Fantasy Football: Week 7 Must-Haves Off The Waiver Wire

As the NFL approaches midseason, there have been plenty of surprises.  The Cowboys (1-4) and the Browns (1-5) are just one loss apart and both are serious afterthoughts in their respective divisions.

Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb has just four touchdowns on the year and is averaging only a little over 200 yards a game.

While no one expected McNabb to be an elite option, these numbers are certainly disappointing.

Yet on the same squad, owners who stuck with running back Ryan Torain after a let down against the Packers last week were awarded for there fortitude.

Torain bounced back to deliver an exceptional 22-point game against a generous Colts run defense, breaking tackles and showing great vision along the way.

The biggest shock of the week though had to be the Rams taking down the Chargers in a hard fought 20-17 victory.

Those rolling with elite Chargers fantasy options Philip Rivers, Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates had to be down in the dumps after the game.

Rivers was good for just 12 points in standard scoring leagues, while Floyd and Gates suffered hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively.

It appears that Floyd will bounce back relatively quickly, but Gates' situation is rather ambiguous, as he needed to be fitted for a walking cast and will need X-rays and an MRI. 

Gates has basically been an elite wide receiver playing the tight end position, so to lose him for a couple weeks due to injury would be devastating for owners.

Nevertheless, there are some guys available this week to get your team through tough times.  Let us check out who they are.

Deion Branch, WR, New England Patriots

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FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 17: Deion Branch #84 of the New England Patriots after he caught a touchdown pass in the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium on October 17, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriot won 23-20 in overtime.

Fans had to be surprised in what they saw in the Patriots-Ravens game in Week 6.  Pats wide receiver Wes Welker, now No. 1 on the depth chart, looked like the third option in the passing attack behind tight end Aaron Hernandez….and Deion Branch?

The 2005 Super Bowl MVP has been in after thought since being traded to the Seahawks in 2006.

After losing Randy Moss to the Vikings via trade, rumors began to surface that Tom Brady had spoken to Branch about a possible reunion on the Pats.

Many wondered why, as Branch had been extremely injury prone during his time with the Seahawks, and even when he was on the field, he just looked like a shell of his former self.

Nevertheless, both Brady and Branch swore the chemistry was still there between the two players on the gridiron.

Against the Ravens, they put their money where their mouth is, with Branch reeling in nine catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.

The duo also barely missed connecting on a second score late in the fourth quarter.

While Welker will certainly have more productive games and is the team’s most reliable receiving option, it is clear that Branch is again a major part of the offense.

Unless your fantasy team already has three top 20 receivers in the lineup, put in a waiver wire claim for Branch today.  

Benjamin Watson, TE, Cleveland Browns

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PITTSBURGH - OCTOBER 17: Benjamin Watson #82 of the Cleveland Browns attempts to go up and over Ryan Clark #25 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the game on October 17, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Ima

Those nervously awaiting the news on the severity of Antonio Gates' injury should look no further than Benjamin Watson.

Rookie QB’s have the tendency to use their tight ends as a security blanket, as they are big targets often left open on check down throws.

Colt McCoy was no exception to the rule against the Steelers in Week 6, hitting Watson six times for an impressive 88-yard pass and a score against what has been an unbreakable Steelers defense.

Watson’s value would indisputably take a hit if either Seneca Wallace or Jack Delhomme end up behind center again, but since both QB’s are recovering from ankle sprains, that looks like at least a couple weeks off.

While the Browns next few games are going to be struggles against the Saints, Jets and Patriots, this means that the team will be looking to throw a lot to overcome early deficits.

This is great news for whoever picks up Watson, again, making him a perfect fill in if Gates is slated to miss time, or otherwise just for a plug and play during bye weeks.  

Danario Alexander, WR, St. Louis Rams

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ST. LOUIS - OCTOBER 17: Danario Alexander #84 of the St. Louis Rams celebrates his first career touchdown against the San Diego Chargers at the Edward Jones Dome on October 17, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams beat the Chargers 20-17. (Photo by Dil

The Rams just cannot catch a break within their wide receiver core this season.  After losing speedster Donnie Avery in the preseason to an ACL tear, St. Louis managed to put together a trade for the Ravens' Mark Clayton.

Clayton had a career resurgence through four games, looking to post personal bests in all major categories.

Unfortunately, Clayton also suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5, leaving the Rams paper thin at receiver. 

Unbelievably, Clayton’s fill in, rookie wide receiver Mardy Gilyard then injured a hamstring early on in Week 6 against the Chargers.

While Danny Amendola is a reliable slot receiver, he does not have a nose from the end zone, and will have too many weeks where he is held under 50 yards.

Enter Danario Alexander.  The rookie out of Missouri showed great speed and hands in the midst of what turned out to be a 72-yard day on four catches. 

He found the end zone on a 38-yard pass from Sam Bradford, on a day when the QB had a pretty modest outing (18-for-31, 198 yards, one touchdown). 

This is good news for Alexander, meaning that Bradford will look for him on deep routes, and overall will see a healthy amount of targets.

While Alexander is best reserved for those in deeper leagues, teams on a losing streak in need of some receiver help should roll the dice on this talented first-year player.

Nate Burleson, WR, Detroit Lions

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DETROIT - OCTOBER 10: Nate Burleson #13 of the Detroit Lions celebrates a third quarter touchdown against the St. Louis Rams on October 10, 2010 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 44-6. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Burleson did not make his team debut with the Lions until Week 5, but he has put up respectable numbers since then with 129 yards and two touchdowns.

He has done a nice job of drawing defenses off of Calvin Johnson, and has been getting some looks in the red zone.

The bad news here is that Burleson caught both touchdowns from QB Shaun Hill, who broke his arm thanks to a blistering Giants pass rush in Week 6.

The good news though is that Matthew Stafford will have an extra week of rest during a bye in Week 7, and is already slated to start in Week 8.

Again, Burleson is more of a deep league play, but he is a great bye week fill in due to his capacity to score and his value only increases with Stafford leading this offense.

Chris Ivory, RB, New Orleans Saints

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GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Runningback Chris Ivory #29 of the New Orleans Saints runs with the football against the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeate

Owners had to be relieved to see Drew Brees return to true form in Week 6, throwing for more than 300 yards and connecting on three touchdowns along the way.

A big reason for that was the fact that the Saints rushing attack finally awakened from a slumber...yet both Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush remained inactive in this one.

Furthermore, veterans Ladell Betts and Julius Jones received just 15 carries and gained a miniscule 52 yards in this one (although Betts got a go-ahead touchdown from the one in the fourth quarter).

So who is the back who managed an astonishing 10.5 yards per carry?

It was the 22-year-old rookie Chris Ivory.  The little known player out of Tiffin University has shown some flashes the past couple of weeks, but few people could have expected him to post the numbers he did in Week 6.

Ivory had 15 carries for 158 yards, and also caught a pass out of the backfield for an additional 17 yards.  While the Buccaneers defense is nothing to get excited about, the Saints have another tantalizing match up in Week 7 against the Browns. 

Monitor Ivory’s health in the upcoming week as he took a pretty nasty hit on his last carry against the Bucs, but assuming he is OK, he would be a tremendous fill in for fantasy lineups in Week 7.

Even if Pierre Thomas or Reggie Bush returns, it is very doubtful both backs will be healthy enough to play, so Ivory should again see a hefty workload.