We're heading into Week 7, and the Monday Night Football game in Week 6 between the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers saw two big wide receiver options suffer injuries. The competition for top-notch players off the waiver wire is going to really heat up.
We have had a slew of major injury news, including the unfortunate situation with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is out for the season due to blood clots. In the NFC East Division, we saw New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo land in the doghouse of new coach John Harbaugh, and a potential change under center for Big Blue, too.
With all of the injury news, depth chart changes and four more teams on a bye, including the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars, it might
be the busiest week of the season with teams working the waiver wire.
We're going to list two to four players by position below, and they're listed from top to bottom, by priority. The top guys are high-priority options for every manager. Some of the others are more speculative OR if you already have a winning roster but want some insurance policies for down the road.
Let's get started and find some replacements.
Ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo.
QUARTERBACKS
Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders (63% owned)
Cousins is still available in more than a third of all fantasy leagues, as people continue to doubt him. While the Raiders have cooled off a bit after a 3-0 start, Cousins is still putting up big numbers. In that red-hot start, he had three touchdowns in each of the first three games. In the past three games, he has cooled off from a touchdown perspective, posting five total TDs. That said, he also has his first two 300-yard games in the past three outings, including 313 yards in a near-miss against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium in Week 6. Cousins has really gelled nicely with Brock Bowers, and he continues to work well with Tre Tucker and Michael Mayer, too. It's strange seeing the Las Vegas passing offense looking somewhat functional. His 14 TD strikes are tied with Trevor Lawrence. Cousins is sixth in fantasy points among all NFL quarterbacks, too.
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (43% owned)
Rodgers saw his fantasy ownership jump since last week, and it's sure to continue to rise if he keeps up the good work. He has multiple TD throws in each of the past four games, and the 42-year-old hoisted up a season-high 49 passes in the Week 6 overtime victory at Tampa Bay. He has completed 67.4% or more of his passes in each of the past two games, and he has managed a QB Rating of 83.2 or better in five of his six starts this season. It's especially impressive considering Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson are on the Reserve/Injured list, with DK Metcalf as the only legitimate receiver with NFL experience, although WR Germie Bernard appears to have quite a bit of potential.
Geno Smith, New York Jets (7% owned)
Smith really reinvented himself in his days with the Seattle Seahawks. He lost a little bit of that shine in his tenure with the Raiders, and the doubters are back with Smith under center for the Jets. However, he has posted a respectable 1,336 passing yards, ranking 14th in the NFL. He put up 252 yards in New England in Week 6, and he has completed 68.9% of his pass attempts on the season. Look, we're certainly not suggesting using Smith as a regular starter over other elite options. That said, he faces the lowly Miami Dolphins in Week 7 - a team that allows 7.8 yards per pass attempt, which is the sixth-most in the NFL. Smith could potentially go for 300 yards this upcoming weekend. For a bye-week replacement, you could certainly do much worse.
RUNNING BACKS
Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks (62% owned)
The time is now. Charbonnet is still nearly available in 40% of all leagues, but that's going to end this week. He is expected to practice on Wednesday, and all indications are that he'll play in Week 7 as old backfield mate Kenneth Walker III and the Kansas City Chiefs come to town for Sunday Night Football. Charbonnet is making his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in January. In his stead, nobody has been able to seize the job. Rookie Jadarian Price was benched, then hurt, and he is now on the Reserve/Injured list. Emanuel Wilson has been solid, but Charbonnet will push him to the back burner. The time is now.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants (4% owned)
Najee Harris was named the starting tailback by Harbaugh, supposedly after Skattebo's fumble in overtime in Week 5 against the Washington Commanders. Skattebo went from starter, tumbling down the depth chart to fourth and he didn't see an offensive touch in Week 6. Harris was able to record just two yards on four carries, so he didn't do much with his limited opportunities. Tracy ran six times for 18 yards and a touchdown, while adding two receptions for 27 yards and a score. Skattebo is likely to factor back in sooner rather than later, but Tracy's two touchdowns won't soon be forgotten by the coaching staff.
Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (5% owned)
The 31-year-old Perine rolled up 68 rushing yards on 14 carries, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, while posting two grabs, 10 yards and a touchdown in Miami in Week 5. Both he and starter Chase Brown saw 16 total touches, with Brown averaging just 3.0 yards per rushing attempt. Is Perine going to unseat Brown? That's unlikely. However, there is a role for Perine, and he can be very productive when he gets the opportunity. Brown has 22 carries for 49 yards in his two games leading into the bye, and he lost a fumble in Miami. If Brown stumbles out of the chute following the bye, Perine could continue to chip away.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (34% owned)
Miller rolled up a season-high 70 yards against the Giants, although it did take him 20 carries to get there. Still, it appears Miller is the tailback of choice in the Big Easy right now, and running back Alvin Kamara limped off in the Week 6 game. Rookie CJ Donaldson is a hammer down near the goal line, too, and that could keep Miller down. He has had trouble putting the ball on the ground, so his role as the workhorse in NOLA could be short-lived if he fumbles again. Still, anybody who gets 20-plus touches in a single game is going to get our antennae up
WIDE RECEIVERS
Keenan Allen, Indianapolis Colts (47% owned)
Is this the sexiest pick-up? No. However, Allen has earned 40 targets, or eight per per game, in his first five outings. He has the eye of Daniel Jones working out of the slot, and he has the same dependable hands he always has had. His one-year disaster in Chicago aside, Allen has always been a quality fantasy receiver, particularly in PPR leagues, over the years. Allen has five or more receptions in four of his five games, and 45-plus yards in each of the past three contests. Is he going to be a must-start fantasy option? Well, no. That said, if you're in a bind with the big injuries at the position or because of four teams on a bye, Allen is decent for one week, although he has some longer-term staying power, too.
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders (45% owned)
We referred to Cousins above, and outside of Bowers, his other top receiving threat is Tucker. In fact, he is really the only wide receiver of note in Vegas. The 25-year-old has four or more receptions in five consecutive outings, and he has had 41-plus yards in each of those games. Yes, he has had some mediocre lines at times. However, he had five grabs for 97 yards and two touchdowns against Buffalo in Week 6, and occasionally he puts up low-end WR1 or top-end WR2 numbers. When the matchup is right, he is a stud and still available in more than half of all fantasy leagues.
Christian Kirk, San Francisco 49ers (6% owned)
Kirk started the season on the Reserve/Injured list due to a calf injury, but it appears he will practice this week. A potential debut in Week 7 would be welcome news with Mike Evans aggravating his Achilles injury Monday night. Know this, though. The Niners have a bye in Week 8, so there are no guarantees that Kirk can go. If the team deems he needs to come back in Week 9 - after the bye - the guys to target in Week 7 will be journeyman veteran Brandin Cooks and Jordan Watkins. Stashing Kirk isn't a terrible idea, though.
Jahan Dotson, Atlanta Falcons (1% owned)
Has Dotson found a home in the ATL? The former first-round pick of the Washington Football Team has 54-plus receiving yards in each of his past three outings, and he has found the end zone twice in the span, really jelling nicely with Michael Penix Jr. Somebody has to step up and be the new Darnell Mooney or Olamide Zaccheaus to Drake London, and it appears Dotson is him.
TIGHT ENDS
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans (48% owned)
Schultz has the fourth-most targets (37) among NFL tight ends, and he has rolled up 28 receptions for 277 yards. The only drawback is that he has yet to find the end zone. With C.J. Stroud continuing to rise in the fantasy rankings, however, Schultz cannot be ignored. The Texans face the New York Giants, who were torched through the air by the New Orleans Saints this past week, so look for the Texans to follow suit. In fact, I like Schultz to find the end zone for the first time in 2026.
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders (8% owned)
Mayer was a popular pick-up when Bowers was sidelined. When Bowers returned, many cast Mayer aside. But, like the old coach Lee Corso used to say, "Not so fast, my friend!" Mayer has coexisted with Bowers, thanks in large part to the Raiders having Tucker and no other notable receivers. Mayer has seven or more grabs, nine or more targets and 82 or more receiving yards in two of the last three games. We've seen two tight ends complement each other before, and Mayer certainly has staying power, even when Bowers is in there.
This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Waiver Wired - Week 7
