Fantasy Football Week 7 Waiver Wire: Kenyan Drake Headlines Top Free-Agent Pickups
The first bye week of the 2022 NFL season is in the books, but 28 teams are still slated for time off over the next two months. Fantasy managers will want to take stock of their rosters, note the upcoming bye schedules of their top contributors and come up with a plan to weather the temporary losses.
Many managers will be scrambling to the waiver wire today as several fantasy stars will be sitting out Week 7. With the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles all on break, teams will be without some of their top options at several positions.
Factor in injuries and the cupboard could be quite bare for many managers in Week 7. Fortunately, there is no shortage of viable replacements on the waiver wire right now.
If you are looking for a temporary fill-in or even a long-term starter, there are several strong free-agent candidates still widely available in most leagues. Read on for a look at which talents you should be targeting on waivers in Week 7.
All suggested pickups are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Marcus Mariota, Qb, Atlanta Falcons (14 Percent Rostered)
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After leading his Atlanta Falcons to an upset victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, quarterback Marcus Mariota should be squarely on the fantasy radar.
He had his best performance since joining the Falcons this offseason, dissecting the vaunted 49ers defense for 129 yards and two touchdowns through the air while adding an additional score and 50 yards on the ground.
Although the volume was low, Mariota was brilliantly efficient. He completed 13 of his 14 passing attempts and took off running just six times.
While that sort of usage won’t always result in a big fantasy day—Mariota finished No. 5 in scoring at the QB position heading into Monday night’s game—it does show the upside the 28-year-old signal-caller still brings to the table.
Given the dearth of viable free-agent quarterbacks in most leagues, Mariota is likely to be one of the top options, if not the top option, for managers who will be without their usual starters in Week 7.
If you have been relying on Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts to carry your squad, give Mariota, who is matching up with a middling Cincinnati Bengals defense on Sunday, serious consideration as a bye-week fill-in.
Deon Jackson, RB, Indianapolis Colts (43 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $5,900
With reigning rushing champion Jonathan Taylor sidelined with an ankle injury and top backup Nyheim Hines also sitting out because of a concussion, the Indianapolis Colts turned to Deon Jackson to shoulder their rushing load against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6.
Jackson answered the call with his best game as a professional, turning in 42 rushing yards and a score on 12 carries while also catching all 10 of his targets for an additional 79 yards.
The second-year back was thrust into action unexpectedly in Week 5 after Hines, who was starting in place of an injured Taylor, went down early against the Denver Broncos. Some fantasy managers took notice after he tallied 91 total yards against that stingy defense, but Jackson is largely still available heading into Week 7.
That should change after the 23-year-old’s latest performance. Jackson may not be a weekly fantasy starter because of how crowded the Indianapolis backfield is, but he's clearly going to make an impact any time Taylor or Hines is unavailable and is a must-get handcuff for their managers.
Jackson has shown he can adeptly serve as a lead rusher or a third-down back. Factor in his production during the last two weeks, and it’s possible he will earn more work even when the players ahead of him are healthy.
While Jackson left the game with a quad injury in Week 6, he tweeted after the contest that he’s “all good” and seems to have avoided a major injury.
Jackson may not be a must-start talent, but managers will want to put a claim in for him and closely monitor injury news coming out of Indy. If he can play and either Hines or Taylor can’t go against the Titans on Sunday, consider him a flex option with immense upside.
Kenyan Drake, RB, Baltimore Ravens (5 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $5,100
The Baltimore Ravens hadn't had a running back eclipse the 100-yard mark this season until Sunday. Kenyan Drake was the unlikely source of this scintillating showcase, dominating the New York Giants defense after taking over for a banged-up J.K. Dobbins.
Drake was an unheralded addition to Baltimore's backfield this offseason. Heading into Sunday, the 28-year-old had rushed a mere 21 times for 65 yards and had yet to find the end zone.
Drake nearly doubled his 2022 rushing totals against the G-Men alone, exploding for 119 yards and a score on just 10 carries.
The backup capitalized on his extra work after Dobbins was unable to go during the second half because of knee tightness. He looked like Baltimore's best back in the process and could now be in the mix more frequently regardless of Dobbins' status.
Dobbins has yet to go over 44 rushing yards in any of his four appearances this year and is averaging a pedestrian 3.5 yards per carry. The slumping Ravens, who dropped to 3-3 following their collapse against Big Blue, could feature Drake more as they attempt to spark a backfield that has largely disappointed.
Fantasy managers who are underwhelmed with their current running backs may want to do the same. Picking up Drake, who is only rostered in 5 percent of leagues, could provide the boost your team needs to make a playoff push.
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Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants (8 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $4,500
The New York Giants raised some eyebrows when they utilized a second-round pick on Wan'Dale Robinson in April. The rookie was the latest in a series of high-profile additions to a receivers room that looked a tad crowded heading into 2022.
After participating in just one game and catching only one pass over the first five weeks of the season, Robinson finally rewarded Big Blue's faith in Week 6.
The 21-year-old beat the Ravens secondary for 42 yards and recorded New York's first score of the day, a touchdown that sparked the team to a 24-20 comeback victory.
Robinson came up big when the injury-ravaged receiving corps needed him most. With Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Kadarius Toney out, the Giants were forced to start Marcus Johnson and Darius Slayton, a pairing with a combined 10 catches this year heading into Week 6.
It appears that Robinson is nearing 100 percent after suffering a knee injury in the season opener.
The Kentucky product is only scratching the surface of his potential, something fantasy managers will want to keep in mind when making their waiver claims this week. While his Week 6 performance was promising, Robinson could have a true breakout game in Week 7.
The Giants will be facing off with the Jacksonville Jaguars and their suspect secondary, one that just allowed Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan to explode for 389 yards and three scores on Sunday. Expect Robinson to build on his latest showing and have an even better outing in this upcoming clash.
Mike Gesicki, TE, Miami Dolphins (24 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $3,700
After a slow start to his 2022 season, Mike Gesicki finally had the big game Miami Dolphins fans had been waiting for.
While Gesicki was projected to be a major part of the offense after getting franchise-tagged in the offseason, the tight end went into Week 6 with disappointing totals of nine catches on 12 targets for 101 yards and one touchdown.
The 27-year-old proved he can still be an impact playmaker in this new-look passing attack by torching the Minnesota Vikings for 69 yards and a pair of scores while reeling in six of his seven targets.
Although he was still a clear third in the pecking order behind wideouts Tyreek Hill (15 targets) and Jaylen Waddle (10 targets), Gesicki was the only other 'Phins pass-catcher to draw more than four targets in the contest and established himself as a go-to option in the red area.
It’s worth noting that both of Gesicki’s touchdowns occurred after the Dolphins were forced to switch from Skylar Thompson—making his first career start in place of an injured Tua Tagovailoa—to Teddy Bridgewater following Thompson's exit with a thumb issue.
Bridgewater is likely heading back to the bench for Week 7’s Sunday Night Football meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers with Tagovailoa cleared to return, but Gesicki will still be a worthwhile fantasy start.
The Steelers have one of the NFL's most vulnerable defenses. The unit has conceded an average of 277.8 passing yards (third-worst in football) and 24.3 points per game (a bottom-10 mark). It’s an ideal opponent for Gesicki to stay hot against while reestablishing chemistry with Tagovailoa.
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