Week 6 is in the books, and it is time to look ahead to the waiver wire. These are the players you should be targeting on waivers ahead of Week 7 to get ahead of your league rivals.
Running back
Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers – Christian McCaffrey suffered an oblique injury in the second half against the Browns, providing his backups with an opportunity to take over the 49ers’ backfield. Mason had more of an impact than fellow backup Elijah Mitchell, who is himself returning from an injury. In the event that McCaffrey misses time we could see Mason get plenty of work.
Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns – Hunt has been playing a minor role for the Browns through recent weeks but really made an impact on Sunday. He finished the game with 47 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, with three catches for 24 yards as a receiver. If he and Jerome Ford continue to split the backfield work, Hunt will once again be a fantasy relevant back.
D’Onta Foreman, Chicago Bears – The Bears’ running back room is banged up. Khalil Herbert is on IR, whilst Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer are banged up. Foreman took up most of the rushing workload in their absence, accounting for 15 of the 24 running back carries against the Vikings. Even with Darrynton Evans taking the passing down work, Foreman is a worthwhile add if you need depth at running back.
Wide receiver
Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders – Samuel has clearly formed a good connection with rookie quarterback Sam Howell. He is earning a steady workload in what is a deep pass catching unit. This has seen him score at least 14 points in each of his last three games. With a good matchup against the Giants on the horizon I like this as a waiver move.
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts – Downs seems to have found his feet in the Colts’ offense. Through the last four games he has earned 29 targets and has three games with double digit points. The switch to Gardner Minshew at quarterback hasn’t caused any issues either. Downs’ Week 7 matchup against the Browns is tough, but he’s a worthwhile add nonetheless.
Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders – It was a Meyers revenge game in Week 6 as he went for 61 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots. Meyers has become a quietly excellent fantasy starter, scoring 15+ points in four of his five games this season. Despite all of that he is rostered in just 52.1% of leagues. That won’t last much longer so make sure to add him this week.
Tight end
Jonnu Smith, Atlanta Falcons – I’m going to keep banging the drum for Jonnu Smith. He is fast becoming an essential part of the Falcons’ passing attack and a legitimate quality fantasy starter. He has now scored double digit points in every game since Week 1. Smith has also earned at least five targets in each of his last five games. Smith is still available in 75% of leagues – get him while you still can!
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders – Mayer has had a slow start to his rookie season, but he looked excellent against the Patriots in Week 6. He finished that game with five catches for 75 yards, scoring 15 points in the process. It remains to be seen if that will continue, but with a nice matchup against the Bears on the horizon I’m willing to take that gamble.
Quarterback
Sam Howell, Washington Commanders – Howell has been a really good fantasy quarterback this season, scoring 16+ points in all but one of his starts. In Week 6 he threw for three touchdowns against Atlanta, scoring 18 points. With a very good matchup against the Giants on the horizon I see this nice run of form continuing into Week 7.
