This is not the week to empty your FAAB account.
There was no massive injury that suddenly handed someone 20 touches per game. Instead, Week 6 gave us something more interesting: young players returning from injury, roles quietly expanding, and a few veterans moving into better situations.
That means the goal this week is simple: Get there before everyone else does.
Here are the 10 waiver wire pickups I’m targeting heading into Week 7.
Week 7 Waiver Wire Top 10
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Team | Suggested FAAB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omar Cooper Jr. | WR | NYJ | 15–20% |
| 2 | Ja’Kobi Lane | WR | BAL | 6–10% |
| 3 | DeMario Douglas | WR | NE | 5–8% |
| 4 | Michael Mayer | TE | LV | 5–7% |
| 5 | Mike Washington Jr. | RB | LV | 3–5% |
| 6 | Christian Kirk | WR | SF | 3–5% |
| 7 | Kimani Vidal | RB | LAC | 2–4% |
| 8 | Samaje Perine | RB | CIN | 2–4% |
| 9 | Kendrick Bourne | WR | ARI | 1–3% |
| 10 | Seth McGowan | RB | IND | 1–2% |
1. Omar Cooper Jr., WR, New York Jets
FAAB: 15–20%
Cooper is the clear priority this week.
After missing most of the season, the rookie returned and immediately looked like a major part of the Jets offense.
He ran a route on more than 80% of the team’s dropbacks, earned seven targets, caught six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, and commanded one of the largest first-read shares on the team.
That is not a stash profile anymore. That is a player already earning real opportunity.
There may eventually be more competition when New York gets healthier, but that is a problem for later.
Verdict: The No. 1 waiver claim of Week 7.
2. Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, Baltimore Ravens
FAAB: 6–10%
Lane’s box score was quiet. His role was not.
In his first game back from injured reserve, he caught four passes for 40 yards while posting strong targets-per-route and first-read numbers.
That happened with Tyler Huntley at quarterback.
If Lamar Jackson returns, the entire offensive environment improves.
Rashod Bateman also aggravated his shoulder, which could create even more playing time.
Verdict: One of my favorite upside receiver adds before the breakout game happens.
3. DeMario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots
FAAB: 5–8%
Douglas just keeps earning targets.
He caught seven passes for 86 yards and a touchdown in Week 6 while commanding 25% of New England’s targets.
The concern was what would happen when A.J. Brown returned.
Douglas still produced.
Now Romeo Doubs is on injured reserve, leaving room for Douglas to maintain a meaningful role in the passing game.
The ceiling may never be enormous, but useful PPR receivers do not need to be superstars.
Verdict: Strong WR3/FLEX depth add.
4. Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
FAAB: 5–7%
It might be time to stop treating Mayer like the second tight end on his own team.
Las Vegas has been using an enormous amount of two-tight-end personnel, allowing Mayer and Brock Bowers to coexist.
Mayer earned nine targets in Week 6 and turned them into seven catches for 95 yards.
He has now become a legitimate target earner rather than someone surviving on touchdowns.
That matters at a position where reliable volume is difficult to find.
Verdict: Priority pickup if you have a tight end problem.
5. Mike Washington Jr., RB, Las Vegas Raiders
FAAB: 3–5%
Washington is starting to become more than a pure handcuff.
He handled 45% of Las Vegas’ running back carries in Week 6 while Ashton Jeanty posted his lowest rushing share of the season.
Washington also mixed into early-down work and even received a goal-line carry.
Jeanty remains the starter. That is not changing tomorrow.
But Washington no longer needs an injury just to see the field.
Verdict: Excellent upside stash whose standalone role is beginning to grow.
6. Christian Kirk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
FAAB: 3–5%
Kirk has not even played yet.
That is exactly why you should consider adding him now.
San Francisco opened his practice window, and the receiver room continues dealing with injuries.
Mike Evans has been managing an Achilles issue, while the 49ers have had very little consistency behind their top weapons.
Kirk could walk into meaningful routes almost immediately once activated.
There is no guarantee. That is also why he is still cheap.
Verdict: Classic stash-before-the-news pickup.
7. Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
FAAB: 2–4%
Vidal is on bye.
That makes this one more interesting, not less.
His rushing share has climbed almost every week, reaching 32% in Week 6 after barely seeing the field early in the season.
He also handled seven carries and earned three targets in his latest game.
None of that makes him startable yet.
But roles moving this consistently in one direction are worth paying attention to.
Verdict: Great bench stash while impatient managers are worried about filling Week 7 lineups.
8. Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
FAAB: 2–4%
Cincinnati may have quietly changed its backfield.
Before the bye, Perine played roughly half the offensive snaps and handled 14 carries after barely being involved earlier in the season.
Meanwhile, Chase Brown’s workload dropped to its lowest point of the year.
One game does not guarantee a permanent committee.
But nothing happened during the bye to make that Week 5 shift irrelevant.
Verdict: Cheap bet that Cincinnati comes out of the bye with a more balanced backfield.
9. Kendrick Bourne, WR, Arizona Cardinals
FAAB: 1–3%
Bourne is quietly earning targets.
He has now seen seven looks in consecutive games and commanded 20% of Arizona’s targets in Week 6.
The route share is still too low to trust him every week.
But when he is running routes, the quarterback is looking his way.
That is enough to keep him interesting in deeper formats.
Verdict: Cheap PPR stash with room for the role to grow.
10. Seth McGowan, RB, Indianapolis Colts
FAAB: 1–2%
This one is simple.
McGowan is Jonathan Taylor’s primary backup.
He does not have standalone fantasy value while Taylor is healthy.
But if Taylor misses time, McGowan suddenly becomes one of the most valuable running backs in fantasy football.
That is what good handcuffs are for.
You add them before the injury, not after.
Verdict: Bottom-of-roster insurance with huge contingent upside.
Week 7 Waiver Priority
Spend aggressively: Omar Cooper Jr.
Strong adds: Ja’Kobi Lane, DeMario Douglas, Michael Mayer
Upside stashes: Mike Washington Jr., Christian Kirk, Kimani Vidal
Cheap bets: Samaje Perine, Kendrick Bourne, Seth McGowan
Final Verdict
This is not the type of waiver week where one injury gives us an obvious league winner.
That does not make it a bad waiver week.
Cooper returned and immediately looked like a major part of the Jets offense.
Lane is back and earning targets before Lamar Jackson even returns.
Douglas keeps producing despite more competition.
Mayer may legitimately be becoming a weekly fantasy starter.
And several running backs are quietly seeing their roles move in the right direction.
Those are exactly the players worth chasing.
You do not always need to find the breakout. Sometimes you just need to get there one week before everyone else.
Related research
Start/sit calls for players in this article
- Should I start Omar Cooper?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start Ja’Kobi Lane?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start DeMario Douglas?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start Michael Mayer?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start Mike Washington?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start Christian Kirk?This week's start/sit callOpen
Tools for this week
- Waiver wire assistantBest pickups for your league this weekOpen
- Rest-of-season rankingsEvery position, updated weeklyOpen
- Start/sit toolGet a start/sit call for any player this weekOpen
- Strength of scheduleEasiest and hardest remaining schedules by positionOpen
