Which QBs and TEs should you pick up on the Week 7 waiver wire? Sam Howell, Malik Willis, and More!
Happy Monday! I'm not sure how, but we're basically done with half of the fantasy football season. Unless you're sitting at 1-5 or 0-6, you still have a chance to get back in the game. And a big part of making up some ground is making sure you make the right waiver moves.
With running backs and wide receivers coming in a separate article, let's take a look at the quarterbacks and tight ends you should be scooping off the waiver wire for Week 7.
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Quarterback
(ownership percentages are based on ESPN leagues)
Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (19.1 percent)
Another week, another Sam Howell recommendation. He's finally starting to creep up toward the 25 percent threshold where I like to stop writing about players, but the first-year starter is still available in over 80 percent of ESPN leagues and he's put up 15 or more fantasy points in five of his six games this season. While Week 3 was a game Howell would love to forget, he's only thrown two total interceptions in his other five games while putting up nine passing touchdowns. I realize we can't just forget about one week, but Howell is dangerously close to QB1 territory and is currently QB4 this week heading into Monday Night Football after throwing for 151 yards and three touchdowns. With a solid stable of pass catchers at his disposal, Howell is a solid pickup as a backup quarterback would can be relied upon to start if needed.
Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons (5.2 percent)
Ridder might not be a great real-life quarterback, but he's pretty darn good for fantasy purposes. While he's a little volatile (there's the "not great real-life quarterback part), Ridder has put up back-to-back 300-yard passing performances. It's worth noting he threw three interceptions in the Falcons' Week 6 loss to the Commanders, but Ridder could be a solid bye week fill-in with matchups against the Buccaneers, Vikings, and Cardinals coming up. Even though there's a chance Ridder may not last the season as the Falcons' starting quarterback, he has some nice weapons around him and is worth a look in deeper leagues.
Malik Willis, Tennessee Titans (0.1 percent)
We're getting a little ahead of ourselves here as the Titans are heading into a bye week, but the early bird gets the worm and all that fun stuff. Willis replaced Ryan Tannehill in Sunday's loss to the Ravens as Tannehill left the game with an ankle injury and was later seen on crutches. Willis and rookie Will Levis would be the next in line to start if Tannehill is forced to miss time (an MRI is scheduled), and it looks like Willis would get first crack at the job based on Sunday's usage. Willis isn't anything special as he struggled in limited starts last year, but he provides some rushing upside and could be an interesting add as quarterback depth as we head into heavier bye weeks.
Tight End
(ownership percentages are based on ESPN leagues)
Jonnu Smith, Atlanta Falcons (14.8 percent)
Smith is another player who I keep writing about, but he's still available in a LOT of leagues. After two disappointing seasons with the Patriots, Smith has provided great return on the Falcons' investment (a seventh round pick) in him. The veteran tight end has seen no less than five targets in any of his last five games and just scored his first touchdown of the season this past Sunday. He's scored double-digit fantasy points in PPR leagues for three straight weeks and should be added in all fantasy leagues at this point.
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers (17.4 percent)
Musgrave will likely be forgotten about by many as the Packers didn't play this weekend, so it shouldn't be too hard to grab him. The rookie has been a little hit or miss thus far, but the Packers don't have a ton of mouths to feed and he's seen at least seven targets in two of his three last games. While he's yet to go over 50 receiving yards and hasn't found the end zone, Musgrave has a ton of upside and is worth an add in most fantasy leagues.
Michael Mayer, Oakland Raiders (1.4 percent)
Like Musgrave, Mayer is another rookie who has been a tad up-and-down this season. But he's coming on strong and just had his best game of the season in Week 6. Over the past two weeks, Mayer has seen nine targets and has turned those into seven catches for 114 yards. That's the type of production the Raiders were looking for when they selected him in the early second round, and he seems to be playing his way into a larger role. With Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers demanding most of opposing defenses' attention, Mayer should be able to maneuever a bit more and play his way into becoming a TE2 with upside.
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