Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups: Sleepers Available in Majority of Fantasy Leagues

In a week without many enticing options to begin with, the fantasy football free-agent pool for Week 7 is relatively barren. Still, there are deep sleepers available to plug into your lineup if you are willing to take a risk.

With three undefeated teams on bye, there will likely be a lot of fantasy lineups in need of a quick fix. Without obvious names on the board, however, many of the best options of the week are still available. Still, here is a look at some more players you can immediately pick up in most leagues and insert right into your lineup thanks to good matchups.

All of these options are available in over 70 percent of ESPN leagues.

Pos.	Player	Team	Percent Owned*
QB	Teddy Bridgewater	Minnesota Vikings	26.6
QB	Brian Hoyer	Houston Texans	9.4
RB	Theo Riddick	Detroit Lions	29.8
RB	Chris Thompson	Washington Redskins	8.1
RB	Robert Turbin	Cleveland Browns	1.7
WR	Stefon Diggs	Minnesota Vikings	24.0
WR	Malcolm Floyd	San Diego Chargers	25.8
WR	Jamison Crowder	Washington Redskins	11.2
TE	Benjamin Watson	New Orleans Saints	24.2

Teddy Bridgewater, QB/Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Jim Mone/Associated Press

It seems Teddy Bridgewater has found a new favorite target in Stefon Diggs, and it has made both of them quality fantasy options going forward.

In just his second active game of his career, Diggs caught seven of his nine targets for 129 receiving yards. This type of performance had been missing from the Vikings receiving corps, but now it seems the rookie is here to stay.

"He's one of the (most) polished receivers I've ever seen come in as a rookie," cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said of Diggs, via the Associated Press (h/t Fox Sports).

Meanwhile, Bridgewater didn't have his best game in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs, throwing two interceptions with a 65.1 passer rating. Still, the addition of Diggs to the lineup has helped improve the overall production, with 518 passer yards over the past two games. The rookie receiver will continue to be a safety net who can put up yards and sustain drives.

With a Week 7 matchup against the Detroit Lions, who have allowed at least 16 fantasy points to every opposing quarterback this season, Bridgewater should be ready for a strong day. 

Chris Thompson, RB, Washington Redskins

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Both Theo Riddick and Chris Thompson are third-down passing backs on their respective teams, but both are playing enough to justify a fantasy start.

With Matt Jones out with a foot injury, Thompson was able to get increased playing time in Week 6 and actually ended up leading the backfield with 39 snaps. Starter Alfred Morris had just 26 snaps in the game, per Pro Football Focus.

All of this came with Thompson dealing with his own back injury during the game.

While you can argue this had a lot to do with game flow in a blowout, the reality is the Washington Redskins are going to keep being behind quite often this season. They will consistently need their passing specialist, and they are starting to come around on him being used more often. Radio host Grant Paulsen even noted he was used as a goal-line back last week:

With an average of 6.5 yards per carry in limited use, Thompson could be an effective runner in an otherwise struggling backfield.

Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington Redskins

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Two Redskins on this list? Yes, but not because the team is actually good. In fact, both Thompson and Jamison Crowder are better options due to Kirk Cousins' struggles at quarterback.

John Keim of ESPN praised the rookie's ability to help the passer:

With many alternative options, Cousins has begun to trust the receiver, especially on shorter routes over the middle. Crowder managed to total only four catches for 40 yards in Week 6, but he tied a team high with nine targets, and it's tough for anyone to succeed against a tough New York Jets secondary. After totaling 87 receiving yards the week before, it's clear Crowder is capable of a strong game.

Of course, things will be much easier against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that allows the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers this season, per ESPN.

After DeSean Jackson suffered a setback in his recovery, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, Crowder should remain a top option in this passing attack for the foreseeable future.

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