K1 is coming back from injury, but he's always been a great QB for fantasy purposes.
Devin Singletary, (RB) Houston Texans
14% rostered on Yahoo, 27% on ESPN
This one has been weird. RB Dameon Pierce looked great as a rookie in 2022 and it was hard not to expect him to have an even bigger role in 2023. What's also been puzzling is that the Texans are 3-3 while their offense has looked a lot better compared to 2022 and yet things have been worse for Pierce.
Singletary led the Texans in rushing in Week 6 and they even used him to help close out the game in their win. Singletary failed to pick up a second contract in Buffalo and was inconsistent at times, but he is a much better receiver out of the backfield than Pierce. The fact that QB C.J. Stroud is out here balling as a rookie should have us all excited as it bodes even better for the Texans' outlook in fantasy for the rest of the season.
Pierce is not to be trusted in fantasy right now and there's a decent chance Singletary is still out there on your league's waivers since Houston is on a bye in Week 7. If your starting RB spots are set this weekend and you can afford to have Singletary sit on your bench, he is definitely worth picking up.
Craig Reynolds, (RB) Detroit Lions
18% rostered on Yahoo, 18% on ESPN
It has been a difficult year for us Jahmyr Gibbs truthers out there as it's become quite evident that the Lions coaching staff loves David Montgomery and is going to continue feeding him the rock. However, a small window has opened up as Monty might miss the next few games due to injury. While it is expected that Gibbs should see a bigger workload for Week 7, there is no guarantee.
Monty shouldn't be out long, but the Lions offense has been a top-five unit this season in just about every NFL offensive category. Reynolds had a tough game in Week 6 against the stout Tampa Bay run defense, but he did have seven carries for 52 yards in Week 5. This might not be the sexiest of waiver stashes, but there's nothing wrong with holding Reynolds just in case Monty doesn't return as soon as expected.
Wan'Dale Robinson, (WR) New York Giants
23% rostered on Yahoo, 9% on ESPN
The Giants' offense has been rough for fantasy this year. They've dealt with injuries and the offensive line has struggled in pass protection. Robinson tore his ACL during his rookie year in 2022 and has been eased back into action this year. Robinson is likely a better add in full PPR formats right now, but he's seen a total of 20 targets over the last three games since returning.
Robinson is a former converted running back who switched to receiver in college. While you might not get as many explosive plays from a receiver who is mostly playing in the slot, he is a player worth keeping an eye on just in case. The Giants could be without QB Daniel Jones this week and Wan'Dale was peppered by backup Tyrod Taylor in Week 6. They play the Washington Commanders this Sunday, who are giving up the sixth-most fantasy points to WRs this year. If you're in a pinch due to the bye at WR3 or need a flex option, Robinson could be a candidate.
Honorable Mentions
Here are a few players to also keep in mind as deeper stashes in bigger leagues (14 or 16 teams) or ones with larger bench spots just in case they should start seeing more playing time.
Quarterbacks
Jacoby Brissett (WAS) - 0% rostered, Malik Willis OR Will Levis (TEN) - 0% rostered, QB Jarrett Stidham (DEN) - 0% rostered
Running Backs
Darrell Henderson Jr. (LAR), 1% rostered, Pierre Strong Jr. (CLE) - 1% rostered, Chris Brooks (MIA) - 1% rostered
Wide Receivers
Rashid Shaheed (NO), 33% rostered, Michael Wilson (ARI) - 19% rostered, Jalin Hyatt (NYG) - 5% rostered
We hope you like these selections ahead of Week 7 and good luck in your leagues this season! Even if you don't have room to pick up some of these players, it's important to stay ahead of your league mates and preserve FAAB so that you have it at the end of the year when you need it. Feel free to follow me on Twitter for more waiver and player analysis throughout the season!
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