Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 7 Pickups
Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the ownership percentage coming from Yahoo.com.
Quarterbacks
Joe Flacco, Ravens (29% Owned): Joe Flacco is not a sexy QB to own, but he is throwing the ball like crazy this season. So far it hasn’t translated into big numbers, but two of his next three games are against the Jets, who have been putrid against the pass, and the Browns. Could be worth a flier depending on who your starter is.
Colin Kaepernick, 49ers (9% Owned): Kaepernick was exactly what we though he’d be; that is, to say, a serviceable thrower (186 yards, one TD), and a threat on the ground (66 yards). Kaepernick will run like crazy for Chip Kelly, and he and Torrey Smith make a nice tandem. In two-QB leagues with four-point passing touchdowns, I absolutely love Kaepernick.
Running Backs
Matt Asiata, Vikings (17% Owned): Asiata still gets no respect. He was likely dropped by lots of owners because of the bye week, but he is by far the best RB add. He saw an uptick in his attempts two weeks ago, registering 14 carries. He has scored in back-to-back weeks, and so far has outscored Jerick McKinnon, negating the supposed talent gap. Pick him up and plug him in if you’re hurting at RB.
Jay Ajayi, Dolphins (31% Owned): I am so confused about Ajayi. He splits carries the whole time Arian Foster is out, and then when the Dolphins activate Foster, they pound it to Ajayi 25 times, and he responds with 204 yards and two scores. WTF! Pick him up, and pay close attention to reports about Foster’s health. If he looks like he’ll be extremely limited again, feel free to roll with Ajayi.
Bilal Powell, Jets (37% Owned): Powell remains a solid deep-league add because of his limited, but defined role. He also has Top 20 upside if Matt Forte goes down, especially in PPR of half-PPR formats.
Wide Receivers
Kenny Britt, Rams (11% Owned): Britt is quickly becoming Case Keenum’s preferred target, and unlike Tavon Austin, Britt is an appealing target in the red zone. Britt’s catch percentage is extremely high, and he will be the top target any time the Rams are close. The only issue is Keenum; he’s absolutely terrible, and that makes Britt a threat to have truly awful games at any time.
Cole Beasley, Cowboys (45% Owned): I guess its time I take Beasley seriously. He obviously has a nice rapport with Dak Prescott, who will likely remain the starter for the foreseeable future. He’s got three touchdowns in his last two games and has found a niche in the red zone. The Cowboys also have a bye this week, so he’s probably going to be available to you for a $0 bid.
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry, Chargers (35% Owned): Antonio Gates is finally obsolete. Henry is emerging as a premier option; part of it is talent, and part of it is Philip Rivers’ love of spreading the ball around, especially when he has no elite targets. Henry has scored in three straight games, and it looks sustainable. He has become a must-start TE in any matchup.
Eric Ebron, Lions (46% Owned): Ebron’s ownership has dipped below 50 percent, but now is a great time to snap him up. Reliable TEs are tough to find, and once heathy, Ebron is a near-lock to see five or more targets. That’s valuable at a position where a floor of six points is high.