Waiver Wire Watch: Week 7 Targets

Oct 14, 2019

Chris Graythen / Staff / Getty

Buckle up, folks. We're now waist-deep in the bye week trench of the season, with four-plus teams taking a break each week in five of the next six weeks. Planning ahead for absences can be the difference between a win or a loss in a crucial head-to-head matchup. Stashing backups or scooping up players with favorable matchups in the coming weeks can be a difference-making move. I try to highlight some of each in the recommendations below. If you have additional questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@AlexGelhar) as the waiver wire changes as we learn more every week.

Before we get into the meat of the article, there are a few house-keeping items to clear up. Recommendations are based on a PPR-scoring, four-point passing touchdown, 12-team league, with ownership percentages coming from Yahoo. I try to mention when a player is a better streaming play (short-term/one-week starter) versus a long-term addition. Free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) suggestions are based on a $100 season-long budget. Lastly, the great John Paulsen will edit this article every week and adjust rankings and prices if necessary. Essentially, you’re getting two minds collaborating on this piece instead of one, so lucky you.

Now, with that out of the way, here are some players to target heading into Week 7.

BYE WEEKS: Steelers, Browns, Panthers, Buccaneers

Quarterbacks

1. Josh Allen

2. Jacoby Brissett

3. Kirk Cousins

4. Daniel Jones

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills, 49% owned ($4)

Allen returns from his bye into a cake matchup against the 0-5 Miami Dolphins. The only quarterback to not finish the week as a top-10 fantasy quarterback was Case Keenum this past week (he was 14th after the early Sunday games). The Dolphins have conceded two or more touchdown passes to every quarterback they have faced this season. Allen is an excellent streamer if your main quarterback is injured, on a bye, or in a tough matchup.

Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts, 42% owned ($4)

Brissett comes out of his much-needed bye and welcomes the red-hot Texans to Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 7. T.Y. Hilton hopefully healed up during Indy’s off week, as he’ll be needed if Brissett and company hope to keep pace with the Texans’ high-powered offense. Brissett has multiple touchdown passes in four of five starts this season, while the Texans’ secondary has allowed multi-touchdown games to four quarterbacks in six games, with three of those passers clearing the 300-yard mark as well. Brissett was a solid starter before his bye and should maintain that pace the rest of the way pending any surprise injuries.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings, 46% owned ($3)

I wrote up Cousins as my top quarterback add last week and he delivered a dynamite performance against the Eagles depleted secondary, torching the birds for 333 yards and four touchdowns. Next up for Cousins is a trip to Detroit, whose defense has been solid this season, but can be susceptible to the pass. The Lions (not counting Monday night’s game against the Packers) are allowing just shy of 300 yards per game through the air, but have held two opposing quarterbacks without a touchdown (Patrick Mahomes, Philip Rivers). Cousins is a decent streamer this week, but his numbers figure to be more pedestrian than this week’s explosion.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants, 29% owned ($1)

”Danny Dimes” finds himself in a nice streaming spot as well this week as the Giants host the Cardinals, who have allowed a league-worst 16 passing touchdowns through six weeks. Jones played well against a tough New England defense on Thursday night, and will have extra time to rest and prepare for this showdown. He also could get some weapons back in his receiving corps as Sterling Shepard (concussion), Evan Engram (knee), and Saquon Barkley (ankle) all missed last week due to injury. The Cardinals offense can put up points, so the game script here could turn into a shootout as both defenses are, well, not great to put it kindly. I’d prefer some of the other passers listed above him, but I have faith Jones can deliver a solid streaming performance in Week 7.