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

If you're skeptical of rookie and unheralded names at wide receiver, Week 6 flashed another sign of why fantasy football managers should pursue some of the newest playmakers at the position.

Last week, we saw two wideouts take the fantasy spotlight for the first time, and the beam continues to shine on them. Yet, both players are still available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. 

This week, we dug deep at running back and tight end for potential gems, and they're worth consideration as keepers for the remainder of the 2020 campaign. Managers who've struggled through a disappointing start to the season with Zach Ertz should take a strong look at the final player listed. 

With another quality batch of wideouts on tap, we've narrowed down the Week 7 pickup list to eight players available in at least 40 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Sunday 7:30 p.m. ET.

Early Pickups and Breakout Candidates for Week 7

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QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers vs. JAX (54 percent rostered)

QB Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys vs. WAS (32 percent rostered)

RB J.D. McKissic, Washington Football Team vs. DAL (11 percent rostered)

WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals vs. CLE (52 percent rostered)

WR Travis Fulgham, Philadelphia Eagles vs. NYG (31 percent rostered)

WR Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos vs. KC (18 percent rostered)

WR Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. TEN (49 percent rostered)

TE Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts vs. N/A (bye week) (20 percent rostered)

RB J.D. McKissic, Washington Football Team

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J.D. McKissic isn't someone who's going to run for 100 rushing yards or rack up 100 receivers yards, though he does enough to warrant consideration in the flex spot and help managers in need of help at running back.

McKissic led Washington in rushing yards (41) Sunday and finished with 84 scrimmage yards. For the third consecutive week, he logged at least six receptions and 40 receiving yards. 

In Week 6, McKissic saw the second-most targets on the team (six). As quarterback Kyle Allen struggles to find consistency with his secondary pass-catchers, he'll likely lean on the short passing game when wideout Terry McLaurin isn't his target downfield.

In his next outing, McKissic faces a generous Dallas Cowboys defense that allowed the most points through five weeks and at least 34 in each of the last four contests.

WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

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Although Tee Higgins scored two touchdowns in Week 3, he's flown under the radar. Before Week 6, he hadn't eclipsed 77 receiving yards in a game, but that changed Sunday.

Higgins racked up a career-high 125 receiving yards against the Indianapolis Colts, which included a 67-yard catch. He also saw a healthy number of targets (eight). 

Managers can pick up Higgins with some confidence in his target volume because fellow wideouts A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd saw 11 and eight targets, respectively. Clearly, the Cincinnati Bengals offense relies heavily on quarterback Joe Burrow's arm. 

For Week 7, Higgins draws the Cleveland Browns, who went into Week 6 giving up the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers. As of Sunday, he's still available in almost 50 percent of leagues. Within a pass-heavy offense, the Clemson product has high-end WR3 and flex appeal in a favorable matchup.

WR Travis Fulgham, Philadelphia Eagles

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Now we can rip the fantasy fluke label off of Travis Fulgham. In back-to-back games, he has seen double-digit targets (13 and 10). He's also scored in three consecutive outings

The Philadelphia Eagles have an injury-riddled wide receiver corps. Alshon Jeffery (foot), DeSean Jackson (hamstring) and Jalen Reagor (thumb) all sat out Week 6. This squad has a short turnaround with a Thursday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants, which leaves little time for those players to heal before the next kickoff.

Even if Jeffery and Jackson take the field, they'll likely come back to limited roles. The former hasn't played a down this season, and the latter last suited up in Week 3. For at least another contest, Fulgham's role and target share seem safe.

As a result, Fulgham belongs in your lineup for Week 7 against a Giants defense that ranked 12th (from the top) in fantasy points allowed to wideouts going into Sunday's games. He'll look to keep his scoring streak alive as the Eagles' lead receiver.

TE Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts

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Although the Indianapolis Colts don't have an opponent next week, managers should pick up and stash Trey Burton on the bench. He's an emerging target in the passing attack.

Since Burton's return from a calf injury that sidelined him for the first three contests, he's seen 16 targets over the last three outings, hauling in 11 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Quarterback Philip Rivers has locked on to Burton while his wide receivers struggle to make a consistent impact. T.Y. Hilton looks like a non-factor through six weeks, failing to reach 70 receiving yards in any game this season.

If you're scrambling for help at tight end, Burton could fill that spot for the remainder of the season. Don't wait until Week 8 to pick him up, do it now as he warms up to the offense.

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