Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It’s time to take a look at pickups for Week 7. There are some very good options out there and I have done my best to break them down for you. It’s a significant bye week, with four teams on their bye. There will be plenty of competition for talent, so be aggressive with waiver claims and bids.
As usual, I will be posting an expanded waiver wire this afternoon over at Rotobahn. If you play in a league with 12 or more teams, you will find more players who are actually available to add. This article is geared a little bit more to typically sized leagues.
The ownership rates listed for each player were obtained at Yahoo!.
QUARTERBACKS
Blake Bortles, Jaguars, 43 percent
As I have said the last few weeks, Bortles is getting the job done for fantasy owners. He has a somewhat tough matchup this week with the Bills and then he goes into his bye week. Coming out of the bye week, Bortles has a tough matchup with the Jets, but things ease up nicely from Week 10 right through the end of the fantasy season. He’s a solid investment in deep leagues.
Joe Flacco, Ravens, 60 percent
Flacco has had two absolutely brutal weeks. They occurred on Week 1 and Week 4, but apart from those two games, his fantasy numbers have been very good. With a relatively strong schedule going forward, Flacco is worth owning or at least considering as a streaming option on most weeks.
Colin Kaepernick, 49ers, 52 percent
Don’t look now, but Kaepernick is a top 11 fantasy quarterback. Sure, he’s got a serious lack of consistency, but he also has a lot of weekly point potential. He’s a DraftKings play almost every week in tournaments due to his low cost. In fact, he’s still at the price floor for quarterbacks on DraftKings this week at home against a struggling Seahawks team.
Landry Jones, Steelers, 0 percent
If you are hurting this week, keep an eye on Jones, who should have been starting over Michael Vick for the last few weeks and looks like he has passed him for good as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger. While Jones may lack game-to-game consistency, he offers far more upside than Vick, who is a few years removed from being a viable player. If Roethlisberger cannot go this week, which is very possible, Jones makes a nice sneaky play at Kansas City this weekend.
RUNNING BACKS
Ronnie Hillman, Broncos, 58 percent
Did he take the gig with last week’s big game? Once again, it’s hard to tell as the Broncos used C.J. Anderson heavily in overtime with the game on the line. Whether he has the gig or not, he is playing on a winning team that is going to start running more, not less. Hillman simply must be owned everywhere and he is not. Go get him.
Christine Michael, Cowboys, 39 percent
The Cowboys block the run better than any team in football. The backs who run the ball for them always produce beyond their talent level because so much gets blocked. So, when you look at starter Joseph Randle’s 3.9 yards per carry average, you know the coaches are not thrilled. Making matters worse is Randle’s propensity for going off script and not following the play. Randle, never the sharpest crayon, has left the door wide open for Michael, who has now been in Dallas long enough to know the offense, could steal this job. If he pulls it off, his value could be immense down the stretch. Add him in all leagues and make him a priority. That’s how much upside he’s got.
Duke Johnson, Browns, 52 percent
He’s my choice to take over the Browns’ backfield. He’ll continue to be used sparingly on early downs, but his role as a receiver is important to Cleveland’s success and it’s going to continue. He’s also a versatile red zone weapon.
James Starks, Packers, 20 percent
For those who have been Rotobahn readers for years, you know we like Starks as a player. He got most of the action last week — playing ahead of starter Eddie Lacy. The question is, was there a sea change in the Packers backfield (doubtful) or was there a specific reason for Lacy’s lack of usage? My guess is that the Packers used Lacy as little as possible due to his ankle woes as they looked towards their bye week, which is now. I expect Lacy to retain his gig coming out of the bye week. Still, Starks has proven himself to be played in all leagues for now. In leagues where you can handcuff players, Starks is a must own guy for those who have Lacy as their lead back.
Theo Riddick, Lions, 21 percent
Zach Zenner is out for the year and rookie Ameer Abdullah has fumbled too much. There may be an opportunity for Riddick, who is already posting decent PPR numbers as the primary pass-catching back.
Charles Sims, Buccaneers, 25 percent
He’s a must-add player for those Doug Martin owners looking for a handcuff option. That said, Sims has stand-alone value in most PPR leagues, especially during the bye week crunch. Sims has looked quicker in his second season and we already knew he was an outstanding receiver for a running back.
David Johnson, Cardinals, 43 percent
He’s a stash option and a very good one. All three backs in the Cardinals’ backfield have enough talent to produce fantasy numbers, but Johnson possesses the best combination of explosiveness and versatility. It’s quite possible that Bruce Arians decides to give him a major role down the stretch. Stash him and you’ll be ahead of the curve if it happens because of Johnson’s talents and the offense he plays in, he offers the kind of upside you’ll rarely find on the waiver wire.
Tevin Coleman, Falcons, 42 percent
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Devonta Freeman’s breakout season. You may have read my offseason article which outlined that possibility in advance. Still, while I am a big fan of Freeman’s talents, he is a guy with a significant injury history. If Freeman goes down, Coleman would become the story very quickly. This is the time to go get him as a handcuff if you own Freeman. If you do not, it’s a good time to stash Coleman in leagues with sufficient bench space. He could be a monster in Atlanta’s offensive scheme if he gets the chance.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Stefon Diggs, Vikings, 7 percent
He got the start in Week 6 and he did not disappoint. Diggs may have taken Charles Johnson‘s job at this point, so he is a player to own in all leagues, especially leagues with PPR scoring. Make him a priority if receiver help is what you need.
Michael Crabtree, Raiders, 46 percent
He was dropped in a lot of leagues last week because he was on the bye. I’d go get him because he’s been heavily targeted and he plays a good schedule the rest of the way. Crabtree can help you in all PPR leagues.
Michael Floyd, Cardinals, 32 percent
He’s getting targets now and he turned that into production last week. With good matchups over the next two weeks, Floyd is a player to own in all leagues and could end up being a great add for the rest of the season.
Brandon LaFell, Patriots, 50 percent
He could be back this week and he makes a very nice add in all leagues as a potential weekly starter. We all know how well LaFell meshed with Tom Brady last year. Pick him up and stash him until he plays.
Marvin Jones, Bengals, 35 percent
He has been very good and more importantly, he’s proven to be fully healthy. Jones is looking like a weekly WR3 in most leagues and needs to be owned in all leagues.
Rishard Matthews, Dolphins, 50 percent
Matthews has been very good all season when given chances and he got plenty of chances in Week 6. That’s important because it was the first game with the new coaching staff. It’s hard to tell if he has long-term value because there is a lot of talent at receiver in Miami. That being said, Matthews can help you if you need a Week 7 receiver.
Tavon Austin, Rams, 44 percent
He’s a player to add in all leagues because they are getting him involved every week. The Rams have some good matchups in their future, so grab Austin now, especially in bigger leagues. He’s a great weapon now that they have Todd Gurley ripping up defenses. It sets up Austin very well as a runner and helps the Rams get him into space as a receiver.
Torrey Smith, 53 percent
This may be the time to go get Smith. He’s been a disappointment overall, but you’ve seen his potential in Weeks 2 and 6. The 49ers are slowly figuring out how they work best as an offense and if they are going to be playing from behind, as one would expect, there will be plenty of deep shots to Smith. He may not be a weekly play, but he’s got weekly upside for sure.
Nelson Agholor, Eagles, 34 percent
I know that the the production has been lacking, but if you are looking for a breakout player, this kid might be one. The Eagles are 3-3 now and they are slowly getting their kinks ironed out. When Agholor returns from his ankle injury, perhaps this week, he will be an outstanding stash option. You may be able to wait on the move because of the Eagles’ Week 8 bye, but I would look to stash this guy in PPR formats. He has a lot of potential.
TIGHT ENDS
Charles Clay, Bills, 65 percent
He’s the top option in the passing game right now and he’s a weekly starter in any fantasy league. Pick him up and start him this week against the Jaguars. He can be your TE1 the rest of the way.
Eric Ebron, Lions, 18 percent
Once he is healthy, I expect good things. He should be a TE1 at some point soon. This is a very talented player who can do good things after the catch and with Calvin Johnson around he won’t see any double teams.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Buccaneers, 28 percent
He should come back this week or next from his shoulder injury, and he could become a TE1 quickly upon his return. He makes a nice stash but the pay off could come as soon as this week.
Ben Watson, Saints, 10 percent
He is viable as an option in 12-team leagues and not just because of last week’s breakout performance. He’s seeing 5-6 targets on most weeks and he’s a talented player. I would not be surprised if he continued to have some modest success.
Ladarius Green, Chargers, 27 percent
He’s not a bad desperation option though he is clearly back behind Antonio Gates in the pecking order. Still, Green has been active even with Gates back in the fold and he scored in Week 6. He can help you if you need an option during the bye week crunch.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
DraftKings has your shot to play for FREE in the $1 Million Fantasy Football Contest THIS SUNDAY! First place takes home $100,000! FOR FREE ENTRY, CLICK HERE.