Waiver Wire Watchlist for Fantasy Football Week 7

October 17, 2025

Joey's fantasy football waiver wire watchlist before Week 7 of 2025. You should keep an eye on these emerging players and consider them waiver wire stashes.

Welcome to Week 7 of our fantasy football waiver wire watchlist for the 2025 NFL season. Week 6 featured some surprising performances from players who were available on the waiver wire, including RB Kimani Vidal (138 total yards and one touchdown) and WR Kayshon Boutte (five catches for 93 yards and two TDs).

You know the drill by now: All players listed in this article are rostered in less than 50% of fantasy football leagues, meaning that they are available more often than not. That's why Vidal isn't on this list (he's owned in over 64% of leagues!).

With that being said, here are five players still on the majority of waiver wires who could help you make significant strides in your fantasy football league. Good luck on the waiver wire and happy hunting!

Waiver Wire Watch List - Running Backs

Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals - 18% rostered

After Emari Demercado's crucial fumble for a touchback in the Cardinals' Week 5 loss to the Titans, it was clear he would no longer be leading the Arizona backfield. However, his replacement was anything but clear; the Cardinals employed a committee backfield in Week 6 against the Colts. Knight took advantage of this opportunity, running for 34 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

Knight shared touches with Michael Carter, who received 11 touches to Knight's 12. While he is in a committee and was not very effective, there is reason to believe Knight will perform better and earn a larger role down the stretch. At 24 years old, Knight has been a career backup, so he has almost no tread on his tires.

That youth and freshness could help him make big plays behind a solid run-blocking offensive line.

Bam Knight turns on the speed for a 67-yard TD!

Watch on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/cbv52C6pCV

— NFL (@NFL) August 24, 2025

Knight should be the most effective rusher on the Cardinals roster right now with Trey Benson (knee) and James Conner (foot) on the sidelines. While Carter will still earn third-down snaps, Knight could begin to dominate early downs and receive a larger percentage of the carries.

Knight is a good add for fantasy managers dealing with bye weeks (James Cook and Derrick Henry are on bye in Week 7). But any manager could consider stashing him and seeing how his role changes as the season progresses.

Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys  - 18% rostered

The rookie earned plenty of hype before the season, but it has unfortunately not amounted to much so far. Blue spent the first quarter of the season as the Cowboys' third running back behind Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders.

However, Sanders is out for the season with a knee and ankle injury, meaning that Blue is now the clear RB2 in Dallas. While this may not lead to fantasy relevance just yet, Blue will see an expanded third-down role to keep Williams fresh and healthy.

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan said Miles Sanders (knee/ankle) is out for the season.

Rookie RB Jaydon Blue is now officially Dallas’ No. 2 back.

Stephen Jones: “We’re so fired up about what Jaydon Blue can do for this offense.”

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 10, 2025

Blue established himself as a strong receiving back during his time at Texas, and his speed (4.38 40-yard dash) and wiggle should help him make plays in the open field at the NFL level. While he will receive a limited workload as long as Williams is on the field, an injury to the Cowboys starter would instantly make Blue a must-have player in fantasy football.

Blue is a good stash in PPR leagues for managers with strong starting lineups. Keeping him on the bench in case Williams misses time could prove very wise later in the season.

More RB Options:

• Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 7% rostered
•  Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans - 28% rostered

Waiver Wire Watch List - Wide Receivers

Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots  - 24% rostered

After topping 100 yards in Week 1, Boutte slipped back under the radar again due to inconsistent production. But he burst back into the spotlight in Week 6 with his 93-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Saints. While it is now apparent that Drake Maye has no clear favorite target and spreads the ball around, Boutte is the man he looks for when he goes deep.

While this may lead to inconsistent fantasy production for Boutte, he will have spike weeks that help fantasy managers win their matchups. In the Patriots' win over the Saints, Boutte caught touchdown passes of 25 and 29 yards. He also picked up a crucial third-down conversion late in the game, indicating that he has Maye's complete trust.

Drake Maye to Kayshon Boutte for the @patriots TD!

NEvsNO on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/7Cc9SA8zhn

— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2025

While there will be consistency concerns with Boutte, he has a ton of upside and will see significantly more targets if Stefon Diggs or DeMario Douglas misses time. Don't expect him to produce fantasy WR2 numbers consistently, but strongly consider starting him against bottom-of-the-barrel pass defenses.

Sterling Shepard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 18% rostered

The veteran receiver played with Baker Mayfield in college and will return to his former role as Mayfield's top wideout. The Buccaneers' receiver room is currently ravaged by injuries, with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Emeka Egbuka all sidelined for Week 7. Somebody has to catch Mayfield's passes, and Shepard has a lot of experience doing just that.

Competing with Shepard for targets will be youngsters Tez Johnson and Kameron Johnson, who combined for 109 yards and two touchdowns in last week's win over the 49ers. While those two will be getting downfield and making big plays, Shepard will be going underneath and serving as a reliable safety outlet. This could help him rack up targets and receptions.

Shepard may be 32 years old, but he can still make big plays. He caught a 36-yard pass last week against San Francisco, showing off excellent run-after-catch ability to hurt defenses. He's going to earn plenty of targets in the short and intermediate passing game next week against the Lions' injury-ravaged secondary.

Slippery Sterling Shepard

SFvsTB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Ed9gTnlWB0

— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2025

Shepard is a strong starting option in Week 7, and if Evans/Godwin/Egbuka continue to miss time, he'll stay startable for a little while longer. He probably won't be on waivers next week, so make your move now.

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - 8% rostered

The speedster has not yet played a game in 2025 and is still recovering from a torn ACL that ended his 2024 season prematurely. However, he's been ramping it up in practice, and head coach Matt LaFleur said that Watson has looked great. While his role is unknown, Watson has the talent to make an impact for the Green Bay offense.

With Jayden Reed (collarbone) on injured reserve, the Packers have lacked a consistent big-play threat at the position. While rookie Matthew Golden has flashed at times, he isn't seeing enough targets to become the WR1 he was drafted to be. In fact, no Packers receiver is averaging six targets per game.

Romeo Doubs has continued to be the Packers' top possession wideout, but other than that, there are no set roles in this passing game. Standing at 6-foot-4, Watson is a yards-after-catch and downfield specialist, using his speed to get around and behind opposing secondaries. That unique skill set should help him carve out a role in this offense.

LAMBEAU LEAP FOR CHRISTIAN WATSON

📺: #AZvsGB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/w1Rnf4ak0J

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

Play it slow with Watson: don't start him right away. But his track record as a big-play threat - something the Packers need right now - indicates that managers who pick him up could reap the rewards.

More WR Options:

• Darius Slayton, New York Giants - 17% rostered
• Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins - 14% rostered

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