Week 7 Waiver Wire: Early Pickups and Breakout Fantasy Football Candidates

Welcome back, Sam Darnold. Kirk Cousins, where have you been? Fantasy football owners probably uttered those words or something close Sunday.

Cousins lit up the Philadelphia Eagles defense for 333 passing yards, four touchdowns and only one interception. Darnold helped lead his team to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys, logging 338 yards and two touchdowns with one pick.

On a low scale, managers have new streaming options at quarterback with Darnold and Cousins.

In a battle between winless clubs, one fantasy gem emerged, and he's been a familiar face over the last decade—one that we shouldn't ignore in the present.

Let's take a look at breakout candidates and waiver-wire pickups for Week 7. All of the highlighted players below are owned in fewer than 70 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Sunday 7:45 p.m. ET.

Week 7 Top Breakout Candidates and Pickups

QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (46 percent owned)

QB Sam Darnold, New York Jets (16 percent owned)

RB Royce Freeman, Denver Broncos (70 percent owned)

RB Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals (34 percent owned)

WR Robby Anderson, New York Jets (59 percent owned)

WR Golden Tate, New York Giants (60 percent owned)

WR Auden Tate, Cincinnati Bengals (23 percent owned)

TE Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints (70 percent owned)

Week 7 Waiver-Wire Pickups

QB Sam Darnold, New York Jets

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Darnold's return should impress managers because of the level of competition he faced in his first game back on the field. The Cowboys pass defense ranked ninth and only allowed three touchdowns through the air all season.

True to Darnold's track record, he threw one head-scratcher to cornerback Jourdan Lewis, but other than that, the second-year signal-caller had a clean outing. The 22-year-old connected with wideouts Robby Anderson and Jamison Crowder for chunk plays—both pass-catchers registered receptions for 30 or more yards.

Typically, managers should wait to see a bigger sample size from a quarterback, but the Jets still have to play the Washington Redskins, Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins twice—all pass defenses that ranked 23rd or worse coming into Week 6. Darnold has streaming and long-term fantasy appeal.

RB Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins

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At 34 years old, Adrian Peterson keeps his legs churning down the field—that allowed him to gain 118 yards on 23 carries against the Dolphins on Sunday. He also caught two passes for 18 yards.

Since the Redskins beat the Dolphins in a battle between winless teams coming into the contest, we can't muster up too much excitement for Peterson's performance.

However, under interim head coach Bill Callahan, Peterson saw an expanded role, logging a season-high in rush attempts. He was listed as a healthy scratch in Week 1 and lined up for fewer than 37 offensive snaps in each of the last four games, per Pro Football Reference.

At least for now, Callahan has restored Peterson's fantasy value. He's the lead ball-carrier in an offense that's limited vertically with quarterback Case Keenum. In most weeks, the Redskins ball-carrier will reach RB2 or flex territory.

WR Golden Tate, New York Giants

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Golden Tate led the New York Giants' banged-up offense with 102 yards and a touchdown against the New England Patriots.

Considering Big Blue took the field without running back Saquon Barkley, wide receiver Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram, Tate had an impressive Week 6 outing. Secondly, he accomplished this feat against the Patriots' top-ranked passing offense.

Tate won't have as many opportunities once the Giants offense welcomes back its starters from injury. Nevertheless, he could open games as the lead wide receiver for a few more weeks. Shepard suffered a second concussion in a month. The 26-year-old doesn't have a timetable for return:

In the meantime, managers should buy Tate's stock, coming off a strong performance in his second regular-season game with the Giants. He's a solid WR2 play against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7.

WR Robby Anderson, New York Jets

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Darnold's return immediately elevated the New York Jets wide receivers in the game and for fantasy football purposes. Gang Green's offense showed some life against the Cowboys on Sunday. Anderson used a double-move on his route to shake cornerback Chidobe Awuzie for a 92-yard touchdown reception. He finished with five catches for 125 yards.

Because of Darnold's absence, many fantasy owners likely dropped Anderson. Over the last two outings, he's accumulated just four receptions for 27 yards. Now, with his starting signal-caller back on the field, the speedy pass-catcher belongs in the WR2 or flex conversation going forward.

The Jets have a tough matchup at home against the Patriots in Week 7, but Anderson should see enough targets to hold fantasy value for the remainder of the season. He's the lead playmaker at the position. Also, keep in mind, Quincy Enunwa, one of the Jets' top three wide receivers, isn't expected to return this season because of a neck injury.