Many a fantasy football championship has been won with the waiver wire. Following Week 7 action, these are the names that should be on owners' radars going forward. And fear not if your waiver priority is low -- we have some sneaky pickups for you as well.
Ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo.
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Quarterbacks
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets (28% Owned): Fitzpatrick continues to be a serviceable QB2, and fine bye-week fill-in. Against the Patriots on Sunday, Fitzpatrick narrowly avoided several interceptions (likely through illegal use of Fitzmagic), and put up 295 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also quietly been offering a pinch of value on the ground, rushing for 30 yards in three straight games. His bye week is already passed, so feel free to go with him in good matchups, or if your regular QB is off.
DEEP OPTION: Kirk Cousins, Redskins (7% Owned): The ‘Skins are off this week, but moving forward we now have seen gunslinger Cousins unleashed. He is fearless with the ball; often that works against him, but this week he lit up Tampa Bay for three touchdowns and 317 yards. If he continues to throw that much he’ll pile up some picks, but Washington’s running game is in the tank so he’ll keep firing.
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Running Backs
Ryan Mathews, Eagles (49% Owned): Mathews has legitimately been better than DeMarco Murray, but that doesn’t mean go pick him up and expect a bell cow. Mathews’ performance has been so much better that he’ll have a much bigger share of the workload going forward. If not, then the Eagles should consider moving on from Chip Kelly. If he gets more work, he will be a nice source of touchdowns. As it is he’s tied with Murray with three rushing touchdowns, and he’s done it on 32 fewer carries.
Duke Johnson, Browns (48% Owned): What are you fantasy owners waiting for? Johnson is the best fantasy back in the Browns’ rotation and should be 100 percent owned. He’s already one of the top pass-catching running backs in football. Touchdowns could be scarce, but he’s explosive enough to score a handful of long ones.
Darren McFadden, Cowboys (36% Owned): Christine Michael looked okay, but it was D-Mac who went off on Sunday. He’s going to be added everywhere now, so hopefully you have a nice waiver priority. If not, you had your chance the last few weeks.
Isaiah Crowell, Browns (48% Owned): Crowell is far from a lost cause, and remains the best bet for rushing touchdowns in Cleveland. His yardage will be depressed by Robert Turbin’s presence, and Johnson having the third down role pretty much locked down, but he’s still guaranteed to see significant action and he has a pinch of big-play ability as well. A worthy FLEX in any week.
DEEP OPTION: Dexter McCluster, Titans (3%)The Titans are slowly realizing McCluster is their best chance at big plays. Bishop Sankey saw the field for just two snaps this week, while McCluster had five carries and six receptions on Sunday. He will never be a lead back -- nor should he be -- but if he leads the group in touches he’ll have fantasy relevance, especially in deep leagues.
Wide Receivers
Ted Ginn, Panthers (33% Owned): Ginn continued to be Cam Newton’s top target not named Greg Olsen on Sunday night, hauling in 5-of-8 targets, and throwing in 43-yard rush, which can’t be counted on, but is always a possibility. He’ll never be much of a route runner, but his insane speed and athleticism make him a handful to cover regardless.
Danny Amendola, Patriots (13% Owned): For the second straight week Amendola has seen big targets. He’s starting to resemble the No. 1 receiver the Patriots thought they were getting when they brought him on in 2013. The Pats throw the ball so much, that no matter how many viable targets clutter the field, they all have value. Brandon LaFell’s one million drops help Amendola’s case.
Steve Johnson, Chargers (41% Owned): His ownership percentage is confusing. Philip Rivers has been playing well, and he has a reputation for spreading the wealth with his passes. Johnson’s seen eight targets in each of his last two games, and he’s getting healthier. He’ll be a perfectly fine FLEX going forward.
DEEP OPTION: Jamison Crowder, Redskins (12% Owned): The ’Skins are on bye this week so it’s the perfect time to steal him. He’s been a target hound this year, and while the impending return of DeSean Jackson is a little scary, it’s worth acknowledging that Pierre Garcon could suffer more than Crowder does.
Tight Ends
Eric Ebron, Lions (23% Owned): What must Ebron do to receive your love? Ebron caught all five of his targets on Sunday, and has now scored in three of the five games he’s played. The poor man’s Jimmy Graham has apparently swapped identities; Jimmy Graham is now a homeless man’s Eric Ebron.
DEEP OPTION: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Buccaneers (26% Owned): He’s hurt right now so people have forgotten him. You can snag him with the dead-last waiver priority in all likelihood, so go ahead and do that, especially if you don’t have a top tight end.
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