Fantasy football is a full-time job. The best owners look to fine-tune their rosters every day, but waiver day is the most important. Those of you in deeper leagues looking for an edge should consider the following players, who are available in more than 80 percent of Yahoo leagues. Without further ado, here are the top five waiver wire pickups for Week 7, with a few honorable mentions thrown in for good measure:
- Ito Smith, RB, Atlanta Falcons
That’s now a touchdown in three straight weeks for Smith. As Devonta Freeman’s injuries continue, Smith is a decent bet to continue getting work even after Atlanta’s Week 8 bye. Tevin Coleman isn’t exactly seizing opportunities with Freeman out, which could point to some extra looks for the rookie. If you have Freeman or Coleman, Smith should probably be number one on this list.
- David Moore, WR, Seattle Seahawks
The second-year man out of Division II East Central now has three touchdowns in two weeks. The bad news is Seattle has a bye this week so it could be difficult to justify a roster spot for him with so many other fantasy wideouts (Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Oakland) also on bye weeks. The good news is he has left Brandon Marshall in the dust and become Seattle’s go-to big man over the last few weeks. Considering Russell Wilson’s history of monstrous second halves, Moore is a stash that could pay off in a few weeks.
Related: NFL Betting Guide
- Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Kirk has been Arizona’s leading receiver in each of Josh Rosen’s two starts. He also tied with Larry Fitzgerald for a team-high 11 targets. Seeing as Rosen and Kirk are both rookies, it’s fair to expect some improvement as the season goes along. He was a top-30 PPR receiver each week, meaning he’s worth a bye-week fill-in this week.
- DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers
Moore lost two fumbles in Carolina’s loss to the Redskins, leading some to pin the loss on him. That may be true, but it’s also true that he saw season-highs in targets and yards for the second straight week. He already had his bye and has several weeks of mediocre-to-good matchups ahead of him. More importantly, he has enough upside to become Cam Newton’s top target before the end of the season. His 16.2 yards per reception are the most among Carolina’s receivers with more than two receptions. He’s a good desperation start with so many receivers on bye, but mostly you’d add him hoping he’s an every-week starter before the fantasy playoffs.
- Frank Gore, RB, Miami Dolphins
Gore out-produced Kenyan Drake in two of the last three weeks and is 3.9 non-PPR fantasy points away from tying him for the season. Gore benefited from overtime, but we can’t ignore that he’s RB33 entering Monday night. Jordan Howard, Lamar Miller and Dion Lewis all have fewer points than Gore. Those hurting from injuries or byes could definitely justify starting Gore at home against the Lions in Week 7.
Honorable Mentions
Albert Wilson, WR, Miami Dolphins
Wilson now has three awesome games and three terrible ones, but you could do worse than a 50-50 shot at a huge game from your FLEX. Odds are Wilson regresses before the end of the year, but he’s a hot hand that can be used in desperate situations.
Tyrell Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Williams is fourth on the Chargers in targets, but second in yards and tied for first in touchdowns after his big week against Cleveland. DeSean Jackson (23.9) and John Brown (20.2) are the only qualifying receivers averaging more yards per reception than Williams (19.4). He’s another desperation play worth starting in a pinch.
Terrelle Pryor, WR, New York Jets
The one-time fantasy star has scored in back-to-back weeks and has at least eight non-PPR fantasy points in half of his games. He could be in line for more playing time after Quincy Enunwa’s injury. He has tough matchups against Minnesota and Chicago ahead, but he does have something of a track record and is a threat to score against anyone.
