Week 6 of the 2022 fantasy football season is nearly in the books! And it’s time to improve our rosters on the Week 7 waiver wire. Let’s take a look at the top Week 7 waiver wire pickups and targets that fantasy managers should consider adding to their rosters.
Note: All roster percentages are from Yahoo and players are listed by position in order of priority.
Waiver Wire Pickups To Target in Week 7 | Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts (28% Rostered)
The Colts finally figured out how to score touchdowns. Matt Ryan attempted an absurd 58 passes, completing 42 of them for 389 yards and three touchdowns.
While fantasy managers obviously should not expect anything close to this again, bye weeks and injuries are rearing their ugly heads. The Colts get the Titans on the road next week. You can certainly do worse if you need a spot starter. You can probably get Ryan for $1 or $2 of FAAB.
Waiver Wire Pickups To Target in Week 7 | Running Backs
Kenyan Drake, Baltimore Ravens (4% Rostered)
The Ravens surprisingly used Kenyan Drake as their feature back against the Giants. Drake took this opportunity and ran with it…literally. He ripped off 119 yards on 10 carries.
Drake played 59% of the offensive snaps. After the game, head coach John Harbaugh revealed that J.K. Dobbins’ knee tightened up. This sounds like something that could be an issue all season. As a potential lead back for an NFL team, Drake warrants a roster spot as an RB3. He’s worth an 8-12% FAAB bid depending on how desperate you are.
Deon Jackson, Indianapolis Colts (43% Rostered)
Pretty much anyone with a need for Deon Jackson picked him up on Saturday when Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines were ruled out. Jackson himself hurt his quad on Sunday and is no guarantee to play next week.
Also, Hines was extremely close to playing, and likely would have if not for the new stricter concussion protocol. I expect him back next week.
I’m including Jackson here because, as of the Sunday night game, he’s the overall RB1 on the week. The man caught 10 passes. Ten! He’s a must-start if he’s going to be the feature back.
As of right now, it’s too soon to give any FAAB recommendations. We need an update on JT and Hines first. If even one of them is returning, it’s hard to fathom Jackson will be worth adding.
Waiver Wire Pickups To Target in Week 7 | Wide Receivers
Tyquan Thornton, New England Patriots (1% Rostered)
The Patriots spent a second-round pick on Tyquan Thornton. They have every reason to continue using him given their pass catchers.
Thornton showcased his dynamic ability against the Browns. He was used as a runner, carrying the ball three times for 16 yards and a touchdown. And, of course, he was used as a receiver, catching four of five targets for 37 yards and another score.
MORE: Week 7 Half-PPR Fantasy Football Rankings
It’s likely Thornton’s performance earned him more playing time, which is already looking promising. Thornton played on 40 out of 70 snaps and ran a route on 26 of them. He looks like a player who could see 8-10 opportunities per game.
I would be willing to go as high as 10-15% on him and potentially use my waiver priority because there are very few players who possess the difference-making talent Thornton might have.
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (38% Rostered)
I didn’t love Alec Pierce’s usage this week. He only played on 65% of the snaps and ran just 41 routes. But he still saw seven targets and caught the game-winning touchdown.
Pierce has been too good over the past couple of weeks to abandon now. If he’s still out there, or if someone gets frustrated and drops him, pick him up. He’s worth a 5-10% FAAB bid.
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals (48% Rostered)
I hesitate to recommend Rondale Moore because if you watched that game, you would reach the inexorable conclusion that Moore should not be starting for an NFL team. He should be a part-time gadget guy at best.
Nevertheless, Moore saw 10 targets just one week after seeing eight. That volume is hard to ignore. Of this week’s 10 targets, Moore caught six of them for 49 yards. Double-digit PPR fantasy points are good enough as a WR4/Flex play.
If Moore is still out there in your league, he’s worth picking up. With DeAndre Hopkins returning next week, Moore’s role will likely decrease. But Hollywood Brown hurt his ankle/foot late in the game and was in a walking boot afterward. Moore is worth taking a shot on here. You can probably get him for 5-10% of your FAAB.
Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants (8% Rostered)
In his first game back from injury, Wan’Dale Robinson barely saw the field, playing on just 15 total snaps. Yet, Robinson ran a route on 11 of them and caught three of his four targets for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Given the Giants’ lack of talent at the WR position, Robinson is worth a speculative pickup. This move is a bet on his talent and the fact that the Giants will have no choice but to increase his role going forward.
Robinson proved how effective he can be on limited snaps. It stands to reason if he becomes a full-time player that he could emerge into a weekly fantasy starter. That’s worth gambling on. Robinson is worth a pickup and a 5-10% FAAB bid.
Waiver Wire Pickups To Target in Week 7 | Tight Ends
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers (42% Rostered)
The Packers are a bad football team. As a result, Aaron Rodgers had to toss up the rock 41 times on Sunday. We may see this more than Green Bay fans would like. Bad news for the Packers. Good news for fantasy managers.
Robert Tonyan only played 66% of the offensive snaps, but he ran 38 routes on his 46 snaps. That’s a really good rate. Tonyan also led Green Bay in targets with 12, catching 10 for 90 yards. If you need a tight end, Tonyan is as good as anyone. He’s worth a 5-10% FAAB bid.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (36% Rostered)
It wasn’t just Hunter Henry’s performance that drew my attention. While he caught four of seven targets for 61 yards and a touchdown, Henry more importantly played nearly every offensive snap. All but two, to be exact. That sort of usage for a tight end is hard to come by.
Henry ran a route on nearly every Bailey Zappe dropback and ran the third-most routes on the team.
Henry is probably not going to be a consistent starter, but who is at the TE position outside of Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews? Henry is worth a 3-5% FAAB bid.
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars (37% Rostered)
Evan Engram seems like a permanent fixture on the waiver wire column. He’s good enough to be started if you need him, but not good enough to warrant a permanent spot on your roster.
Engram played 77% of the offensive snaps. He ran 24 routes and saw six targets, catching five for 40 yards. You can certainly do worse. Engram can probably be had for a 1-3% FAAB bid.