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Through The Wire - Week 7



By Antonio D'Arcangelis | 10/19/20; Updated: 10/20/20 |

Targeting weekly waiver picks is a completely subjective business, but this column hopes to point out some obvious and not-so-obvious selections to help your team from week to week while you strive to collect fantasy wins, reach your league playoffs, and win the elusive title that your friends say is out of your grasp. While I’m a big proponent of making trades to bolster your roster, the waiver wire can be an almost limitless resource when it comes to discovering fantasy value in strange places. Each week, I’ll highlight some of the popular (and not-so-popular) players who can help your squad and may still be available in your league. I’ll also provide a brief update on the players I covered the previous week.

Feedback is always welcome, appreciated and encouraged. I’ll get to as many e-mails as I can.


Quarterbacks

Teddy Bridgewater, CAR – Week 6 was not good, but the Bears are a tough opponent and haven’t been kind to QBs this season. Week 7 offers an opportunity to play Bridgewater (30-40 percent owned) against his (most recent) old team – the Saints – who’ve yielded some big games to opposing QBs in 2020. Of course, New Orleans has dealt with some injuries to its secondary and could have a few guys back, so temper your expectations.

Jimmy Garoppolo, SF – Garoppolo (20-25 percent owned) looked a lot sharper on Sunday night (268-3-0 in the 24-16 win over the Rams) and has a full complement of offensive weapons back and healthy – excluding the new injury to Raheem Mostert. I think the 49ers will do a lot of passing in Week 7 facing the Patriots, who are not the team we’ve grown accustomed to.

Joe Burrow, CIN – UPDATE: I’d prefer Herbert this week over Burrow, but the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is owned in about 5 percent fewer leagues than the Chargers’ QB, and the matchup (vs. CLE) is almost as enticing. He’s got a full complement of weapons at WR and a pair of backs who can catch passes. He’s a top 12-15 QB this week.

Other QBs to consider: Gardner Minshew, Drew Lock, Nick Foles

UPDATE:

Matthew Stafford, DET – Stafford completed 19 of 31 passes for 223-1-1 in Week 6 against the Jaguars and has a great matchup against the Falcons in Week 7.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA – The magic continued 191-3-2 in Sunday's 24-0 win over the Jets, but a bye week is next up.

Justin Herbert, LAC – Herbert and the Chargers were on a Week 6 bye with the adjusted NFL schedule.

Andy Dalton, DAL – UPDATE: Dalton had a rough time on Monday night dealing with the nonstop pass rush and several miscues by his supporting cast. There’s a shot he rights the ship in the coming weeks @WAS and @PHI, but weeks 9 (PIT) and 10 (bye) mean he’ll just be taking up roster space.

Kyle Allen, WAS – It would have been nice to get some OT bonus points, but Riverboat Ron ruined it. Allen completed 31 of 42 passes for 280-2-1 in the loss to the Giants on Sunday and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Not a great day.

Boston College

Running Backs

Boston Scott, PHI – Scott (10-15 percent owned) is probably getting the bulk of carries for the Eagles until Miles Sanders gets back, although early word from the coaches is the dreaded “running-back-by-committee” term. The play Thursday against the Giants and Sanders (knee) is likely to be unavailable.

UPDATE: The Sanders injury is likely a 1-2 week thing, so Scott has some viability this week and in Week 8 against the Cowboys. He makes sense as a low-end RB2/solid RB3 or flex play.

Zack Moss, BUF – I’ll update tomorrow, but right now I’m anticipating more touches from Moss going forward. He could get an extended look in Week 7 facing the Jets.

UPDATE: Moss tallied just 10 yards on five carries Monday, but Sunday should be different if they jump out to a lead. He’s a sneaky deep-league add and large-field GPP DFS play.

JaMycal Hasty, SF – Raheem Mostert (ankle) had to sit out the entire second half, giving Hasty an opportunity for some touches. The rookie from Baylor rushed nine times for 37 yards and could get used more in the passing game going forward. He’s worth adding in leagues with 12 or more teams.

UPDATE: With Mostert on IR, Jerick McKinnon and Hasty become viable plays in weeks 7-10.

Gus Edwards, BAL – If Mark Ingram (ankle) can’t go in Week 7, we could see a lot of J.K. Dobbins and Edwards (0-5 percent owned), who carried the rock 14 times for 26 yards and a TD during Sunday’s 30-28 win over the Eagles.

Other RBs to consider: La’Mical Perine, Giovani Bernard, J.D. McKissic

UPDATE:

Myles Gaskin, MIA – Nice! Gaskin had 18 carries for 91 yards and caught all four of his targets for 35 receiving yards in Sunday’s 24-0 win over the Jets. He’s the clear lead back in Miami and is on a bye in Week 7.

D’Andre Swift, DET – Our RB call of the week, for sure. Swift was owned in just 1.1 percent of DFS lineups (but a lot more in mine!) and had a monster day: 116 yards and two TDs on 14 carries and 3-7-0 receiving. Adrian Peterson had 15 touches but shouldn’t be getting the workload that Swift obviously deserves moving forward. The Lions face the Falcons in Week 7.

Devonta Freeman, NYG – Freeman seized the opportunity and rushed 18 times for 61 yards, though he didn’t look great in the passing game (one reception for -4 yards) on Sunday.

Justin Jackson, LAC – The Chargers were on a bye in Week 6.

Cam Akers, LAR – One of these days, we’ll actually get to see him log some touches.

Alexander Mattison, MIN – The Vikings really know how to ruin a good waiver wire pick. Mattison – in what might be his only lead role opportunity this season – finished with just 26 rushing yards on 10 carries, hauling in one of two targets for 4 receiving yards during Sunday’s 40-23 loss to Atlanta.

Devontae Booker, LV – The Raiders were on a Week 6 bye. Booker remains the handcuff of choice for Josh Jacobs.

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

TE Trey Burton, IND – The Colts offense had looked paltry behind Philip Rivers, but Burton (5-10 percent owned) caught four of the five targets Rivers sent him for 58 yards and a TD, adding a one-yard TD rush during Sunday’s 31-27 win over the Bengals.

Travis Fulgham, PHI – Fulgham, who I left off the list last week, finished with another solid stat line: 6-75-1 on 10 targets. He’s still owned in fewer than 50 percent of ESPN leagues so he might be available in yours.

James Washington, PIT – I almost used Washington (10-15 percent owned) as a WR pivot in DFS because of his toughness and contrast to the other big-play WRs in PIT, but I’m really regretting having zero shares after he went for 4-68-1 against the Browns.

Tim Patrick, DEN – He had 4-101-0 on Sunday and should be productive as a WR3 moving forward with Lock under center. He’s a talented young receiver who pairs well with Jerry Jeudy in Denver.

TE Anthony Firkser, TEN – After Jonnu Smith left with an ankle injury, Firkser had a monster day with 8-113-1 on nine targets in the OT win over the Texans. If Smith misses time, Firkser could be a solid add.

UPDATE: The ankle injury to Smith is apparently minor, but we should stay tuned just in case he’s inactive/limited.

Other WRs/TEs to consider: TE Dallas Goedert (questionable), TE Logan Thomas, Breshad Perriman, Cole Beasley, Zach Pascal, Corey Davis, Keelan Cole, Josh Reynolds, TE Darren Fells, TE Cole Kmet

UPDATE:

Chase Claypool, PIT – Despite all the hype, Claypool did well, hauling in all four of his targets for 74 yards in Week 6 against the Browns. He also rushed twice for 7 yards and a TD. The waiver window is likely closed.

Darius Slayton, NYG – Slayton had 2-41-1 before injuring his foot on the TD catch and is listed as limited on Monday’s injury report. Stay tuned.

Brandin Cooks, HOU – Cooks caught 9-68-1 in Sunday’s 42-36 overtime loss to Tennessee and looks like he’s finally fitting in the Houston offense.

Henry Ruggs III, LV – Ruggs used the bye week to get fully healthy ahead of a Week 7 home matchup against the Buccaneers – where they’ll be forced to find ways to utilize his speed.

Mike Williams, LAC – The Chargers were on a bye.

Tee Higgins, CLE – Our WR call of the week, Higgins looks like a WR1, hauling in six of eight targets for 125 yards in the loss to the Colts. He’s got nearly unlimited upside.

Christian Kirk, ARI – UPDATE: Kirk (owned in about 50 percent of leagues) exploded for 86 yards and two TDs on just two catches (three targets) Monday night against the Cowboys. He’s could have an even busier Week 7 in a shootout with the Seahawks.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB – Valdes-Scantling was targeted five times by an erratic Aaron Rodgers, catching 3-32-0 in the loss to the Bucs.