Week Seven of the NFL is set to begin, starting with a Thursday night matchup as the New England Patriots take on the Chicago Bears at Solider Field. The teams on a bye this week are the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders.
It’s unfortunate that this has become normal, but injuries throughout the league have once again hindered fantasy rosters. On the bright side, several players who have been sidelined since earlier in the season have a chance to return to the field this week.
Below is my full waiver wire column, going over the players, by position, that managers should target this week. I know some of these players may not be available in every league, so I solely look for players rostered in less than 60 percent of leagues.
Top Players To Target
Kyler Murray – Minnesota Vikings (Rostered: 48.5%): Murray is rostered in just under half of leagues, but if he’s still available, he needs to be picked up. His performance has improved over the past few weeks, especially with Justin Jefferson back on the field. Murray scored a season-high 18.26 fantasy points and rushed for 51 yards. He’s fresh off a bye and taking on the Colts this week. He also has two QB-friendly matchups in the Lions and Bills over the next couple of weeks.
Geno Smith – New York Jets (Rostered: 5.6%): Smith is one of my favorite streamers of Week Seven, taking on the Dolphins at home. Miami’s defense has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. Smith not only takes advantage of QB-friendly matchups, but he could also have Breece Hall and Adonai Mitchell return from injury. The Jets’ 2026 first-round wide receiver, Omar Cooper Jr., also returned to action last week and had a monster game against the Patriots. Smith has plenty of weapons at his disposal and a great opportunity to put up a strong finish this week.
Aaron Rodgers – Pittsburgh Steelers (Rostered: 26%): While it took a while for Rodgers to get going, the 42-year-old put up another solid fantasy finish last week against the Buccaneers. Over his last four games, Rodgers has thrown at least two passing touchdowns and 230-plus passing yards in each. Surprisingly, he’s the QB3 in fantasy since Week Three, behind Drake Maye and Josh Allen. Until he starts putting up some duds, Rodgers needs to be rostered.
C.J. Stroud – Houston Texans (Rostered: 43.8%): Stroud has quietly been fantastic over the last few weeks, logging three straight games with 20 or more fantasy points. Last week in London, he put up three touchdowns against the Jaguars’ defense. The remainder of his schedule is favorable and should put him in the QB1 sphere for the rest of the season. If he’s available, he needs to be added and started.
Zach Charbonnet – Seattle Seahawks (Rostered: 57.3%): Charbonnet almost doesn’t qualify for my waiver wire column (less than 60 percent of ESPN leagues), and if he’s somehow still available, this is your last possible chance to snag him. He is extremely likely to come back this week, with his return window also closing. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Charbonnet is slated for a full week of work and has a “good chance” to play against the Chiefs in Week Seven. He will be in line for RB1 duties when he’s in the lineup.
Kendre Miller – New Orleans Saints (Rostered: 33.1%): Miller took control of the Saints’ backfield in Week Six, recording 20 carries for 70 yards. With Tyler Shough and Alvin Kamara both scoring on the ground, Miller was the lone back not to hit pay dirt. However, it’s a positive sign that he touched the ball 22 times. With Travis Etienne Jr. still on injured reserve, Miller will continue to see an increase in opportunities and volume in the Saints’ offense.
Jonah Coleman – Denver Broncos (Rostered: 19.8%): Coleman has his first chance to be activated off IR this week. If he does return, he has a strong chance to see a good volume of snaps over J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, who haven’t done anything to solidify a lead-back role in the Broncos’ offense. In his last game, in Week Two, Coleman played 25 snaps and had 13 touches. He finished with 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown, while also recording three receptions for 19 yards. Even if he misses this week, Coleman is a great candidate to stash on your roster.
Jordan Mason – Minnesota Vikings (Rostered: 50.5%): This season was supposed to be Mason’s year as the Vikings’ lead back, with Aaron Jones as the backup. However, he’s had to miss time with a fractured thumb, which opened the door for Jones to have a resurgence in his career. Mason was designated to return from IR on Monday, which should put him back in the RB1 role in the offense. Before his injury, Mason ran the ball 15 times for 59 yards and a touchdown in Week One.
Roschon Johnson – Chicago Bears (Rostered: 3.9%): Johnson took advantage of the opportunity backing up D’Andre Swift with Kyle Monangai out in Week Six. Johnson played 31 offensive snaps, led the Bears in rushing with 51 yards and found the end zone. He also managed to be involved in the passing game with two receptions for 34 yards. Swift is obviously the lead back for the Bears, but if Monangai ends up missing another game, Johnson is a decent flex option in Week Seven against the Patriots, who are average at defending the run. We’ve seen head coach Ben Johnson be fully supportive of both his starting and backup RBs from a fantasy perspective before.
Germie Bernard – Pittsburgh Steelers (Rostered: 44.5%): Bernard was one of the top waiver wire adds last week and proved why with a 25.7-fantasy-point finish against the Buccaneers. The second-round rookie tied for the team lead in receptions (11) and was second in targets (12) and yards (87), behind DK Metcalf. Aaron Rodgers was targeting those two receivers almost exclusively, and with Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson both on IR, that likely won’t change. If he’s still available, Bernard needs to be added immediately and should sit at the top of your priority list.
Keenan Allen – Indianapolis Colts (Rostered: 39.1%): Allen had another great performance last week against the Titans, catching eight of 11 targets for 82 yards. Part of the reason is that Tyler Warren was out. However, Allen has seen nine or more targets in three consecutive outings and has recorded at least five catches in four of his last five games. Fellow wideout Josh Downs has been quiet recently, which has helped Allen fill the WR1 role in the Colts’ offense. Allen should be picked up and started in leagues, especially in PPR formats.
DeMario Douglas – New England Patriots (Rostered: 13.9%): With Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs both landing on IR, Douglas has emerged as a viable fantasy option in the Patriots’ offense. He has put up 22.5 and 19.6 fantasy points over his last two games, which has him as the WR5 in fantasy. As A.J. Brown gets back up to speed, Douglas will be one of Drake Maye’s go-to targets moving forward. Douglas is a must-add this week against the Bears, who’ve allowed nine opposing receivers to record 55-plus yards this season.
Omar Cooper Jr. – New York Jets (Rostered: 3.1%): Cooper returned to action in Week Six against the Patriots and had himself a monster performance. The rookie caught six of seven targets for 103 yards and a touchdown. His great outing was boosted largely because Garrett Wilson was drawing the attention of Christian Gonzalez. There’s a chance fellow wideout Adonai Mitchell could return this week, which might diminish Cooper’s opportunities. However, Cooper is an interesting receiver to keep an eye on. The Jets moved up in the first round to get him and expect him to be a big part of the offense. He’s at least worth stashing on your roster and could be in line for a flex play if Mitchell is out in Week Seven.
Kendrick Bourne – Arizona Cardinals (Rostered: 7.3%): Bourne is the clear WR2 in the Cardinals’ offense since Marvin Harrison Jr.’s departure. In the two games without him, Bourne has caught five of eight targets and put up an average-looking 12.0 and 9.7 fantasy points. He’s someone fantasy managers should add, and he could be a flex play in most weeks with the amount of targets he’s been receiving.
Jordyn Tyson – New Orleans Saints (Rostered: 32.3%): Tyson has been on IR since the preseason and has a chance to be activated this week. He accompanied the Saints on their trip to Paris to take on the Steelers, with hopes that he’ll suit up depending on his practice availability. However, the most likely option is for the Saints to sit him, give him another week of rest during their Week Eight bye and have him return the following week. Fantasy managers should get ahead of the curve, check to see if he’s available and stash him, as he’s nearing his debut for New Orleans.
Terrance Ferguson – Los Angeles Rams (Rostered: 12.1%): Similar to Tyson, fantasy managers should get out in front of Ferguson, as he’s eligible to return to the Rams in Week Eight. The athletic second-year tight end put up a 6-54-1 line in Week Two before sustaining an ankle injury. Ferguson will likely be heavily involved in the Rams’ passing attack with wideout Davante Adams expected to miss six to 10 weeks.
T.J. Hockenson – Minnesota Vikings (Rostered: 55.5%): Hockenson sustained a concussion in Week Five and is coming off a bye, so his status for this week is up in the air at the moment. His availability will depend on how much he practices, so keep an eye on the daily reports. If the veteran tight end clears protocols, he’s a must-start in fantasy in Week Seven, taking on the Colts, who rank in the middle of the league in defending the position.
Chig Okonkwo – Washington Commanders (Rostered: 3.6%): Okonkwo is becoming an interesting tight end to watch and is one of Jayden Daniels’ favorite targets. He caught all seven of his targets for 69 yards and finished with 13.9 fantasy points against the Niners on Monday. With Terry McLaurin suffering a serious knee injury, Okonkwo will see an increase in usage and could see TE1 volume moving forward.
Brenton Strange – Jacksonville Jaguars (Rostered: 43.8%): I don’t understand how Strange isn’t rostered in more leagues. He has been in my waiver wire column for a number of weeks now and has shown he can fill your team’s TE spot on a weekly basis. In his last three games, Strange has caught 19 of 23 targets for 207 yards and, besides Parker Washington, is Trevor Lawrence’s security blanket. Strange and the Jaguars are on a bye this week, which could lower his profile on the waiver wire.
Cleveland Browns D/ST (Rostered: 34.2%): The Browns’ defense has stacked double-digit fantasy points in consecutive weeks against the Jets and Ravens. They’ve also recorded at least three sacks in five straight games. They have a juicy matchup this week against the Titans, along with fantasy-friendly matchups against the Steelers and Saints in the following weeks.
New York Jets D/ST (Rostered: 23.1%): The Jets’ defense is coming off a pair of solid performances against the Titans and Browns and now has the Dolphins in Week Seven. This should basically promise a third straight double-digit fantasy point finish for New York.
Tennessee Titans D/ST (Rostered: 1.6%): Last week, the Titans posted six sacks, three takeaways and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown against the Colts. I don’t imagine we’ll see another 19-fantasy-point finish from them this season, but they have another chance to replicate that this week against the Browns, who’ve allowed the highest sack rate in the league (10.8 percent).
Other Players To Target/Stream
QBs
J.J. McCarthy - New York Giants (Rostered: 1%)
Tanner McKee - Philadelphia Eagles (Rostered: 2.6%)
Michael Penix Jr. - Atlanta Falcons (Rostered: 11.1%)
RBs
Bam Knight - Arizona Cardinals (Rostered: 0.3%)
Emmett Johnson - Kansas City Chiefs (Rostered: 13.7%)
Jaleel McLaughlin - Cleveland Broncos (Rostered: 7.6%)
WRs
Jaylin Noel - Houston Texans (Rostered: 4.7%)
Ja’Kobi Lane - Baltimore Ravens (Rostered: 9.8%)
Tre Tucker - Las Vegas Raiders (Rostered: 44.2%)
Keon Coleman - Buffalo Bills (Rostered: 32%)
Christian Kirk - San Francisco 49ers (Rostered: 3.2%)
Travis Hunter - Jacksonville Jaguars (Rostered: 28.5%)
Adonai Mitchell - New York Jets (Rostered: 17.2%)
Malik Washington / Caleb Douglas - Miami Dolphins (Rostered: 31.9% / 10.5%)
TEs
Michael Mayer - Las Vegas Raiders (Rostered: 14.9%)
Hunter Henry - New England Patriots (Rostered: 42.6%)
Tyler Higbee - Los Angeles Rams (Rostered: 22.2%)
D/ST
Carolina Panthers D/ST (Rostered: 20.4%)
Dallas Cowboys D/ST (Rostered: 11.5%)