Mike Maher | Mon, Oct 14th 2024, 12:52am EDT

Fantasy Football Rapid Reactions: Week 7 News, Notes & Waiver Wire Targets

Greetings, friends. In this space, I’ll share my rapid reactions via the notes I took all day while watching every NFL game. I will focus on Week 7 news, notes and waiver wire targets in an attempt to keep the content digestible. Here are my key takeaways from a wild Week 6 Sunday. Let’s dive in.

Travis Etienne Injury, Tank Bigsby Stock Up

Heading into Week 6, Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby was already a popular waiver wire target and one of the most common players fantasy managers asked the FantasyPros tools about. That probably isn’t the best sentence I’ve ever written, but you get the point. Bigsby was already on the radar for savvy fantasy managers. Etienne has been banged up and somewhat ineffective in recent weeks, while Bigsby has made the most of his opportunities. Etienne left early with a hamstring injury and didn’t return. And thanks to a lost fumble, he actually ended with negative points for fantasy managers on the week.

It’s too early to speculate on that injury, but let’s do it anyway. Hamstring injuries can linger for multiple weeks. And if Etienne is forced to miss time, Bigsby will see even more opportunities in Jacksonville. Bigsby didn’t exactly run away with his opportunities today, and a negative game script led to a lot of D’Ernest Johnson (6 carries and 2 targets), but that could change with a full week of prep as the primary starter. Jacksonville has a favorable matchup next week against the Patriots, and Bigsby could be in line for his biggest role yet.

Could Tyrone Tracy Jr. Be A League Winner?

Probably not, but only because his QB is Daniel Jones and his HC is Brian Daboll. Other than those two things, he looks REALLY good. You probably didn’t know that he was a WR for a few years in college. That is, unless you’ve watched any Giants broadcast or listened to any football podcast over the last two weeks. Then you probably know. But jokes aside, Tracey looks legit. Devin Singletary is still a thing when he’s healthy, but Tracey has earned his opportunities and has made the most of them. He looks explosive and versatile. And in the second half of the season, the Giants are unlikely to be a team fighting for the playoffs and should be more willing to lean into the youth movement and see what they have in their young RB. Is he a league winner? No, probably not. But he’s someone worth adding in all formats who is rostered in fewer than 40% of leagues right now.

Spencer Rattler QB1 SZN?

The Saints got off to a HOT start to the season, especially on offense, and it looked like Derek Carr might be a Pro Bowler in their new-look offense. But they regressed pretty quickly, and then Carr got hurt. Enter Spencer Rattler. Jake Haener was listed as QB2 and replaced Carr when he was initially injured, but it was Rattler who got his first career start in Week 6. A fifth-round pick in the 2-24 NFL Draft, Rattler was considered perhaps the top QB prospect in the country earlier in his college career. He fell down draft boards for a variety of reasons, but he, at least in my opinion, showed that he possesses a high ceiling.

Before the game, Jay Glazer reported that Rattler is expected to start for the next 3-4 weeks with Carr out. In this first start, Rattler flashed. He finished 22-for-40 for 243 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT to go with four rushes for 27 yards, but it felt better than that final line. Todd Bowles is a defensive mastermind, so let’s take that into account here too. Rattler looked more than competent, and that is despite losing Chris Olave early to a concussion. If he really does get 3-4 starts, there is a really good chance Derek Carr doesn’t get this job back. I am a Rattler Truther, so I will offer that caveat. But he showed today that the game and the moment aren’t too big for him. I’m intrigued.

Fantasy managers in most standard leagues won’t have to pay much attention to Ratter, but in deeper leagues or 2 QB/Superflex formats, he’s going to be a hot commodity this week.

Drake Maye?

It’s rare to talk glowingly about a QB who lost by 20 points, but I think we’ve seen enough to be optimistic about Drake Maye. He finished his first career start 20-for-33 for 243 yards, 3 TD, and 2 INT to go with 5 carries for 38 yards. DeMario Douglas caught six of his nine targets for 92 yards and a touchdown. A struggling passing offense showed signs of life today, so it’s correct to feel excited and optimistic. Can Maye really support Douglas as a viable starter in fantasy leagues? Can we rely on anyone else? Boutte? Hunter Henry? Antonio Gibson? Kendrick Bourne? Do things look even better when Rhamondre Stevenson returns? The Patriots lost big today, but Maye appeared to have a significant and positive impact on the New England offense. It is difficult to project where things go from here, but Maye did more in one start than Jacoby Brissett did in five. Stash Maye in deeper leagues, and take a look at pass catchers like Douglas in standard leagues.

Sell High on the Cole Kmet Experience?

If you woke up “early” for the Jaguars – Bears game in London, you caught an interesting one. The Bears’ backup long-snapper caught all five of his targets for 70 yards and two touchdowns. OK, that backup long-snapper happened to be their starting TE, Cole Kmet. Kmet has had a rollercoaster start to the year, catching 1, 4, 10, 3, 3, and now 5 passes for just under 300 yards and three TDs. The Bears have a bye in Week 7, but if you can sell high on Kmet, now is the time to do it. It might not seem like you can, but TE is a bit of a wasteland right now. With bye weeks in full force, more fantasy managers are in need of even short-term fixes.

Christian Watson & Romeo Doubs Return, Dontayvion Wicks Vanishes

It seemed like Christian Watson was set to miss more time and could be a candidate for IR, but he returned this week to lead the Packers in receiving. He caught three of his four targets for 68 yards and a touchdown. Fellow WR Romeo Doubs, who was himself suspended last week for conduct detrimental to the team, caught three of his four targets for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Jayden Reed caught six passes for 28 yards and another touchdown. Dontayvion Wicks, who was set to benefit from the Watson and Doubs absences, caught just one pass for nine yards and left with a shoulder injury.

I was one of the first people in the industry to be intrigued by Wicks back at last year’s Senior Bowl. But I was also fading Wicks during draft season because of the crowded WR room in Green Bay. That outlook changed when Watson was hurt and Doubs was suspended, but everyone is back now, and Wicks is the one banged up. As much as I want to like Wicks, the dream is dead for now. The situation is too crowded even when he’s healthy.

Welcome Back, A.J. Brown & DeVonta Smith

The Eagles starting WRs returned, much to the delight of fantasy managers. Brown caught six of his nine targets for 116 yards and a touchdown. Smith caught three of his four targets for 64 yards and a touchdown of his own. The Philly offense didn’t look great overall, but they at least looked like a competent one capable of supporting two stud WRs in fantasy once again. The Eagles get the Giants next week. If Dallas Goedert misses time (he left today with a hamstring injury), they could see even more opportunities than usual in this offense.

The Curious Case of Rachaad White, Bucky Irving & Sean Tucker

Buckky Irving has been flirting with taking the RB1 gig in Tampa for weeks now, and it looked like he was in line to take it in Week 6 with Rachaad White rule out. And then Sean Tucker happened. The Buccaneers dropped a cool 51 points on the Saints, and what appeared to be a two-RB committee in Tampa Bay might now be a three-headed disaster for fantasy managers. Bucky Irving did have a good day: 14 carries for 81 yards (5.8 YPC) and a TD and two catches for 24 yards. The problem is that Sean Tucker had an even better day: 14 carries for 136 (!!) yards (9.7 YPC) and a TD and three catches for 56 yards and another TD.

So, where do we go from here? Only Todd Bowles and OC Liam Coen know for sure, but my guess is this situation becomes messy and frustrating. Tucker had been an afterthought before this week, but it’s hard to believe the Buccaneers will completely turn their back on him after this breakout. Do we just sell everyone in this backfield, rather than trying to figure it out?

Early Week 7 Waiver Targets

DeMario Douglas (WR – NE)

With Drake Maye under center, WR DeMario Douglas had his best start of the season, catching six of his nine targets for 92 yards and a TD. He had 153 yards and zero TDs through five weeks coming into Sunday’s game. This offense will likely continue to be inconsistent, but Maye provided a spark in his first NFL start and showed New England might not be a barren wasteland for fantasy managers to avoid after all. I wouldn’t spend a ton of FAAB on Douglas. But if you can get him for cheap/free, he’s worth a speculative add if you have the roster spot or need a streaming option. The Patriots don’t have their bye until Week 14.

Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC)

Some FantasyPros analysts were high on Vidal entering the 2024 NFL Draft, so it was disappointing to see him buried on the depth chart and inactive through the first several weeks of the season. But with Gus Edwards landing on injured reserve, he was active in Week 6. He flashed his potential immediately with a 38-yard TD reception, but he received just four carries for 11 yards while fellow RB J.K. Dobbins saw 25 carries. With Edwards already out and Dobbins’ injury history, it would not be wise for the Chargers to continue to give the latter that kind of workload regularly. Vidal is too risky to add and start right away, but he is worth a speculative add. Whether it be via more balance on offense or Dobbins proving yet again he cannot handle such a workload, Vidal might carve out a role in Los Angeles sooner rather than later.

Grant Calcaterra (TE – PHI)

Dallas Goedert left today’s game against the Browns with a hamstring injury, and Grant Calcaterra took advantage to the tune of catching all four of his targets for 67 yards. Watching live, it felt like even more production than that, as he was all over the field. We aren’t sure if Goedert is going to miss time yet, but it would not be the first time he had to sit out a few weeks. If he does, Calcaterra would be an interesting addition. It would be hard to start him right away in anything other than deeper leagues, but it’s clear that QB Jalen Hurts trusts him with Goedert out. The offense will continue to run through Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley, but any kind of absence for Goedert would mean an expanded role for Calcattera, which we saw a preview of in Week 6.

Tyrone Tracy (RB – NYG)

See above. Could Tracey have the inside track for the RB1 role in New York? And if he does, will he have enough opportunities in what will likely be a below-average offense to offer consistent value for fantasy managers? That is all very much TBD.

Isaac Guerendo (RB – SF)

There’s a chance Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason are able to return in Week 7. Then again, there’s a chance neither will and that Isaac Guerendo is the starting RB1 for Week 7. He rushed for 99 yards on just 10 carries in Week 6, so he is more than a reasonable grab and stash in all leagues while we wait to hear more info out of 49ers camp.

JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – KC)

Smith-Schuster is someone available in more than 70% of leagues despite catching seven of his eight targets for 130 yards in a Week 5 win over the Saints. Either people aren’t buying it, or they had to make moves with a Week 6 bye week. Regardless, I think it’s a mistake that needs to be rectified. Maybe we just don’t know the identity of this Chiefs offense yet. But there’s at least a chance JuJu is a focal point going forward. Based on the Week 5 results alone, he needs to be rostered in every league. The Chiefs take on the 49ers in San Francisco (or wherever they play) in Week 7.

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