It’s that time of year, folks! Welcome to the Bye Week Blues! With six teams on Bye in the upcoming scoring period we will turn to the waiver wire for some streamers. The Bills, Cowboys, Chargers, Jaguars, Vikings, and Steelers will be off this this coming week so let’s hit the ground running with the best streamers and season-long stashes to help improve your team. Is there a potential league winner available this week? I doubt it, but let’s focus on getting you a win in Week 7 and we’ll go from there. 

I might be in the NFL Seasonal Discord Tuesday night, but probably not until 8:30-8:45pm ET. I'll be in there from 12:00pm-4:00pm ET answering questions, but will try to pop in a little bit later this evening if I can.

Quarterbacks

Derek Carr (LV; FAAB Bid: 6-7%) Hand up, I was worried about how the Raiders would look without Jon Gruden and they easily outperformed the Denver Broncos, who have a great defense. In Week 7, Carr and the Raiders will host the Phildelphia Eagles who are coming off a couple extra days of rest. The Eagles defense has yet to allow a 300-yard passer, which is a little surprising because they are certainly beatable through the air. Over their last four games they have allowed quarterbacks to throw for 11 touchdowns on their defense, granted Patrick Mahomes had five of those. I do like this spot for Carr and the Raiders to continue righting the ship following Jon Gruden’s departure and I think he probably puts up at least 275 yards and a couple touchdowns against Philly.

Matt Ryan (ATL; FAAB Bid: 5-6%) I live in Atlanta and I’m not a Falcons fan. Do I think Matt Ryan is a little overrated? Yes. But I also like the spot for Atlanta this week. They’re coming off their bye and the Dolphins are coming off a pretty tough loss to the Jaguars in London. Miami still possesses a great secondary, it’s by far the strength of their defense. But Trevor Lawrence just dropped 300+ passing yards on them and they’ve now allowed 12 passing touchdowns in their last five games. The Falcons offense looked pretty good in their last game prior to their Bye week and they’re well rested for this trip to South Beach. There’s no official word on if Ridley will be back yet, but this is still a good matchup for Ryan even if his primary weapons are Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson. On the other side of the ball, I think Tua Tagovailoa is certainly in play as a steamer if you want to go that route. Admittedly, I’m not Tua’s biggest supporter but he proved me wrong in Week 6 with over 300 passing yards and two touchdowns against Jacksonville. 

Carson Wentz (IND; FAAB Bid: 4%) You shouldn’t be spending up on a quarterback, but if you recently lost Russell Wilson or you have a quarterback on bye this week, then I really like Wentz. He won’t light up the box score, but there’s a solid floor with Wentz. In six-point per passing touchdown leagues he’s put up 20+ points in three straight games and Week 6 marked the first time he didn’t attempt at least 30 pass attempts. In fact he only completed 11 passes on 20 attempts for 223 yards and two touchdowns. That’s outlandishly efficient, but we should see a return to normalcy in terms of volume with a friendly schedule on the horizon. He faces the 49ers in Week 7 and I’m fine streaming him in this matchup.

Running Backs

J.D. McKissic (WFT; FAAB Bid: 10-15%) Antonio Gibson has been dealing with an ankle injury that has left him “Questionable” to play most weeks and it may have finally done him in this past week. He left Sunday’s game against the Chiefs numerous times and we can only assume Gibson is questionable next week as well. Even if he’s active and plays, we can still feel good about using McKissic as a streamer. Per JJ Zachariason, since Week 1 McKissic has a target share of 14.6% while Gibson is only at 6.4%. McKissic also has double-digit fantasy points in PPR formats in three of his last five games and if Gibson does miss Week 7’s contest against the Packers then McKissic could be in line for a 15+ touch workload.

Alex Collins (SEA; FAAB Bid: 10-12%) Despite the bad matchup, Collins came through Sunday night with 100+ rushing yards and he found the end zone. Chris Carson is on IR, which means he’ll be out through Seattle’s Week 9 bye week. Seattle’s next two games come against the Saints and Jaguars at home. The first matchup could be troubling, but if the volume is there for Collins, then he’s arguably a flex play. Collins did leave with a hip/glute injury late in Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. There’s no word yet on the severity of the injury.

D’Ernest Johnson and Demetric Felton (CLE; FAAB Bid: 5-7%) The Browns host the Broncos on Thursday night so the matchup is already pretty tough to stomach. With that said, I’m not rushing to the waiver wire to claim either of these two players. But Nick Chubb was inactive in Week 6 and Kareem Hunt suffered a calf injury that’ll sideline him for the next three weeks. I don’t expect Chubb to play in Week 7 simply because it’s a short week and he’d be at a higher risk of re-aggravating the injury, but Kevin Stefanski did say Chubb is trending in the right direction. Additionally, the Brown offensive line is beat up as Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin were both inactive against the Cardinals. It’s hard to gauge which of these two will get most of the work on Thursday because this is being written on Monday and they both combined for FOUR total touches in Week 6. If I had to guess, I’d assume it’s Johnson since he has more familiarity with this offense. Again, I want no part of this backfield but there are fantasy managers out there that likely need help at running back and their hand will be forced to acquire one of these players.

Chris Evans (CIN; FAAB Bid: 3-5%) Captain America came up big on Sunday. Evans touched the ball seven times and found the end zone and was solid in pass protection as well. He was shifty and quick and looked like he was worth the sixth-round pick the Bengals spent on him in April. Should he be considered the number two option in Cincinnati? In my opinion, yes. But we know that’s not how NFL teams operate. Samaje Perine was inactive because he was on the COVID list. Typically, a player doesn’t lose his job or workload due to an injury. But Evans looked solid in the passing game, so while I would like to see more work from him going forward when Mixon, Perine, and Evans are all healthy we may still be looking at Evans as just a deep league commodity.

Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman (BAL; FAAB Bid: 2-4%) Here’s another backfield that is more likely frustrate managers more than it will reward them. Bell, Freeman, and Latavius Murray all found the end zone in Week 6. Whoopy. Murray left the game late with an ankle injury, but it doesn’t sound like it’s too serious at the moment. However, there’s still the chance he could miss time and this early in the week there will be speculation as to who would get the workload, but you also have to consider what happens when Ty’Son Williams returns. It could very well be split, and I know that’s not the answer you were looking for. But through the first three quarters, Murray led with 53% of the snaps, while Freeman and Bell were on the field for about 25% each. After Murray’s injury, it was still mostly split evenly: 53% in favor of Bell and 47% in favor of Freeman. And you have to consider that the offense still runs through Lamar Jackson. While there’s an argument to be made for rostering any running back on this team, how confident are you in starting them?

Rhamondre Stevenson (NE; FAAB Bid: 1-2%) This is a situation to monitor. Damien Harris was Questionable entering Week 6 and that certainly limited him against Dallas. He still had 18 carries for over 100 yards, but when he was in the medical tent getting examined, Stevenson was in to score his first touchdown. Stevenson’s value is somewhat dependent on Harris’ injury status and even then, history shows us we can’t trust one running back. Harris has bucked that trend so far this year with his workload, but we need to keep an eye on the injury because if Harris does have to miss time, Stevenson is worth stashing in deeper leagues.

Wide Receivers

Sterling Shepard (NYG; FAAB Bid: 10-12%) Kadarius Toney got off to a great start in Sunday’s game but the ankle injury forced him out of the contest and it was Sterling Shepard who would go on to lead the Giants receivers with ten catches on 14 targets for 76 yards. His 29% target share was a welcome sight, but can we expect that every week? It’s unlikely. Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, and Darius Slayton could somehow all be active this week depending on their individual situations. Even Shepard has been a victim of the injury bug too. He won’t maintain a 29% target share going forward, but he’s still a productive player.

Rashod Bateman (BAL; FAAB Bid: 8%) I wasn’t excited about the Ravens drafting Bateman following the 2021 NFL Draft. However, I am intrigued when the Ravens give him six targets in his first career game when Lamar Jackson only had to throw the ball 27 times. We’re seeing Jackson throw the ball a lot more this season, and Sunday was just a game where they didn’t need to throw as much and Bateman still had six targets and was on the field for 45 snaps in his debut. He didn’t do very much with the volume, but this might be an opportunity to get him for cheap off the waiver wire. He’s still the third pass catching option available in this offense, but with most defenses scheming for Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews, Bateman could find himself open for big plays in the not-too-distant future. 

Tim Patrick (DEN; FAAB Bid: 6-8%) He. Just. Keeps. Producing. And it’s not as if he has a high ceiling, because if that were the case he wouldn’t qualify as a waiver wire target since he’d be owned everywhere. But he’s just been so consistent that he should be rostered in more than 40% of ESPN leagues. In five of six games he’s provided double-digit fantasy points in PPR formats and he’s averaging 6.5 targets per game over his last four games. He’s easily in play at the Flex position because of his consistency. His value will take a bit of a hit when Jerry Jeudy returns though.

T.Y. Hilton (IND; FAAB Bid: 5-8%) The Colts don’t think the quad injury is serious for Hilton, and that’s great news. I wanted to see if he could produce first before I fully bought back into him and he looked pretty solid against the Texans. But keep in mind, he always has great games against Houston. I’m still not fully committed to Hilton as a reliable fantasy option, but he should probably be rostered in 12-team leagues or deeper formats. He caught all four of his targets for 80 yards in a game where the Colts didn’t need to throw the ball a ton and they relied heavily on Jonathan Taylor. The Colts are about to embark on a four-game stretch that’ll see them play the 49ers, Titans, Jets, and Jaguars and there should be more passing volume available for the Colts receivers and tight ends.

Jamal Agnew (JAX; FAAB Bid: 2-3%) What a crazy career trajectory for Jamal Agnew. He was drafted as a defensive back and made the transition from cornerback to wide receiver just in the past 18 months and he’s stepped up in the absence of D.J. Chark. He hasn’t been on the field as much as Laviska Shenault has, but Agnew’s done more with the targets thrown his way. He has 11 catches on 13 targets over his last two games. Now you don’t need to add him at this moment unless you’re in a deeper league. The Jaguars are off this coming week, but he’s a player to keep an eye on.

Tight Ends 

Hunter Henry (NE; FAAB Bid: 8-10%) Henry is likely only available in the shallowest of leagues on Yahoo! However, on ESPN he’s only rostered in about 58% of leagues. He found the end zone for the third straight week, but he only had two targets. Regardless, it’s a good sign that Mac Jones is looking his way in the red zone. He and Jonnu Smith are still splitting snaps, but Henry’s been getting the looks in the red zone from Mac Jones.

Ricky Seals-Jones (WFT; FAAB Bid: 7-8%) Seals-Jones has seen 15 targets over his last two games and he found the end zone last week. As long as Logan Thomas is sidelined, RSJ is arguably a top ten tight end and he’s startable next week against Green Bay. Remember, the tight end position is still touchdown dependent and it’s easier to project workload and volume rather than touchdowns. So you can confidently play him knowing he’ll get decent targets next week and if he finds the end zone then that’s gravy. He’s currently available in 80% of ESPN leagues and he’s a great play as long as Thomas is out.

Zach Ertz (ARI; FAAB Bid: 5%) In his swan song to Philadelphia, Ertz found the end zone and it marked his fourth straight game with at least six targets. My concern with Ertz going to Arizona is that there are still plenty of mouths to feed when you look at DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, and Rondale Moore. His ownership will probably spike based on what Maxx Williams was doing in this offense prior to his injury, but now that he’s on a more explosive offense, if he can continue to carve out five or six targets each week then he could be an asset. 

Pat Freiermuth (PIT; FAAB Bid: 1%) For what it’s worth, Freiermuth doesn’t need to be picked up this week. The Steelers are off in Week 7, but I think it’s definitely worth having this guy on your radar. In the first full game without JuJu Smith-Schuster, Freiermuth set season highs in snaps (60%), targets and receptions (seven), and yards (58). It may have been Eric Ebron finding the end zone on a rare play, but Freiermuth was certainly more involved in JuJu’s absence. And I don’t think this is necessarily a fluke because when JuJu was injured in Week 2, Freiermuth saw increased usage in that game as well. If you can stash him this week, great. If not, make sure you have your eye on him in a week. 

Defense/Special Teams

New England Patriots – The Patriots are probably the preferred streaming target this week among commonfolk. They’re available in about 40% of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues and they face the Jets. The last time these two teams met, the Patriots held the offense to just six points and they forced four sacks and four turnovers. This game opened with an over/under around 43.5 points and the Patriots are favored by seven points. My concerns with this matchup are with the injuries New England sustained in their Week 6 loss to Dallas. Dont’a Hightower, Chase Winnovich, and Jonathan Jones all experienced some form of an injury and others entered Week 6 after appearing on last week’s injury report. On paper, this is a slam dunk D/ST to stream, but the injuries and recent play add some light cause for concern this week.

Arizona Cardinals – The Cardinals have been fortunate to have some good matchups or in cases like Week 6, they don’t have to worry about stopping Nick Chubb. Arizona is available in about 50% of leagues and they’re massive favorites against Houston this week. The over/under opened and 49.5 points with the Cardinals being favored by two touchdowns. As of Monday morning it’s now at Arizona (-17) and the over/under has been bet down to 47 points. Which means the expected scoring total for Houston is currently at 15 points. Arizona can return value in a number of ways whether they are putting pressure on the quarterback and collecting sacks or they’re forcing turnovers. I know I said New England could be the preferred streaming option this week, but the Cardinals just might have the higher ceiling.

New Orleans Saints – The Saints are in a great spot as a streamer this week. My only concern is the travel out to Seattle, but otherwise this is a great matchup. They’re coming off their Bye week and they’ve shown they can force multiple turnovers per game. The Seahawks offense looked pathetic at times last night against the Steelers. With Geno Smith under center he only threw for 209 yards, but Seattle did add over 140 rushing yards. As long as Russell Wilson isn’t under center and this backfield is beat up, I’m fine streaming D/ST’s against Seattle.

Denver Broncos – This is one you need to keep an eye on. I normally don’t list players or defenses that are over 60% rostered in fantasy football. And the Broncos are currently rostered in 84.9% of ESPN leagues and 90% rostered in Yahoo! leagues. However, the Broncos have just six sacks and one forced turnover in their last three games. That’s awful. In ESPN standard scoring they’ve returned ZERO points in that span. So a lot of people could jump ship and if that’s the case this is a D/ST that could be on waivers on Wednesday. Denver has to travel to Cleveland on a short week to play the Browns. That’s far from ideal. But Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt will likely both be out. Odell Beckham injured his shoulder but he should be good to go for Thursday. Baker Mayfield also injured his shoulder and will play through the injury this week. The Browns could also be without Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin so the offensive line is pretty ugly right now as well. As it stands this is a great D/ST to target if they’re heavily dropped across the industry.