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Fantasy Football 2017: Waiver Wire Targets for Week 7

By Dan Thomas

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 27: Darren McFadden
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 27: Darren McFadden /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 08: Nelson Agholor #13 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown after making a 72-yard catch against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on October 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 08: Nelson Agholor #13 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown after making a 72-yard catch against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on October 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Executing the waiver wire in fantasy football is what will separate the champions from the chumps. Here are some players you should target in Week 7.

It’s scary to think about but the owners who end up not making the fantasy football playoffs only have about half a season left. The NFL regular season is flying by and some owners desperately need a win this week in order to keep up with the contenders. Who are some of the players who can help owners pull out a victory this week and beyond?

For these purposes, we will being using ESPN Fantasy Football as a guideline. Any player that is 50 percent owned or less is eligible.

5. Dion Lewis, RB, New England Patriots (6.6 percent owned)

Lewis turned out to be the Patriots most productive running back last week after he finished with 11 carries for 52 yards and 1 touchdown. The reason he saw so many touches was because Mike Gillislee fumbled and after that, he didn’t see the field much for the rest of the game. Will Lewis now be the favorite to lead the Patriots backfield in touches every week? I doubt it because the backfield still has James White and Rex Burkhead should be returning from injury shortly. With that said, Lewis deserves a bench spot while this situation plays out.

4. Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens (29.0 percent owned)

Collins now has back-to-back weeks with 12+ carries and should continue to see double-digit carries until Terrance West gets healthy. His situation isn’t overly exciting because he still shares the backfield with Buck Allen but Collins is a RB3 who could be used in desperate situations or stashed on benches.

3. Chris Ivory, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (5.4 percent owned)

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Last week Ivory posted his best game of the season after he totaled 77 yards and 1 touchdown on 11 touches. Even though Ivory has some forgettable performances this season, he has averaged just under 10 touches a game over the last three weeks. The Jaguars starting running back, Leonard Fournette, has looked awesome this season but he’s dealing with an ankle injury. He might not miss Week 7 but his aggressive running style could force him to miss games down the road. If/when that happens, Ivory would be a RB 1/2.

2. Orleans Darkwa, RB, New York Giants (4.5 percent owned)

In each of the last two weeks Darkwa has 14+ fantasy points and has clearly settled in at the top of the Giants running back depth chart. It’s not the perfect situation because the backfield still has Wayne Gallman and Shane Vereen while Paul Perkins should be returning from injury soon. With that said, Darkwa has earned playing time moving forward and should lead the Giants backfield in touches for the foreseeable future.

1. Cowboys Running Backs Darren McFadden (49.8 percent owned) and Alfred Morris (43.9 percent owned)

As of right now, Ezekiel Elliott is suspended for six games and either Darren McFadden and/or Alfred Morris will fill the void. Who is the favorite to lead the backfield in touches remains to be seen so both players need to be scooped up. For what it’s worth, Dallas Cowboys writer Bryan Broaddus believes Darren McFadden is the favorite for touches but is far from a guarantee.

NASHVILLE, TN – DECEMBER 28: Jack Doyle #84 of the Indianapolis Colts reaches to score a touchdown during the game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on December 28, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – DECEMBER 28: Jack Doyle #84 of the Indianapolis Colts reaches to score a touchdown during the game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on December 28, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Others Receiving Votes

Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts (34.9 percent owned) – In his first game back from injury, Doyle finished with 7 receptions for 50 yards and 1 touchdown. As long as he’s healthy, he’s in the TE1 conversation every week.

Austin Hooper, TE, Atlanta Falcons (37.8 percent owned) – Hooper set a season-high last week with 7 receptions and this week the Falcons take on the Patriots. Last week Austin Seferian-Jenkins beat the Patriots for one touchdown and he should have had another. The week before that, Cameron Brate had a touchdown against the Patriots. Why not take a chance on Hooper in Week 7?

Wendell Smallwood, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (35.2 percent owned) – He’s missed the last two games with an injury but in case you forgot, he averaged 13.5 touches per week between Weeks 3-4. He should return to a similar workload in Week 7.

Next: Fantasy Football 2017: 5 Biggest Takeaways from Week 6

Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (36.2 percent owned) – Agholor now has a touchdown in four out of six weeks while posting four receptions in back-to-back games. After looking like a first-round bust, Agholor has quickly turned his career around and is a fantasy football WR3.

John Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals (47.3 percent owned) – In back-to-back weeks Brown has a receiving touchdown and has 10.6+ fantasy points. Brown won’t rack up a ton of receptions but he’s a threat for a touchdown every week he’s healthy and on the field.

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