Week 7 Waiver-Wire Pickups: 5 Sleepers Who May Still Be Available

Fantasy football owners who remain idle on the waiver wire are not trying hard enough, especially when it comes to Week 7.

There is never an excuse to not make at least some sort of roster change each week. Whether it is a slumping player in the lineup, injuries or downright better production on the market, an active owner typically gets ahead and stays there with the proper moves.

Last week, owners who were brave enough to take the dive on Cincinnati Bengals wideout Mohamed Sanu got 18 points for their efforts.

This week, that value is certainly available on the market once again.

Jerick McKinnon, RB, Minnesota Vikings (5.1 percent owned)

The coaching staff in Minnesota has made a change at running back, and it is one owners far and wide would be wise to pick up on right away.

Out is former starter Matt Asiata—in is rookie Jerick McKinnon, who is a downright more talented runner, and by the looks of it, coach Mike Zimmer and his staff intend to keep him in on passing downs, too.

As Rotoworld.com's Adam Levitan points out, Asiata is not questioning the move, and the official usage rates should alarm owners:

Now, McKinnon did only tally eight points, but it came against Detroit, which touts one of the league's best overall defenses. A better judge of how he can do as the starter can be gleaned from a Week 4 performance against Atlanta in which he rushed for 135 yards and gave his few owners a cool 14 points.

McKinnon is worth a cautious start in all leagues moving forward as long as he continues to dominate the backfield. As always, touches equal production at the position.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants (7.9 percent owned)

Clearly, owners were not all that impressed with New York Giants rookie widout Odell Beckham Jr.'s debut in Week 5, which saw him grab four passes for 44 yards and a score for 10 points.

Fine, as he went out against Philadelphia last week and scored just two points. Really, though, it is hard to take away much from that contest in what turned out to be a knee-slapper of a 27-0 loss.

Well, except that the rookie who clearly has strong chemistry with Eli Manning is set for more usage than ever now that star receiver Victor Cruz is lost for the season, per NFL Network's Albert Breer.

It is an unfortunate turn of events for Cruz, but a potential crisis the team drafted Beckham for in the first place. Given that the rookie seems to already have an uncanny rapport with his signal-caller in a pass-happy offense, all signs point toward Beckham getting a serious uptick in production the rest of the season, making him at least a WR2.

Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals (6.4 percent owned)

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Quietly, Carson Palmer made his return from injury last week and exploded for 18 points.

Granted, the production came against a defense that gives up the most points on average to the position, but Palmer is a must-own commodity if healthy the rest of the way—he posted 20 points against San Diego in Week 1, a defense that surrenders the 11th-fewest points to quarterbacks.

Interestingly enough, despite his strong showing last week, the team feels like he is not 100 percent yet, as noted by ESPN's Ed Werder:

In a quarterback-friendly offense designed by coach Bruce Arians with weapons such as Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd to hit consistently, among others, Palmer is a QB1 as long as he remains healthy.

It certainly does not hurt, though, that he encounters miserable defenses in Oakland, Philadelphia, Dallas and St. Louis over the course of the next four weeks.

Antone Smith, RB, Atlanta Falcons (5.1 percent owned)

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Pop quiz time—name the 10th-highest scorer at running back this season, who does his 5.1 percent of owners proud despite not even acting as the starter.

That would be Antone Smith, folks, the most dangerous big-play threat in the NFL. The league's Twitter account sums it up best:

The overall fantasy production has been staggering:

WK	OPP	ATT	YDS	TD	PTS
1	NO	2	7	0	11
2	@Cin	0	0	0	1
3	TB	4	50	1	9
4	@Min	4	62	1	12
5	@NYG	1	2	0	14
6	Chi	2	5	0	12

Smith will post an absolute dud of a week every now and then as he did in Week 2 in Cincinnati, but one has to think that surely, surely the coaching staff will start to get the ball in Smith's hands more often in each game moving forward. 

After all, Smith is easily the most explosive player in the Atlanta backfield. His alarming consistency is a risk all owners should feel comfortable taking at this point. 

Clay Harbor, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (0.0 percent owned)

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Jacksonville may be winless, and the team may be riding with a rookie under center, but a legitimate TE1 might just be emerging regardless. 

The name to know is Clay Harbor, who has a minimum of three catches in his last three games. Many shrugged off an eight-catch performance in San Diego in Week 4 that got him seven points, but it is difficult to ignore his 15-point outburst last week in Tennessee thanks to 91 yards and a score.

It is clear Harbor is beginning to emerge as a reliable target for quarterback Blake Bortles, and as scout Bill Carroll suggests, his sheer athleticism should see him to more playing time:

As long as starter Marcedes Lewis remains out—he is on injured reserve, designated to return and is targeting Week 12—Harbor is a great option for those in need at a shaky position.

Owners should feel confident in at least TE2 production at this point regardless of matchup, but it is critical to point out that, starting in Week 9, he gets to go against Cincinnati and Dallas, two of the three worst teams in the league against tight ends in terms of points allowed to the position.

Invest now, because for all we know, the job may be Harbor's the rest of the way if he continues to progress at this pace.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats. Statistics courtesy of ESPN. Kansas City, New Orleans on bye.