With the injury to Travis Etienne Jr., fantasy football managers are left with a potential void on their roster. Let’s check out the extent of the injury and players you can target on your fantasy football waiver wire this week. And also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 7.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Injury Replacements

Travis Etienne Jr. Injury Outlook

Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) quiet in Week 6 loss
Travis Etienne Jr. tallied negative one rushing yards on three carries in the Jaguars 35-16 loss to the Bears. He caught 0-of-1 targets in the loss.

Fantasy Impact

Etienne was officially listed as questionable to return due to a hamstring injury. His status will be worth monitoring ahead of a Week 7 matchup with the Patriots.

Jesse Garcia

Waiver Wire Replacements to Target

RUNNING BACKS

Written by Bo McBrayer

Ty Chandler (MIN): 27% rostered

• Next Opponents: DET, @LAR, IND
• True value: $18
• Desperate Need: $28
• Budget-minded: $8

Analysis: Fresh off their bye week, the unbeaten Vikings need their running game to remain effective to keep the heat off of QB Sam Darnold. Aaron Jones is nursing a hip injury, so we figure to see a bump in reps for big-play threat Ty Chandler. He had two big plays called back by penalties in London in Week 5, so the stats are skewed, and we might not need to spend a FAAB fortune on Chandler. Although, if we get word early in the week that Jones’ Week 7 status is in jeopardy, the bidding on Chandler will be robust. There will be a number of sought-after RBs on waivers this week, but Chandler is the top prize.

Tyrone Tracy (NYG): 45% rostered

• Next Opponents: PHI, @PIT, WAS
• True value: $15
• Desperate Need: $23
• Budget-minded: $7

Analysis: The Giants have had a surprisingly effective running game this season, Devin Singletary was an early breakout sleeper, but his groin injury paved the way for Tyrone Tracy, the rookie from Purdue, to start breaking off chunk plays himself. The fifth-rounder averaged 7.2 yards per carry in Week 5 and flashed a well-rounded skill set. Singletary will work himself back onto the field, but Tracy’s performance could shrink how much work the veteran will have waiting upon his return.

Isaac Guerendo (SF): 4% rostered

• Next Opponents: KC, DAL, BYE
• True value: $12
• Desperate Need: $18
• Budget-minded: $6

Analysis: Kyle Shanahan’s record of drafting RBs is a study in futility. For every Trey Sermon and Tyrion Davis-Price, however, there is a Jordan Mason or Isaac Guerendo. The rookie from Louisville was thrust into action on Thursday night for the injured Mason and gashed the Seahawks for 99 rushing yards. He would have had 100 and a touchdown if not for his unselfish slide at the 1-yard line to seal the game. Guerendo has incredible speed (4.33) for his size (6-0, 221), but he lacks vision and patience. It might not matter, since Shanahan’s zone running scheme seems to leave gaping lanes for anyone. The only reason to maybe not overbid on Guerendo is Christian McCaffrey‘s impending return in the coming weeks.

Braelon Allen (NYJ): 46% rostered

• Next Opponents: @PIT, @NE, HOU
• True value: $10
• Desperate Need: $16
• Budget-minded: $5

Analysis: Nobody really knows what direction the Jets offense will go in the wake of Robert Saleh’s dismissal. Todd Downing might be the only offensive coach with less credibility than Nathaniel Hackett, yet Downing has been tabbed by interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich with calling the plays going forward. Yikes. Ideally, Downing will just give Breece Hall his deserved bell-cow role. Realistically, rookie Braelon Allen will continue to be more than just a rotational piece to give Hall a breather. Allen is a premium stash with weekly flex upside if you can find him on waivers.

Kimani Vidal (LAC): 11% rostered

• Next Opponents: @ARI, NO, @CLE
• True value: $8
• Desperate Need: $15
• Budget-minded: $5

Analysis: Imagine my excitement when Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh announced that Kimani Vidal would be activated to make his NFL debut in Week 6. J.K. Dobbins is the lead back in L.A., but Gus Edwards‘ trip to IR made room for the rookie from Troy. Vidal is stocky and explosive, and he asserted himself on his first NFL touch. He ran a wheel route, and Justin Herbert dropped a perfect pass into the bucket for a 38-yard score. The Chargers are a run-heavy team, but also very slow-paced. Vidal is a safe floor play while Edwards is on the shelf.

Jaylen Warren (PIT): 42% rostered

• Next Opponents: NYJ, NYG, BYE
• True value: $7
• Desperate Need: $12
• Budget-minded: $4

Analysis: One season ago, Jaylen Warren was clearly the best RB on the Steelers. Fast-forward to a new offensive system and a Warren injury later, and Najee Harris is the lead dog again. The league mate who drafted Warren in the middle rounds might have cut bait a few weeks ago. Warren is a breakout candidate in plain sight. He is more explosive and a much better receiver than Harris. The next step is for Warren to gain favor with his mercurial offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.

D’Onta Foreman (CLE): 1% rostered

• Next Opponents: CIN, BAL, LAC
• True value: $5
• Desperate Need: $10
• Budget-minded: $2

Analysis: Jerome Ford‘s injury in Week 6 opened up an opportunity for D’Onta Foreman to earn 12 touches in another Cleveland loss. He, along with the rest of the Browns, did virtually nothing in Philadelphia. Cleveland has three consecutive home games before a Week 10 bye and could welcome Nick Chubb back as early as this week. If the news on Chubb and Ford is anything other than favorable, you can remedy the quickly waning RB depth in fantasy football with the veteran bruiser from Texas.

Sean Tucker (TB): 1% rostered

• Next Opponents: BAL, ATL, @KC
• True value: $4
• Desperate Need: $9
• Budget-minded: $2

Analysis: The Buccaneers are an enigmatic 4-2 team. Plenty of criticism was heaved at Rachaad White for his poor performance compared to rookie Bucky Irving, but Tampa Bay has faced a gauntlet of difficult RB matchups. White missed Week 6’s blowout win over New Orleans, which opened up a chance for Sean Tucker to go ballistic for 36 fantasy points. Irving was also a solid play; he has been all season. Tampa Bay’s schedule does not get easier for this backfield, but White’s status as the lead dog has all but evaporated. Tucker has at least earned more touches alongside Irving in this high-octane offense.

Trey Benson (ARI): 19% rostered

• Next Opponents: LAC, @MIA, CHI
• True value: $4
• Desperate Need: $7
• Budget-minded: $2

Analysis: The Cardinals are the most wildly inconsistent team in the NFL. They blew out the Rams and stymied the 49ers, but then they were obliterated by the Commanders and Packers. They even hung in until the bitter end in a Week 1 loss to Buffalo. James Conner stampeded over San Francisco, then was only given seven carries to Trey Benson‘s six at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Benson is the heir apparent to Conner. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in Week 6. Conner is hardly a picture of health, so Benson is more than a stash as Arizona attempts to keep its veteran running back fresh.

D’Ernest Johnson (JAX): 0% rostered

• Next Opponents: NE, GB, @PHI
• True value: $4
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Just because the Jaguars are a dumpster fire, I am forced to write up D’Ernest Johnson in a waiver column again in 2024. Johnson famously was the biggest waste of FAAB in fantasy football memory while in Cleveland when Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were both injured. Travis Etienne is hurt (and playing terribly), while Tank Bigsby was pulled for Johnson plenty in Jacksonville’s blowout loss to the Bears in London. Johnson is a decent receiver, but the only reason to chase his six measly points is if you expect an IR stint for Etienne and more negative game scripts for the Jags.