In this edition of Win the Waiver Wire, Curtis Patrick shares his top waiver targets for Week 7 in seasonal fantasy football leagues.
Whether through injury, snap count, or role, every fantasy owner can look at their squad and identify a player who disappointed relative to expectations in Week 6. We’ve also entered bye-week season, which means waiver activity will carry greater importance for most fantasy players moving forward.
*For the purposes of this week’s article, I’ll be using ESPN “percentage rostered” data. Players are listed in the order of priority, by position. To make the most of my time and yours, I only provide analysis for players who are available in around 50% of leagues.
Quarterback
It’s a great week to go shopping for a QB. There are three signal-callers under 50% ownership with top-eight fantasy schedules over the next two weeks, per the Strength of Schedule Streaming App. Joe Burrow is one; the other two are players are more desirable based on recent play and schedule considerations.
Justin Herbert (available in 54.6% of leagues)
FAAB: 1-2%
In his four starts from Week 2 to Week 5, Herbert ranked seventh in passing yards and sixth in passing TDs. Not bad for a rookie who wasn’t even named the opening day starter and only “earned” his role due to the incompetence of his team’s medical staff.
His next few opponents aren’t quite as juicy as Bridgewater’s (more on that shortly), but Herbert is already past his bye and I’d feel very comfortable riding him all the way through Week 12. He’s got the third-easiest schedule in fantasy over the next six weeks: vs. Jaguars, at Broncos, vs. Raiders, at Dolphins, vs. Jets, at Bills.
Teddy Bridgewater (available in 66.0% of leagues)
FAAB: 1%
The Panthers return from their Week 6 bye to greet two of the most inviting defenses for opposing QBs in the league. The Saints have allowed 15 passing TDs through five games, while the Falcons have given up an average of 345 passing yards and 2.8 passing TDs over their past five contests.
Bridgewater has disappointed versus strong competition this season, but he’s exploited the matchups he was expected to win, including impressive showings against Arizona (29.0 fantasy points) and Atlanta (23.95 fantasy points). He should be a QB1 over the next two weeks if that trend continues. Looking further down the road, Bridgewater faces the Chiefs in Week 9 and Buccaneers in Week 10, so view this as short-term, high-end rental.
