MNF Recap + Week 7 Waiver Wire

Back from injury; may not significantly reduce DeMario Douglas's target share because safety help will likely focus on Brown on the outside, allowing Douglas to operate underneath at slot with short routes.

Producing usable fantasy numbers in pass-heavy Steelers offense. Matchup against Saints this week could be a potential shootout opportunity, though Saints defense is minus 1.9 fantasy points per game. Matthew Berry considers it a very winnable matchup and thinks Rodgers can be used as a streaming option.

With Terry McLaurin out, Williams is moving from a slot receiver role to playing on the outside and working more down the field; Matthew Berry identifies him as the top beneficiary of McLaurin's absence and recommends him as one of the top waiver wire claims this week. Berry projects Williams into wide receiver four territory but notes he could reach wide receiver three or even two status rest of season; Williams had the most receiving yards in Clemson program history and was considered a second-round talent despite going third overall.

Antonio Williams, the Commanders' third-round pick from Clemson, becomes the primary beneficiary of Terry McLaurin's season-ending injury. While Williams is typically thought of as an underneath slot receiver in the mold of Stefan Diggs, he demonstrated versatility in the game where McLaurin was out, playing on the outside and working more down the field. This suggests he could expand his role beyond the slot in the absence of McLaurin.

Matthew Berry ranks Antonio Williams ahead of Jacoby Lane in the pecking order of receivers to pick up this week, though notes that Antonio Williams will be on bye next week for the Commanders, so he shouldn't be started next week.

Antonio Williams is ranked second on Matthew Berry's top receiver waiver wire targets for the week, behind Omar Cooper Jr. but ahead of Jacoby Lane, Keenan Allen, and DeMario Douglas.

Expected to return to practice this week with favorable upcoming matchups: Panthers (plus 1.8 boost to opposing QBs), Falcons (minus 1.3), Bears, and Lions (plus 8.2 points per game boost). Matthew Berry notes a really nice stretch here for Baker Mayfield with strong fantasy upside.

Falcons' preferred run-first approach with Robinson as the amazing player they want to feature. Matthew Berry notes the team wants to run Robinson and limit Penix's pass attempts to around 30 per game, but matchups against strong offenses like the 49ers could force more passing.

Functioning as a receiver rather than a traditional tight end in Raiders' 12 personnel looks, split out wide. Matthew Berry notes opposing teams are putting their best cover corner on Bowers, which opens up opportunities for Michael Mayer as the next target option.

The multiple receiver injuries in San Francisco (Debo Samuel, Dazon Stribling, Demarcus Robinson) create a short-term headwind for Brock Purdy's fantasy outlook. Matthew Berry notes this is a ding to his near-term production, though the offense will compensate by leaning on Kittle and McCaffrey.

With Terry McLaurin out, Chigoziem Okonkwo's role is expected to expand significantly; Matthew Berry recently updated rest-of-season projections and had Okonkwo at tight end 14, but notes he could easily move into tight end 10 territory by next week as more targets come his way. Okonkwo was projected as a borderline tight end one in the offseason (around tight end 14-15), and the McLaurin absence could push him into true tight end one status.

Christian Kirk is eligible to return from IR this week; the 49ers opened his 21-day practice window last week. Matthew Berry suggests he could be a deep-league waiver wire add if no other options are available, but expects other names to be more attractive targets given the current receiver landscape.

With the 49ers receiver room depleted, Christian McCaffrey will see increased offensive touches and targets. Matthew Berry expects CMC to get way more targets and the offense to rely more heavily on the running game, positioning him as a primary beneficiary of the injuries to San Francisco's passing weapons.

Expected to see a bigger role in Rams offense with Devontae Adams out.

Never been in a full-time NFL role but typically performs well when given opportunities; working vertical routes this season as Drake May pushes the ball downfield; had 28% target share last week with AJ Brown as the only other primary target; solid at slot within structure and mirrors Drake May on scramble drills, creating sideline catch opportunities; Matthew Berry suggests WR3 range for Week 7 as a streaming option given four teams on bye.

DeMario Douglas is ranked fifth on Matthew Berry's top receiver waiver wire targets for the week, behind Omar Cooper Jr., Antonio Williams, Jacoby Lane, and Keenan Allen.

Listed as a couple other name to try to get at quarterback if top three targets (Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers, Michael Penix) are unavailable.

On an absolute heater; extending plays outside the pocket and throwing accurate sideline passes; his scramble-drill effectiveness is creating high target opportunities for DeMario Douglas and other receivers.

Awakening from turf toe injury with massive target shares over the last two games. Matthew Berry notes he's a solid wide receiver one in a football sense, and with Baker Mayfield returning, Egbuka becomes a trusted receiving option.

With multiple 49ers receivers out (Debo Samuel, Dazon Stribling, Demarcus Robinson) and Mike Evans' injury creating a ripple effect, George Kittle becomes the primary beneficiary. Matthew Berry projects Kittle as a wide receiver one in the 49ers offense, expecting him to see significantly increased targets and opportunities as the offense relies more heavily on him and the running game.

Jaden Daniels has not been pushing the ball down the field as much this season; instead, he's been relying on quick passes and dinking-and-dunking, which benefits slot receivers like Antonio Williams. Despite the conservative passing approach, Daniels has been effective getting the ball out quickly under pressure.

Dealing with a hamstring injury and availability for this coming week is uncertain. Matthew Berry notes this impacts TJ Hawkinson's target share, as Addison's presence or absence will determine whether Hawkinson or Addison gets the primary slot role.

Matthew Berry was excited about Josh Downs but notes that Keenan Allen has again outproduced him, continuing Allen's pattern of surpassing younger receivers on his team.

Back in the lineup for Vikings offense with Kyler Murray. Matthew Berry notes his return as part of the Kevin O'Connell system context for Kyler's upside.

Matthew Berry highlights Keenan Allen as a reliable floor play for waiver wire pickups this week. Allen had eight catches last week and continues to outperform younger receivers on his team; he has consistently outproduced first-round pick Rome Dunze, second-year receiver Ladd McConkie, and now Josh Downs. While Allen is not in a full-time route role (targeting 70-75% of pass plays), his quarterbacks trust him implicitly, and he provides a really good floor for teams needing a plug-and-play receiver this week, though with less upside than emerging breakout candidates.

Averaging 6 catches and 9.5 targets over 60 yards per game over the last three weeks; thriving on short passes and slant routes given Daniel Jones' conservative play-calling; Tyler Warren's 11-target absence has benefited Allen's target volume, though that may normalize when Warren returns.

Keenan Allen is ranked fourth on Matthew Berry's top receiver waiver wire targets for the week, behind Omar Cooper Jr., Antonio Williams, and Jacoby Lane but ahead of DeMario Douglas.

Dropped heavily last week due to bye week and available in 52% of Yahoo leagues. Matthew Berry calls him out as a high-ceiling play over other streaming options, noting he gets Indianapolis (plus 1.6), Detroit (plus 8.2), and Bills (plus 0.4 and plus 4.3) matchups. Scrambling around and getting in sync with Kevin O'Connell system with Justin Jefferson back. Berry projects Kyler could be a top-eight quarterback the rest of the way, with dual-threat upside being the cheat code in fantasy.

Matthew Berry emphasizes that getting Lamar Jackson back in the Ravens offense is the key to the team's success and to Jacoby Lane's emergence as a number two receiver in an explosive offense capable of scoring many touchdowns.

Malik Washington is listed as a secondary receiver waiver wire option by Matthew Berry, positioned in the second tier of targets if the top five receivers (Omar Cooper Jr., Antonio Williams, Jacoby Lane, Keenan Allen, DeMario Douglas) are unavailable.

Matthew Berry notes that Mark Andrews is not playing well, which opens the door for Jacoby Lane to ascend and take over the number two target role in the Ravens offense.

Matthew Berry expresses concern about Harrison Jr.'s on-field performance, noting that film review shows he 'looks like he has sand in his shoes' and is 'not a fast dude on the outside.' Berry contrasts him unfavorably with Jalen Knoll, who he views as shifty at the slot with superior route-running ability. The comparison suggests Harrison Jr. is underperforming relative to expectations.

Gone over 80 yards in two of his past three games. Matthew Berry moved him up to mid-range tight end territory rest of season. Since Brock Bowers returned in week three, Raiders lead NFL in 12 personnel (two tight ends on field), and Mayer has seen plenty of targets and field time. Opposing teams are putting their best cover corner on Bowers, making Mayer the next guy up. Has 12-plus fantasy points in three of last four games with over 70% route rate. However, matchup against Rams this week is a caveat as they are the toughest defense against tight ends (minus 6.6 fantasy points per game).

Had a nice game against Bears last week and now faces 49ers. Matthew Berry notes the 49ers defense is sneaky good but not one to shy away from. With Falcons' offense capable of putting up points, Penix could be pushed into a game script where he throws 40-45 times instead of the preferred 30, making this a favorable streamer matchup. Statistically he's gotten better every start (four so far) despite coming off a significant ACL injury with no training camp or OTA reps.

Evans suffered an Achilles tendonitis injury during Monday Night Football. He will likely miss at least the next game, though his status remains uncertain given his history of playing through injuries. Matthew Berry suggests the Buccaneers could afford to shut him down for a month given their undefeated record and the upcoming bye week, which would provide extra recovery time.

Godwin noted as a slot receiver who can win in the passing game alongside Egbuka as the primary outside receiver option for Baker Mayfield's return.

Washington's role has been growing over the last couple of weeks and he has delivered explosive plays when on the field, hitting big plays in a way that contrasts with Gentry's plodding style; while he lacks standalone value right now, he is a stash candidate who could continue to eat into Gentry's timeshare and would become a fantasy-relevant starter if Gentry were to get injured.

Matthew Berry ranks Omar Cooper Jr. ahead of Jacoby Lane in the pecking order of receivers to pick up this week on waivers, placing him as the first priority among available receivers.

Omar Cooper Jr. is listed as the top receiver waiver wire target by Matthew Berry, positioned first on the priority list ahead of Antonio Williams, Jacoby Lane, Keenan Allen, and DeMario Douglas.

Matthew Berry notes that Rome Dunze, drafted as a first-round pick by the Bears, has been outproduced by veteran Keenan Allen, who 'snatched his chain as a rookie,' indicating Dunze has underperformed relative to expectations.

Placed on IR; his absence prompted discussion of DeMario Douglas as a potential waiver wire add, though Matthew Berry does not consider Douglas a priority compared to other available receivers.

Ryan Flournoy is listed as a secondary receiver waiver wire option by Matthew Berry, positioned in the second tier of targets if the top five receivers are unavailable.

With Terry McLaurin out, Stefan Diggs becomes the clear number one receiver for Jaden Daniels; Matthew Berry projects him as a high-end wide receiver three, possibly low-end wide receiver two rest of season. Diggs has posted double-digit fantasy points in three of the past five weeks with McLaurin in and out of the lineup; he's been particularly effective on red zone targets inside the five-yard line where Daniels trusts him one-on-one, including the touchdown from the previous night's game.

Listed as a couple other name to try to get at quarterback if top three targets (Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers, Michael Penix) are unavailable. Matthew Berry notes he picked up McKee because of Matthew Berry's advice when Joe Burrow was on bye.

Terry McLaurin was carted off during Monday Night Football and is most likely done for the season. This opens up significant opportunity in the Commanders receiving corps, particularly for Antonio Williams.

Had a really good game last week for Raiders. Matthew Berry notes this as part of the context for Raiders' passing game depth with Mayer and Tucker both contributing.

Out with injury; had 11 targets before going down, which has opened up additional target volume for Keenan Allen; his return could normalize Allen's target share.