• Romeo Doubt scored two goals: Doubt returned to the Packers after a week away and had his best game of the season.
• Chaos at running back: The six running backs available on the waiver list may start this week, depending on the health of the starters.
• Unlock your strengths with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our seasonal fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup graph, weekly projectionsThat Sit-Start Optimizer and much more. Register now!
Estimated Reading Time: 28 minutes
With Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season nearing completion, here are the key players to target on the fantasy football waiver wire. Here, we’ll cover options for smaller and deeper leagues and also highlight players to avoid.
Jump to position group:
QB | RB | W | TE
midfielder
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (Registered in 45.2% of leagues on ESPN)
Darnold was out in some leagues because his team had a bye week, and he didn’t get enough league before he returned.
Through the first four weeks, Darnold has scored the fourth-most points among fantasy quarterbacks but has struggled against New York Jets in Week 5 before their split. Considering the Jets have been one of the best defenses at limiting fantasy points to quarterbacks, this performance shouldn’t raise too much concern.
This week, the Vikings’ quarterback completed 22 of 27 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown and rushed four times for 39 yards. His strong showing once again makes him a viable fantasy starter. While he may not be available in many leagues, for those leagues where he is still on the waiver list, he should be added.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (26.5%)
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Week 2, which kept him out for the final four games. However, he is expected to practice this week and is targeting a Week 8 start.
While playing him in his first game back may seem risky, the Dolphins have the best matchup for a quarterback on waivers this week as they face an Arizona Cardinals defense that gives up the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Tagovailoa was a top-10 quarterback in Week 1 and scored the ninth-most fantasy points at the position last season. His schedule from Week 8 onward is good, as he won’t face a team that ranks in the top quarter of the league in prevented fantasy points until Week 14. He could quickly return to being a fantasy starter upon his return.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (13.3%)
Maye has made two NFL starts, and he scored at least 20 PPR points in both games. While he hasn’t rated well as a passer, and his high touchdown rate will likely decline, his fantasy production is hard to ignore. There’s a good chance Maye will improve as he gets more experience, which would help offset the expected regression in his touchdown rate.
It’s worth noting that whoever picks up Maye will be doing it for the long term, not the short term. While the schedule is favorable in its first two games, its next three games are against the Jets, Titans, and Bears, who rank third, 12th, and second, respectively, in preventing fantasy points to quarterbacks. However, he had some favorable outings in the second half of the season, where he could be a decent starting option if his play improves.
James Winston, Cleveland Browns (0.4%)
Deshaun Watsonthe beginning of the Brown family, suffered what is believed to be an Achilles injury in Week 7, which will likely keep him out for the remainder of the season. Although Jameis Winston has been the backup in recent weeks, the Browns opted to use Dorian Thompson-Robinson as their backup in Week 7.
Thompson-Robinson replaced the injured Watson and threw for 82 yards and two interceptions before suffering a finger injury on his throwing hand. Winston then took over and threw a touchdown.
In Thompson-Robinson’s three starts last season, he finished as QB25, QB28, and QB32, suggesting he wouldn’t offer much value as a starter outside of superflex leagues. If Winston becomes the starter, he could provide significant value. He finished as QB15 over his three starts in 2022 with the Saints, QB21 through the first seven weeks of 2021 and QB3 overall in 2019 during his final full season as a starter. However, it’s important to note that this show took place years ago with a different team, so it should be taken with a grain of salt.
There are many possibilities as to how well Winston will perform, but he may be worth a pick if he starts and plays effectively.
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (3.2%)
Levis started 2024 poorly, with an average of just 9.1 fantasy points per game while missing two games due to injury. Three of his five games have come against the top three teams in terms of stops fantasy pointed to the quarterback, and he played through injury in another game. In one fully healthy game against the Packers (a team that ranks eighth in tight ends fantasy pointing to the quarterback), he scored a more respectable 15.6 PPR points. Unfortunately, Levis missed the Week 7 game due to injury.
From Weeks 12-17, the Titans will face off Jacksonville Jaguars twice, that is Indianapolis ColtsThat Commander WashingtonThat Houston Texans and it Cincinnati Bengals. All six of these games were against teams ranked in the top 11 in terms of clearances fantasy pointing to the quarterback.
This presents a long six week dream. If Levis finds his rhythm next month, he could emerge as a fantasy starter leading into the playoffs and throughout fantasy postseason.
Running Back
Tyron Tracy, New York Giants (47.6%)
Tracy is the Giants’ starting player in Week 7, no matter the situation Devin Singleter return.
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