Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Rashee Rice, Rashid Shaheed, Jayden Reed, Josh Reynolds (Week 7)

The week is nearly wrapped up, and of course there were another round of injuries and surprising performances. As a result, fantasy managers will be on the lookout for wavier wire additions and replacement options for those injured over the weekend or just to bolster their lineup moving forward. Here are a few players to consider adding via the waiver wire this week. And also be sure to check out our full waiver wire article for the week.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

Rashee Rice (KC): 45% rostered

  • Next Opponents: LAC, @DEN, MIA
  • True value: $2
  • Desperate need: $4
  • Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Rice borders on stash-only, but the upside is there for him to be a huge difference-maker if he can ever establish himself as a full-time player in the Kansas City offense. Rice’s route run rate has jumped all over the map this season (last week: 39.1%), with only two games above 45%. Justin Watson‘s elbow injury could change that moving forward. Unfortunately, the convincing argument to buy into Rice feels like a tired story that we’ve heard before with Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore. I don’t know if Rice can break the cycle, but his per-route metrics are impressive, with a 36% target per route run rate and 3.14 yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). If he is out there, taking a flier on him likely won’t cost you much to mess around and find out.

Josh Reynolds (DET): 49% rostered

  • Next Opponents: @BAL, LV, BYE
  • True value: $2
  • Desperate need: $4
  • Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Reynolds returned to a full-time role in Week 6 as the team’s deep threat. He entered Week 6 with a 14.5% target share, a 26.5% air-yard share, and 2.65 yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data) as the WR30 in fantasy. Reynolds has three top-30 fantasy wide receiver finishes. If you grab Reynolds off the wire, I would look to sit him against Baltimore and Las Vegas, who have held passers to the ninth- and fourth-lowest passer ratings when targeting players 20 or more yards downfield. After the bye, Reynolds’ schedule opens up, with games against the Chargers, Bears and Packers. Look to plug Reynolds in as a flex play in any of those weeks.

Rashid Shaheed (NO): 32% rostered

  • Next Opponents: JAX, @IND, CHI
  • True value: $2
  • Desperate need: $4
  • Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Shaheed had another banner day in Week 6, turning his 12% target share into 85 receiving yards and a score. Shaheed has been the Saints’ deep-threat specialist and zone-beater all season. It’s time to ride the wave with Shaheed, who could stack three straight WR3-worthy performances in a row. Jacksonville, Indy and Chicago all operate in zone coverage at top-10 rates (ninth-, third- and fourth-highest zone coverage rates). Chicago (second-worst) and Jacksonville (fourth-worst) also rank among the bottom five for the most deep passing yards allowed this season. If you need a weekly flex or WR3 with upside in the upcoming weeks, Shaheed is your guy.

Jayden Reed (GB): 20% rostered

  • Next Opponents: @DEN, MIN, LAR
  • True value: $2
  • Desperate need: $4
  • Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Reed has a 16.1% target share and a 19.7% first-read share as the WR50 in fantasy. The rookie has logged two top-36 fantasy wide receiver weeks and has been a wonderful source for high-leverage usage in the Packers’ offense. He ranks 10th in deep targets and third in red zone targets among wide receivers. In four of his next five games, he faces middle-of-the-road or basement-level secondaries (DEN, MIN, DET, LAC). Reed is one of the best “sneaky” pickups of the week who could pay huge dividends during the heart of the fantasy season.

Successful In-Season Fantasy Football Management

Once your fantasy football team is drafted, the work is not over. Successful in-season management is crucial to a winning fantasy football season. Here are some tips to help you manage your team effectively throughout the season:

Stay up to date on player news
Keep track of player injuries, suspensions, and other news that may impact their performance. This will help you make informed decisions about which players to start each week.

Monitor the waiver wire
Keep an eye on the waiver wire and be ready to pick up players who may be undervalued or overlooked by other teams. This can provide valuable depth to your roster. Use our waiver wire assistant to view optimal lineups, waiver and trade suggestions, and league analysis.

Analyze matchups
Analyze the upcoming matchups for your players and opponents to determine which players to start in your lineup each week. Look for favorable matchups and take into account the strength of the opposing team’s defense.

Stay active in trades
Be open to trading players with other teams if it will benefit your team. Analyze the potential impact of a trade before making a decision and negotiate with other teams to find a mutually beneficial agreement.

Be prepared for bye weeks
Plan ahead for bye weeks by having backup players ready to fill in for your starters. Avoid having too many players with the same bye week, which can leave your team short-handed.

Don’t overreact to one bad week
Avoid overreacting to one bad week of performance by a player. Take a long-term view of their performance and evaluate their potential moving forward.

Continuously evaluate your roster
Continuously evaluate your roster throughout the season and make adjustments as needed. Be willing to drop underperforming players or make changes to your lineup if necessary.

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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.