Each week, fantasy football managers inch closer to the playoffs as the 2022 campaign rolls into midseason form. Now, they must navigate through a bye week that will leave a lot of fantasy firepower on the bench in Week 7.
Teams on a bye in Week 7 include the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia Eagles.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in ESPN leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on Twitter (@KevinHickey11). Your questions, comments, and roasts are always welcome!
Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.
Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.
Priority Free Agents
1. RB Darrell Henderson, Los Angeles Rams
Though the Rams are on a bye week, Henderson has taken over the starting role while Cam Akers works through personal issues. Those issues were enough make Akers inactive in Week 6, which allowed Henderson to enter Monday night as the RB15 on the week. Henderson reached a 60% running back rush share and 10% target share in the same game for the second time this season. It may be tough to hold him through the bye week, but the issues Akers and the Rams seem to be dealing with make him a starting running back moving forward.
Availability: 34%
FAAB: 25%
2. RB Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders
There’s a good chance Robinson isn’t available, and he probably should’ve been picked up sooner. Regardless, the rookie clearly took over the starting role during prime time in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears after appearing to have done such the prior game. He posted a modest 17 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown, which is good for an RB2 finish. He didn’t see any targets, but he led the backfield in snap share (47%) and rush share (71%). The lack of receiving work limits his upside, but he’s a starting running back with early-down and goal-line opportunities.
Availability: 50%
FAAB: 20%
3. WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
The rookie wideout continues to shine for Indy. Though he’s still running the third-most snaps and routes in the wide receiver room, Pierce posted another strong outing in Week 6. He caught three passes on seven targets for 49 yards and a touchdown. He now has at least six targets in each of his last three games. The Colts offense finally found a rhythm in Week 6, and Pierce can be a solid flex play moving forward.
Availability: 75%
FAAB: 15%
4. RB Kenyan Drake, Baltimore Ravens
I was tempted to move Drake higher on the list, but there is still some hesitancy. J.K. Dobbins appears to be dealing with soreness in his knee, which led to Drake leading the Ravens backfield in every category. He took 10 carries for 119 rushing yards and a touchdown and enters Monday night as the RB6 in PPR formats. Even with Dobbins nursing an injury, Gus Edwards should be back soon, and Drake’s lack of receiving work will limit his upside. But if he’s the 1a in the Ravens backfield, he needs to be rostered.
Availability: 97%
FAAB: 10%
5. WR Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Moore wound up leading the Cardinals receiving corps in every category. He played more snaps, ran more routes and saw the same number of targets as Marquise Brown. 10/17 update: Hollywood will miss roughly six weeks with a fractured foot, and Robbie Anderson was acquired from Carolina, but he’ll need several weeks to get up to speed on the playbook. Even with DeAndre Hopkins expected to make his debut after serving a suspension, Moore is likely going to be the leader in usage on a short week. He’s an intriguing flex play in Week 7 and could hold that kind of value moving forward.
Availability: 53%
FAAB: 8%
6. WR Robert Woods, Tennessee Titans
Coming off of the bye week, Woods should be rostered as a flex option every week. He has a per-game target share of 23% and has recorded four receptions in each of his last four games. The upside may be limited given the lack of passing volume in the Titans offense, but he’s clearly the lead option in the receiving corps — with little competition while Treylon Burks (foot) is on IR — and shouldn’t be on waivers in typical leagues.
Availability: 37%
FAAB: 8%
7. RB Latavius Murray, Denver Broncos
Murray saw his first game with the Broncos on Monday night and took over the early-down role as Melvin Gordon was benched after just nine snaps into the game. Murray wound up leading the backfield in snaps (27), carries (15), and rush share (79%), while posting a modest 66 rushing yards. He saw just one target, and this rotation is likely to cause more of a headache than anything. But adding Murray for cheap in case he does see an increased role may be prudent.
Availability: 92%
FAAB: 5%
Grab-n-Stash
WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
It wasn’t an aesthetically pleasing outing for Gallup during primetime in Week 6. However, his usage is increasing each week. He ran just two fewer routes than Noah Brown on Sunday night but still posted seven targets and a 19% target share. With Dak Prescott expected to return in Week 7 for a juicy matchup against the Detroit Lions, it’s best to get in on Gallup before he has a blow-up game.
Availability: 49%
FAAB: 5-7%
WR Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants
The rookie finally made his return from a knee injury he suffered in Week 1 and immediately made an impact. Though it was clear Robinson was being eased back into action, his 16% target share was tied for the highest mark among Giants wide receivers in Week 6, despite the fact that he ran just 11 routes on 15 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The Giants need weapons in the passing game in the worst way, and the new regime hand-picked Robinson in the second round. He’s not startable yet, but that time could come soon.
Availability: 93%
FAAB: 5%
RB Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
At worst, White is an extremely high-valued handcuff to Leonard Fournette. However, the last few weeks have shown White could be more than that. His stat lines don’t jump out in a crazy way, but he’s playing more on third down and has at least three receptions in each of his last three games.
Availability: 74%
FAAB: 2-3%
RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Currently on the injured reserve list, it isn’t clear when Williams will return. However, it could be in the coming weeks, and the situation revolving Cam Akers could lead to a bigger role when the rookie returns. Williams is the definition of a stash, especially if you have injured reserve slots available. Darrell Henderson likely would still lead the backfield, but Williams would become a high-valued handcuff, at worst.
Availability: 99%
FAAB: 1-2%
WR Tyquan Thornton, New England Patriots
The rookie wide receiver made his debut in Week 5 but didn’t make much noise. That wasn’t the case in Week 6. The second-round pick posted a 17% target share, which was the second-highest mark in the wide receiver room and third-highest on the offense as a whole. He came down with four receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown while adding three carries for 16 rushing yards. His elite speed makes him a threat on every play, and even though Jakobi Meyers is the leader, Thornton could take over the No. 2 role soon.
Availability: 98%
FAAB: 1-2%
RB Mike Boone, Denver Broncos
While Latavius Murray took over the early-down role from Melvin Gordon, Boone’s role as the pass-catcher remained safe. Even with the new addition of Muray, Boone still saw the second-most snaps in the backfield while leading the room in routes run. The problem is that he saw only two targets, and the Broncos offense is still in shambles. Still, he’s worthy of at least monitoring in PPR formats.
Availability: 66%
FAAB: 1-2%
Streamers of the Week
QB Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans: The Colts offense thrived with a quick-passing game as Ryan threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns. The Titans have allowed a QB1 finish in each of their last four games.
Availability: 87%
FAAB: 1%
QB Mitchell Trubisky, Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins: Trubisky took over after Kenny Pickett suffered a concussion in Week 6. If Pickett is out, Trubisky is in play against a Dolphins defense allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game (21.3) to quarterbacks.
Availability: 99%
FAAB: 0-1%
TE Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars: The rookie has emerged as a top target for Daniel Jones, registering at least a 16% target share in three of his last four games. Bellinger also is coming off of two consecutive TE1 finishes and really could be in the stash section.
Availability: 97%
FAAB: 0-1%
TE Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons: Hurst put up a dud in Week 6, but he has a chance to bounce back against a Falcons defense allowing the fourth-most PPR points per game (17.8) to the position.
Availability: 49%
FAAB: 0-1%
New York Giants D/ST at Jacksonville Jaguars: Big Blue’s defense has thrived under Wink Martindale, allowing just 18.8 points per game. The Jaguars have allowed opposing defenses to finish as a top-10 unit in each of the last three weeks.
Availability: 92%
FAAB: 1-2%
New England Patriots D/ST vs. Chicago Bears: The Patriots defense should have no trouble containing the Bears offense, regardless of whether Justin Fields (shoulder) plays. The Bears have allowed a top-12 finish to opposing defenses in four of the last five weeks.
Availability: 77%
FAAB: 0-1%
PK Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers: Succop has been one of the top kickers in fantasy this season. He’s 15-of-16 on field-goal attempts and 8-of-8 on extra-point attempts.
Availability: 43%
FAAB: 0-1%
PK Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals: Koo had a quiet day in Week 6 due to the fact that the Falcons didn’t need to attempt a field goal. He’s still one of the most reliable legs in the game and will be a factor in what could be a relatively high-scoring affair.
Availability: 43%
FAAB: 0-1%
