Week 6 was a showcase for former first round picks who’d been written off as fantasy stars over entirely too small sample sizes. Omar Cooper Jr. underwhelmed in the preseason, then suffered an ankle sprain in his NFL debut that kept him off the field the following four games. J.J. McCarthy was one of the least accurate quarterbacks in league history and couldn’t even beat out Carson Wentz for a backup role behind Kyler Murray with the Minnesota Vikings.
Then, they each balled out. Cooper emerged as Geno Smith’s latest huckleberry en route to six targets, 103 yards and a touchdown on only 27 routes. McCarthy entered in the fourth quarter of a game the New York Giants trailed by 24 points, threw an interception almost immediately, then was perfect
on all but one deep ball after that to nearly will his new team to a rousing comeback.
That makes both men suddenly intriguing waiver wire additions. Cooper has more intrigue as a rookie first round pick we haven’t seen before. McCarthy put up a 1,000-yard single-game pace for a roster in dire need of excitement and downfield playmaking, even though he became a punchline somewhere around this time last season.
Does that mean you should pick up either of these young prospects to plug roster holes in a season defined by injury and disappointment? Let’s talk about it.
I'm joined by fantasy expert and Rhode Island Scumbag Mike "Yaj" Boyajian to break down the players who’ll be thrust into a larger role in Week 7, either thanks to their own skill or an opportunity created by departures elsewhere on the depth chart. We'll talk about those players, as well as the guys rostered around their level and reasonably higher, to figure out if you should add McCarthy or Cooper to your rosters -- and who you should drop to bring them aboard.
The rules? There's pretty much only one; players have to be 33 percent owned or less in Yahoo! fantasy football leagues. Who's going to spark a bidding war on your waiver wire this week – and who should you drop to pick him up?
WR Omar Cooper Jr., New York Jets (Four percent owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Cooper struggled through the preseason and had a single target before leaving Week 1 with an ankle sprain. He returned to the lineup Sunday and exploded,cashing in a ridiculous 3.8 yards per route run (YPRR) as the Jets spent most of the day trying (and failing) to catch up to the New England Patriots.
There’s a chance he’s the running mate Garrett Wilson badly needs alongside him. There’s also a chance he’s just Geno Smith’s new toy of the week after coaxing big performances from Kenyon Sadiq and Adonai Mitchell, who faded into the (injury-assisted) ether soon after.
Does that make Cooper a better roster option than…
Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans (Seven percent owned)
Christian: No. We’re back on Noel after hyping him last week. After his fifth game with a 100 percent catch rate, we’re hyping him again. And yes, the opportunities for Cooper will be more abundant than Noel as Marvin Harrison Jr. gets acclimated in Houston.
But! C.J. Stroud is playing his ass off. The Houston defense is a bizarre mess. Geno Smith’s target share is a carousel, and opposing defenses won’t be taken by surprise by Cooper after his explosive debut. The rookie has huge potential. Noel is an unheralded stud who has caught everything thrown his way the last four weeks and who has had three red zone targets (and two in the end zone) the last two after having zero in Houston’s 0-2 start.
Yaj: Yes. This is probably a mistake chasing the new toy again, but someone needs to play the No. 2 role opposite Garrett Wilson, and last spring's first round pick (of three) may be the guy. Keep in mind, Cooper got hurt on a 30-yard catch-and-run in Week 1 (one target on five routes), so it’s not like him stepping up came out of nowhere.
Maybe the answer to the Jets WR2 conundrum is actually Cooper and not Adonai Mitchell. While Noel has been fantastic in limited opportunities, the Marvin Harrison Jr. move most likely keeps him from being a significant contributor at Cooper's level on a weekly basis.
DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots (Eight percent owned)
Christian: Yes. Douglas beat out KeAndre Lambert-Smith for the final spot in the “it’s Week 7, I’m desperate” wideout ranks. Cooper is a better option than either, even if Douglas showed out for the second straight week – and did so with A.J. Brown back in the lineup. He’s averaged 3.5 YPRR the last two weeks, which is great but also probably not sustainable.
Douglas has peaked before. He had back-to-back nine-target games as a rookie, then had three catches for 33 yards in his third week. He had back-to-back nine-target games as a sophomore, then hadtwo catches for 14 yards the following week. Until the sample size is anything bigger than “miniscule,” Douglas is a daily fantasy option only.
Yaj: Yes. With A.J. Brown back in the fold, Douglas’ role should start to shrink again and wasn’t reliable to begin with. Cooper should provide a much more stable floor and should take advantage of his usage moving forward now that he’s healthy. I’d rather take a shot with the first round wideout and see if his role stabilizes, because we know for certain Douglas’ won’t.
Ja’Kobi Lane, Baltimore Ravens (12 percent owned)
Christian: Yes, with a but. I am a big dumb idiot who rostered Lane, dropped him after he went to injured reserve with a wrist injury, then failed to check his updates and allowed myself to get scooped when it came time to add someone on Wednesday. But while Lane played a key role in the Baltimore offense in Week 6, Cooper plays on the team that runs less often and trails more, creating space for bigger performances than his fellow rookie.
This is not a knock on Lane. His average target comes 11.6 yards downfield, which gives him some juice even if he’s not going to put up PPR volume. He’s got Zay Flowers in front of him, but Baltimore is low on proven receivers going forward. If you want a steadier floor, he’s your guy. If you’re looking for a more explosive ceiling, lean toward Cooper.
Yaj: Yes. If I have to choose between these two, I am going to lean towards the one whose offense doesn’t predominantly run the ball. Otherwise, these two WRs are going to play similar roles in their respective offenses. I really liked how Cooper looked yesterday. With the Jets throwing much more, he is the natural choice.
QB J.J. McCarthy, New York Giants (Two percent owned)
In less than one quarter, McCarthy had more passing yards than Justin Herberthas had in an entire game this season. He threw for more than 240 yards and added 27 more on the ground while nearly leading a stirring comeback against the New Orleans Saints. His deep ball boom/bust risk taking makes him more of a Jameis Winston type than the current version of Jameis Winston.
Does he belong on your roster over…
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (28 percent owned)
Christian: Yes. I just cannot with this guy anymore. Firing Chris Ballard could clear room for a receiving upgrade that helps Jones find his footing. However, he’s been underwhelming in all aspects of the game, and even if he gets more comfortable as a runner as his Achilles heals he was still very touchdown dependent in that phase of the game in last year’s come-up with Indy.
McCarthy is a mess as well, don’t get me wrong. I don’t want either of these guys on my roster. But McCarthy is setting up his own kind of Jones revival in Danny Dimes’ former stomping grounds. Both are capable of throttling your offense. McCarthy is capable of bouncing back from a horrible performance to give you something approaching value.
Yaj: Yes. I’m at the point with Jones that I believe his good seasons are his anomaly ones. He simply hasn’t been effective from a fantasy standpoint this year, likely due to being zapped of his rushing ability due thanks to last year's Achilles injury. I’d rather take a chance on (gulp) McCarthy and the upside that he flashed in relief of Jameis Winston this week. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (41 percent owned)Christian: Yes. If you’re holding Darnold in hopes of a revival, you’re likely selling after his Thursday Night Football stinkfest. After exploding for four touchdowns and nearly 400 total yards in Week 3, he’s had 200 total yards or fewer in two of his last three games. He’s throwing a ton of interceptions while his touchdown rate has dipped for the second straight year – from a top five 6.4 percent in 2024 to a Jets-esque 4.7 this fall which ranks just a shade above the league average.At this point, you’re looking for a dramatic swing after being let down by Darnold or weighing him on the wire after the quarterback you drafted got hurt (or turned into a pumpkin). Darnold’s ceiling has nearly touched his floor the past three weeks. McCarthy is going to crash back to earth, but he might give you some Blake Bortles-ian garbage time points on his way down.Yaj: Yes. If you are relying on Sam Darnold as your QB1, I’m assuming something happened to your original quarterback or you are streaming waiver fodder out of necessity. Either way, he looked horrendous against Denver, which could be a sign of more struggles to come. As much as I don’t like either one of these options, I’ll risk it with McCarthy. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (66 percent owned)Christian: Neither. It’s absolutely remarkable we’re even having this debate, let alone the fact that I’m kinda backing McCarthy here (though I do not want either one). We’ve already got the Broncos making incredibly flimsy excuses for Nix that somehow make everyone seem worse in the process.
Sean Payton: my quarterback isn't a bust, he's just the dumbest man who ever lived
— Christian D'Andrea (@trainisland.bsky.social) 2026-10-18T16:43:23.700Z
Nix has retreated to late-stage Oregon passing charts and Sean Payton appears unable to fix him even with Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton in tow. McCarthy is still prone to inaccuracy and baffling decisions. My blood pressure doesn’t need this [expletive]. I don't want to have to care about either of these offenses.
Yaj: Yes? Honestly, this is what America thought Drake Maye was after his struggles early on. Nix looks completely broken. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an analyst lose his mind as monumentally as Ryan Fitzpatrick did last Thursday night whilst trying to register whatever Nix did the other night.
Now, McCarthy isn’t much better in his own right, but at least he’s throwing the ball downfield. It’s a fantasy wasteland out there, people. Stay safe.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Fantasy football waiver wire Week 7: Fine, let's talk J.J. McCarthy (and Omar Cooper Jr.)
