NFL Waiver Wire: Week 7 Deep Dive

Week 6 was marred by backfield injuries, which both takes away and creates opportunity. But for those affected by this, there are plenty of potentially helpful options. Similarly, for those already weak at the position, this is a good time to try to upgrade your roster depth. The majority of the best options were already mentioned in the traditional waiver wire article, so be sure to check that out because names won't be repeated. Given the nature of shifting rosters and injury news, be sure to stay locked on the news feed throughout the week as the landscape - particularly at running back - could change quickly.

Quarterback

Kyler Murray at SEA (13 percent ESPN/86 percent FFPC)

Murray (knee) is likely rostered in most leagues, but this is a check-to-be-sure situation. Rumors began circulating Monday and Tuesday he could have his practice window opened up, setting up a return within three weeks. The Cardinals have the potential to be a decent offensive unit, so Murray should have fantasy value as a pure thrower even if he isn't running right away.

Brian Hoyer at CHI (zero percent ESPN/zero percent FFPC)

We don't have a true understanding of the potential availability for Jimmy Garoppolo (back) this weekend. While coach Josh McDaniels suggested it wasn't the worst possible scenario, Garoppolo's status is still certainly in question. Hoyer isn't the most exciting option, yet he's surrounded by strong skill-position players and should be able to distribute the ball well enough in a soft matchup.  

Sam Howell at NYG (19 percent ESPN)

Howell probably is rostered in many spots, but he's a good streamer and shouldn't be on the waiver wire in most formats. The Giants aren't a great matchup despite likely public perception, though Howell could very well be the best option available with a lot of players on their bye week. 

Malik Willis BYE (zero percent ESPN/four percent FFPC)

This is another wait-and-see scenario. Ryan Tannehill (ankle) appears to have a relatively serious injury, but will have a bye week to recover. Willis could very well be in line to start in Week 8 against Atlanta, a far-from-fearsome opponent. The problem is that even if Willis does start, he didn't appear to be all that improved in his relief appearance against the Ravens. His stat line could fool people, but 48 of his 75 yards came on a pass at the line of scrimmage to Tyjae Spears and he took four sacks in one quarter.

Running Back

Ke'Shawn Vaughn vs. ATL (one percent ESPN/five percent FFPC)

Rachaad White has disappointed this season and only saw a season-low in touches during Week 6. He's only averaged 3.3 yards per carry overall without any runs over 20 yards in a 70-carry sample. That's opened the door a bit for Vaughn, who's combined for 15 carries the last two weeks. Unfortunately, he's picked up just 24 yards over that span, so his value could remain limited even if he takes over the lead-back role or remains in an even split. 

Myles Gaskin vs. PIT (zero percent ESPN/one percent FFPC)
Darrell Henderson vs. PIT (zero percent ESPN/zero percent FFPC)

Zach Evans and Royce Freeman are probably the Rams' top options in the backfield for this weekend, and they were both covered in the traditional waiver wire article. However, the team also signed Gaskin off Minnesota's practice squad to their active roster Tuesday. He could join in the mix with Evans and Freeman, which would make the backfield quite unappealing and likely render the entire trio useless for fantasy purposes. 

Henderson is a true desperation option as he was only signed to the Rams' practice squad with no guarantee he'll be on the active roster against Pittsburgh.

Damien Williams at SEA (zero percent ESPN/zero percent FFPC)

Speaking of unfavorable backfield splits, Arizona is firmly in that territory after facing the Rams. Emari Demercado topped the position in snaps, but only totaled three touches. Keaontay Ingram was next in snaps and led the backfield with 12. And Williams was on the field for 12 offensive snaps, yet earned nine touches. He's back on the practice squad for now, but will almost certainly be promoted against Seattle. This is a mess, though Williams is worth a look in deeper leagues.  

Keaton Mitchell vs. DET (five percent ESPN/36 percent FFPC)

The Ravens' backfield isn't difficult to evaluate as the two highlighted above, but it has the potential to reach that level. Mitchell sits third on the depth chart, though his role was secured a bit more Tuesday when the Ravens released Kenyan Drake from the practice squad. Mitchell averaged 7.2 yards per carry at East Carolina and ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine. If he gets a chance, he could emerge as the best back in Baltimore.

James Robinson at DEN (zero percent ESPN/11 percent FFPC)

Robinson signed with the Packers' practice squad Tuesday. There's no guarantee he can stick with the team in any capacity given the way he's bounced around several rosters this season, though Green Bay is a decent landing spot. Aaron Jones (hamstring) has been injured for much of the season while AJ Dillon has averaged a horrific 3.0 yards per carry and the third back has fluctuated between a number of players. Robinson is a watch list player – not even a stash – but monitor carefully.

Leonard Fournette (zero percent ESPN/68 percent FFPC)

Rumors are starting to emerge that Fournette is going to go on visits to various teams. Whether anything comes of that is unclear, but he's another name to keep in mind and he could be signing soon.

Wide Receiver

Wan'Dale Robinson vs. WAS (five percent ESPN/71 percent FFPC)

The Giants' offense is a disaster as a whole, so it's tempting to write off every skill-position player. Robinson is an exception. Since making his season debut in Week 3, he's had no fewer than four catches and five targets in a game. He's still in the Giants rotation of wide receivers, but he's clearly a priority.

Jalin Hyatt vs. WAS (two percent ESPN/80 percent FFPC)

It hasn't necessarily shown in his stat line, but Hyatt is also emerging into a more significant role. After running no more than 18 routes in the first three contests, he's produced 30, 25 and 31 routes the last three weeks. If the offensive line can get healthy enough to protect Daniel Jones long enough to push the ball down the field, Hyatt could be a late-season surger.

Trey Palmer vs. ATL (zero percent ESPN/15 percent FFPC)

We can copy and paste the routes run pattern from Hyatt to apply to Palmer. He also received a sudden jump in targets with seven last week against the Lions. We can't count on the latter so long as Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are healthy and on the roster yet Palmer seems to be getting more involved.

Van Jefferson at TB (seven percent ESPN/62 percent FFPC)

Jefferson was understandably eased into the Atlanta offense in his team debut, but he's the second-most talented wide receiver after Drake London. Even as he catches up on the scheme, the problem is that volume is narrowly distributed between London, Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith while the offense isn't likely to sustain many other options from a fantasy perspective.

Julio Jones vs. MIA (zero percent ESPN/zero percent FFPC)

Jones was added to the Philadelphia practice squad Tuesday. The likeliest outcome is that the transaction won't matter, but he is expected to be quickly promoted to the active roster and will be a part of an – at least hypothetically – explosive offense.

Tight End

Trey McBride at SEA (zero percent ESPN/72 percent FFPC)

It's a light week at tight end. Michael Mayer is the top option, but was another covered in the traditional waiver wire article. McBride is a less exciting, though he played a season-high 59 percent of offensive snaps and more importantly ran 24 routes – double his previous high – in Week 6 against the Rams.