Our Week 7 waiver wire picks were a mixed bag. It has been slim pickings this year, especially in 12- or 14-team leagues.
Bye weeks are creating some tough decisions for fantasy managers, with Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Ashton Jeanty, Davante Adams, Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba all on bye this weekend.
So, who can step up and fill those spots? Let’s take a look at this week’s top waiver targets.
Jaylin Lane
Luke McCaffrey was picked up by thousands of managers with Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin ruled out for Week 7. Samuel’s status for next week is up in the air, while McLaurin’s practice participation decreased at the end of last week, suggesting he will be unavailable for Washington’s Week 8 matchup with the Chiefs.
McCaffrey, who missed some of Sunday’s game due to a head injury, had no receptions on two targets. Jaylin Lane, a 2025 fourth-round pick, had the most targets of the Commanders’ wide receivers with a career-high six for three receptions and 60 yards.
Lane is on only 0.1% of rosters. Veteran wideout Chris Moore played more snaps than Lane, but his 60-yard showing stands him in good stead heading into Week 8.
Kansas City’s defense has been incredibly stingy, but the game script is likely to force the Commanders to throw the ball. Lane is a worthwhile flyer in deeper leagues.
Dawson Knox
With the Bills coming off a bye and facing a Panthers’ defense that had conceded the second-most points to tight ends before Week 7, Dawson Knox is an intriguing waiver option in deeper leagues.
Anyone with McBride, Sam LaPorta, or Tyler Higbee is looking for a replacement tight end this week. Knox has been an afterthought in Josh Allen’s offense thus far, but he caught his first touchdown of the season in Week 6, and there’s a chance Dalton Kincaid will be limited in Week 8 after an oblique issue.
Rostered in 1.1% of leagues, Knox is a decent option in a light TE week.
Xavier Legette
Only four teams have defended fewer passes than the Bills this season. Buffalo has done a good job at pressuring opposing quarterbacks, but both Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr. had success in the Bills’ last two games before their bye week.
Xavier Legette, a first-round pick in 2024, is coming off career-high marks in receiving yards and receptions. His 11 targets in the low-scoring win over the Jets was more than double any of his teammates.
Notably, Legette scored 24.20 fantasy points. He’s only rostered in 2.2% of leagues and looks set to have a larger target share going forward with defenses keying in on Tetairoa McMillan.
Michael Penix Jr.
Available in over 90% of NFL Fantasy leagues, Michael Penix Jr. is facing a Titans team that was torched by Drake Maye in Week 7. Atlanta has the offensive weapons to put up some big numbers against Tennessee.
Penix has been maddeningly inconsistent, but he’s one of the better quarterback streaming options this week if you’ve been riding with Stafford or Goff.
Chargers Defense
Just five teams have a worse offensive EPA than the Vikings. Minnesota gave up a couple of sacks and Carson Wentz threw two interceptions in Week 7.
This Chargers’ defense hasn’t been stifling opponents and posted -3 points in a Week 7 loss to the Colts. It’s an opportunity to post a few sacks, though, with Minnesota ranking in the bottom 10 for its offensive line play.
Whether it’s Wentz or JJ McCarthy under center, the Vikings are also candidates to turn the ball over.
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