• Drake Maye scores 20-plus points again: Maye has scored the sixth-most fantasy points among quarterbacks since becoming a starter — a good sign for his future.
• Romeo Doubs is shining since his return from suspension: Doubs caught eight passes for 94 yards in the Packers' win this past week, and the team's future schedule is favorable for him.
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Estimated Reading Time: 28 minutes
With Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season nearly complete, here are the key players to target on the fantasy football waiver wire. Here, we'll cover options for smaller and deeper leagues and also highlight the players to avoid.
Jump to a position group:
QB | RB | WR | TE
Quarterback
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (Rostered in 45.2% of leagues on ESPN)
Darnold was dropped in several leagues because his team had a bye week, and he wasn’t picked up in enough leagues before his return.
Over the first four weeks, Darnold scored the fourth-most points among fantasy quarterbacks but had a rough outing against the New York Jets in Week 5 before their bye. Given that the Jets have been one of the best defenses at limiting fantasy points to quarterbacks, this performance shouldn’t raise too many alarms.
This week, The Vikings quarterback completed 22-of-27 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown and ran four times for 39 yards. His strong showing makes him a viable fantasy starter once again. While he may not be available in many leagues, for those where he is still on the waiver wire, he’s a must-add.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (26.5%)
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Week 2, which has kept him out for the past four games. However, he is expected to practice this week and aims to start in Week 8.
While starting him in his first game back may seem risky, the Dolphins have the best matchup for quarterbacks on waivers this week as they take on an Arizona Cardinals defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Tagovailoa was a top-10 quarterback in Week 1 and scored the ninth-most fantasy points at the position last season. His schedule from Week 8 onward is favorable, as he won't face a team ranked in the top quarter of the league in preventing fantasy points until Week 14. He could quickly return to being a fantasy starter upon his return.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (13.3%)
Maye has made two NFL starts, and he's scored at least 20 PPR points in both games. While he hasn’t graded particularly well as a passer, and his high touchdown rate is likely to regress, his fantasy production is difficult to overlook. There's a good chance Maye will improve as he gains more experience, which should help offset the expected regression in his touchdown rate.
It’s worth noting that anyone picking up Maye would be doing so for the long term rather than the short term. While his schedule has been favorable in his first two starts, his next three games are against the Jets, Titans, and Bears, who rank third, 12th and second, respectively, in preventing fantasy points to quarterbacks. However, he does have several favorable matchups in the second half of the season, where he could become a viable starting option if his play improves.
Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns (0.4%)
Deshaun Watson, the Browns' start, suffered what is believed to be an Achilles injury in Week 7, which will likely keep him out for the rest of the season. Although Jameis Winston has served as the backup in recent weeks, the Browns chose to use Dorian Thompson-Robinson as their backup in Week 7.
Thompson-Robinson replaced the injured Watson and managed to throw for 82 yards and two interceptions before suffering a finger injury on his throwing hand. Winston then took over and threw a touchdown.
In Thompson-Robinson’s three starts last season, he finished as QB25, QB28, and QB32, indicating he won't offer much value as a starter outside of superflex leagues. If Winston becomes the starter, he could provide significant value. He finished as QB15 over his three starts in 2022 with the Saints, QB21 during the first seven weeks of 2021 and QB3 overall in 2019 during his last full season as a starter. However, it’s important to note that these performances occurred years ago with different teams, so they should be taken with caution.
There is a wide range of possibilities for how well Winston could perform, but he may be worth picking up if he becomes the starter and plays effectively.
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (3.2%)
Levis has gotten off to a shaky start in 2024, averaging just 9.1 fantasy points per game while missing two games due to injury. Three of his five games have come against the top three teams in terms of preventing fantasy points to quarterbacks, and he played through an injury in another game. In his one fully healthy outing against the Packers (a team that ranks eighth in limiting fantasy points to quarterbacks), he scored a more respectable 15.6 PPR points. Unfortunately, Levis missed his Week 7 game due to injury.
From Weeks 12-17, the Titans will face the Jacksonville Jaguars twice, the Indianapolis Colts, the Washington Commanders, the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals. All six of these matchups are against teams ranked among the top 11 in allowing fantasy points to quarterbacks.
This presents a dream six-week stretch. If Levis finds his rhythm over the next month, he could emerge as a fantasy starter leading into the playoffs and throughout the fantasy postseason.
Running Back
Tyrone Tracy, New York Giants (47.6%)
Tracy was the Giants' primary running back in Week 7, regardless of the situation, despite Devin Singletary returning.
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