If ever there was a week to actually implement an all waiver wire team into your lineups, this was the week. You could have realistically had a double digit scorer at every position (Jack Doyle being the missing link on the All Star team). Injured starters are paving the way for big time performances (hello Jacquizz Rodgers and Marquise Goodwin!). Consistent big time performances are moving players into the need-to-be-rostered range (Michael Thomas, come on down!). And if back-to-back 200-yard performances doesn’t get you on a fantasy football roster in every league, I don’t know what does (Jay Ajayi, take a bow!).
The waiver wire is where fantasy sports league are won. Some weeks, like Week 6, you will wonder why you picked up anyone. But, it’s weeks and performances like we saw in Week 7 that can turn seasons around.
All Waiver Wire Team – Week 7 Recap
All Stars
| Position | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Marcus Mariota/Alex Smith | 16 |
| RB | Jay Ajayi | 27 |
| RB | Jacquizz Rodgers | 15 |
| WR | Marquise Goodwin | 15 |
| WR | Tyrell Williams | 14 |
| TE | Cameron Brate/Charles Clay | 2 |
| Flex | Brandon LaFell | 14 |
| K | Josh Lambo | 17 |
| D/ST | New York Giants | 20 |
| TOTAL | 140 |
This is the best team from the players I selected below. As will be the trend until the end of time, I could have done better. Much better.
<75% Owned
| Position | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Marcus Mariota | 16 |
| RB | Jay Ajayi | 27 |
| RB | James White | 9 |
| WR | Tyrell Williams | 14 |
| WR | Mike Wallace | 12 |
| TE | Hunter Henry | 1 |
| Flex | Michael Thomas | 13 |
| K | Matt Bryant | 12 |
| D/ST | Baltimore Ravens | 17 |
| TOTAL | 121 |
Hindsight is 20/20: Starting Tyrod Taylor (+7), Jacquizz Rodgers (+6), Julius Thomas (+7), and Josh Lambo (+5), and would have net 25 more points.
Three Takeways
1. How many people thought Ajayi’s 200 yard game in Week 6 was a fluke? I’ll raise my hand. You really thought that a guy that had never run for more than 50 yards in a game would replicate the two week performances of O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell, and Ricky Williams? Here’s a big part of his recent success: Miami’s offensive line is healthy. According to the Sun Sentinel, the Dolphins are 8-1 when Branden Albert, Mike Pouncey, and Ja’Wuan James have all started. Add in former Pro Bowler Jermon Bushrod and first round pick Leremy Tunsil and the Ajayi and the rest of the Miami offense oozes potential. The Dolphins now head on bye for Week 8.
2. The three wide receivers in this group – Williams, Wallace, and Thomas – all look like they are taking over the WR1 role on their respective teams. All three led their teams in targets in Week 7. Williams faces Denver for the second time in three weeks, so he will likely be back on your bench in Week 8. Wallace is on bye in Week 8, but does not have a really tough matchup the rest of the year (Ravens games against Pittsburgh tend to turn into slugfests, though). Thomas has a similar outlook as Williams, with touch matchups against Seattle this week and Denver in Week 10. but an easy schedule for the rest of his games. All three could end the season as in the WR2 range in fantasy.
3. The Ravens D/ST jumped on a special teams error by the Jets to get both a fumble recovery and touchdown. They recovered another fumble (and lost it on the exact same play) and recorded five sacks. The Ravens D/ST gave you great production, even though they ultimately lost their game against the Jets.
<50% Owned
| Position | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Alex Smith | 16 |
| RB | Matt Asiata | 7 |
| RB | Jacquizz Rodgers | 15 |
| WR | Kenny Britt | 4 |
| WR | Mohammad Sanu | 1 |
| TE | Cameron Brate | 2 |
| Flex | Chis Ivory | 4 |
| K | Josh Lambo | 17 |
| D/ST | Baltimore Ravens | 17 |
| TOTAL | 83 |
Hindsight is 20/20: Starting Devontae Booker (+7), Jamison Crowder (+9), Ty Montgomery (+6), Sebastian Janikowski (+1), and the New York Giants D/ST (+3) would have net 26 more points.
Three Takeways
1. As long as Doug Martin is out, Rodgers will keep getting tons of work with no other running option available for the Buccaneers. Back to back 100 yard, 25 carry games puts him in the RB1 discussion going into Week 8. The Bucs take on the Raiders, who have given up 128 rushing yards per game and rank as the 6th worst rushing defense DVOA.
2. Wise owners handcuffed C.J. Anderson with Booker. If he’s sitting on your waiver wire, go get him. His upside is undoubtedly limited as long as he’s splitting carries with Anderson, but Booker earned more snaps and carries than Anderson in Week 7. And if Anderson were to start being unproductive or get injured, Booker has shown that he belongs in the RB1 discussion. His matchups over the next three weeks (San Diego, Oakland, and New Orleans) are excellent for him to replicate his Week 7 performance.
3. Ivory is looking more and more droppable, even in deeper leagues. He has not recorded more than 50 rushing yards in any game this year (he did come the closest to that mark in this past week, but that’s only because he broke off a 42 yard run). You would be better off stashing currently injured players Dion Lewis or Thomas Rawls.
<25% Owned
| Position | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Colin Kaepernick | 13 |
| RB | Knile Davis | 0 |
| RB | Mike Davis | 8 |
| WR | Ty Montgomery | 12 |
| WR | Marquise Goodwin | 15 |
| TE | Charles Clay | 2 |
| Flex | Brandon LaFell | 14 |
| K | Mike Nugent | 5 |
| D/ST | New York Giants | 20 |
| TOTAL | 89 |
Hindsight is 20/20: Starting Chris Thompson (+11), Jack Doyle (+11), and Sebastian Janikowski (+13) would have net 35 more points.
Three Takeways
1. Doyle goes into the “as long as [insert starter here] is injured, he will continue to produce” pile. In this instance, the starter in question is Dwayne Allen, who is recovering from an ankle injury. Doyle has already scored four touchdowns this year. While his target numbers do not suggest a touchdown every two games, they do suggest that 50 receiving yards should be reasonably attainable every week, especially with Andrew Luck‘s propensity for getting his tight ends involved in the passing game.
2. Montgomery is a real life flex player, getting nearly an equal number of carries (9) and receptions (10). He is now eligible at both WR and RB in ESPN leagues (to my knowledge, no other major fantasy football platform has followed suit). Knile Davis might take over some carries as he gets acclimated to the offense, but the Packers had to be pleased with Montgomery’s level production.
3. Of Goodwin and LaFell, which performance is more sustainable? Go with LaFell. For one, Goodwin suffered a concussion late in the Bills loss to the Dolphins, making him questionable for Week 8 at the very least. When both of them actually get on the field, Andy Dalton is more reliable for accumulating receiving yards than Tyrod Taylor. LaFell will not continue to catch a touchdown pass in every game like he’s done in his last three games, but 5+ targets over the last four games suggests he is a steady part of the Bengals offense. He deserves to be owned in 14 and 16 team leagues.