The fantasy football draft is important to build the foundation for what managers hope will result in a winning team, but leagues are won in the weeds of the waiver wire. Keeping tabs on snap counts and NFL-wide injuries can be exhausting, but when doing so results in a hidden gem nobody even heard of, the feeling is unmatched.
You're going to miss more often than not on the waiver wire, but throwing those darts at this point of the season is an absolute must. With that being said, these players, all rostered in under 50 percent of ESPN leagues, are worth pursuing ahead of Week 7.
Quarterbacks to add from the fantasy waiver wire
Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (35.4 percent rostered)
Not only has Jaxson Dart been a revelation for the New York Giants, but he's been a revelation for the 35.4 percent of teams that have him rostered to this point. For the 35.4 percent who haven't given him a chance, now might be the last shot.
Dart might not have his No. 1 receiver, Malik Nabers, for the rest of the season, but that doesn't seem to matter. He's made three starts for New York and in each of those starts he's had at least 10 carries, 50 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. He's been effective and has been getting consistent reps on the ground. He just dropped 23.6 points against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 and has scored at least 15 points in each of his starts.
I don't know how consistent the passing attack will be without Nabers in the mix, but Dart's rushing upside being what it is makes his floor a lot higher than most might think. He's starting to look like a low-end QB1, which nobody could've expected entering the year, even with Nabers.
Running backs to add from fantasy waiver wire
Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers (27.1 percent rostered)
There were reasons to believe that Hassan Haskins was going to get the lion's share of reps in the Los Angeles Chargers backfield with both Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton out long-term, but that was not the case in Week 6. Kimani Vidal, a player who didn't even make the 53-man roster to begin the season, took control of the backfield, and there wasn't even much of a competition.
Player | Carries/Yards | Receptions/Yards | Snap Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
Kimani Vidal | 18/124 | 3/14 | 68.3% |
Hassan Haskins | 6/14 | 1/9 | 31.7% |
Vidal dominated in every facet. Might this be a one-week outcome? Sure, but barring a trade, why would the Chargers go with Haskins as their primary running back over Vidal considering how they performed in Week 5?
I don't think Vidal is going to lead the way the rest of the season, but with Harris out for the year and Hampton on IR for several weeks, Vidal could be a key cog for at least the better part of a month, making him a very popular waiver wire add.
Zonovan Knight, Arizona Cardinals (5.6 percent rostered)
James Connor is out for the season and Trey Benson is on IR. That reality made who'd take control of the Arizona Cardinals' backfield a mystery. Michael Carter was the answer in Week 5, but things were a lot tighter between Carter and Zonovan Knight in Week 6.
Player | Carries/Yards | Receptions/Yards | Snap Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
Zonovan Knight | 11/34 | 1/20 | 50.7% |
Michael Carter | 9/34 | 2/30 | 43.8% |
Carter was the slightly more efficient rusher, but Knight got more attempts and was on the field more. This situation isn't a great one by any means, particularly with Emari Demercado in the backfield as well, but even if Knight has to split carries with Carter, he's a player worth rostering. He might not be an automatic start right now, but he's an easy stash.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (25.2 percent rostered)
A changing of the guard might be taking place in the New Orleans Saints' backfield. Alvin Kamara has been the clear RB1 for years, and while he still holds that title now, is he really their No. 1 running back? I mean, while he out-carried Miller 10-to-8 on Sunday, Miller out-carried Kamara 10-to-8 the week prior. Both of these running backs have 18 total carries in the last two weeks, and Miller (62 rushing yards) has actually outgained Kamara (58 yards) on those attempts.
Kamara has a major leg up on Miller in the passing attack, but Miller is inching ever so closer to being the Saints' primary rusher on early downs. Even if Kamara steals the show in the receiving game, there's a really good chance Miller will get a majority of the opportunities on the ground. If Kamara gets traded, too, which is a very real possibility for the rebuilding Saints, this backfield could soon belong to Miller completely.
Miller hasn't done much fantasy-wise, but the opportunities are slowly increasing. This isn't a player worth starting yet, but he's someone you should look to stash.
Wide receivers to add from fantasy waiver wire
Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (7.0 percent rostered)
The opportunity has been there all season long for Kayshon Boutte to break out, and he did just that in the New England Patriots' Week 6 victory. He caught five passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, wrapping up one of the best games of his young career thus far. Stefon Diggs is New England's WR1, but I think Drake Maye is playing well enough to support two fantasy-relevant wide receivers. If you agree, Boutte has to be that guy.
Diggs is the top target, but Boutte has been on the field the most by far among all New England wideouts. He's been on the field for 71.7 percent of snaps thus far, and no other receiver has eclipsed 57.4 percent. With playing time comes opportunity to make an impact, and Boutte did just that in Week 6.
He isn't a consistent start yet, but as he continues to gain chemistry with Maye, there's a chance he'll become one in the not-too-distant future.
Kendrick Bourne, San Francisco 49ers (37.7 percent rostered)
The injury issues for the San Francisco 49ers on the offensive side of the ball are very prevalent and are unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon. Brandon Aiyuk has not played a single snap, George Kittle has been out for most of the year, Ricky Pearsall has missed each of the team's last two games, and while Jauan Jennings played in Week 6, he's far from 100 percent healthy. At the end of the day, the Niners need someone to throw to, and that's where Kendrick Bourne comes in.
Bourne has done nothing but impress with all of the injuries, catching 15 passes for 284 yards in the last two weeks alone. He's racked up 43.4 points in that two-week span without even finding the end zone, proving to be one of the most valuable fantasy wideouts.
Obviously, this level of production won't sustain all season, and if the Niners ever get healthy, Bourne won't even be worth rostering, but as long as the injuries drag on, Bourne is a must-add and, frankly, a must-start. His connection with Mac Jones is very real, and the production isn't going to go away anytime soon.
Tight ends to add from fantasy waiver wire
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns (29.1 percent rostered)
Two of the Cleveland Browns' three best pass catchers this season have been tight ends. David Njoku suffered a major injury in Week 6, opening the door for the other tight end in the equation, Harold Fannin Jr., to break out. He did that in Week 6, recording seven receptions on 10 targets for 81 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had 15.1 fantasy points, which, for a tight end, is a ton, especially without a touchdown.
Fannin was averaging near 10 fantasy points per game even with Njoku, making him a borderline startable tight end for fantasy, but with Njoku out, he should be a must-roster and a must-start. Even in a bad Browns offense, Fannin being fed the ball as much as he has, and likely as much as he's going to with Njoku out, might make him the most popular waiver wire add of the week considering the positional value.