10 Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds Heading Into NFL Week 7

Week 6 brought another brutal wave of injuries, though we also saw a number of unheralded names step up in the absence of stars. Throw in a handful of the league's backfields getting muddied up and we finally have an intriguing week of potential waiver wire pickups coming out of Week 6.

With that in mind, here are some of the best additions you can make to your squads heading into Week 7.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL betting odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

Quarterbacks

Jaxson Dart, Giants

If Jaxson Dart is still out there in your fantasy football league, this is likely your last chance to get him. Dart was magnificent on Thursday Night Football, completing 17 of 25 pass attempts for 195 yards while chipping in 58 rushing yards and his second rushing touchdown of the campaign.

He finished with 23.6 fantasy points against the defending champs -- good for QB3 entering Monday Night Football.

Through three career starts, Dart has now totaled 19.8, 17.6, and 23.6 fantasy points. He's finished as a top-12 quarterback twice during that stretch, thanks in no small part to his rushing prowess. Dart's run for at least 50 yards in all three starts, pacing the position in designed rush attempts per game (5.3). He's also seen 30.4% of the New York Giants red zone rush attempts as a starter -- a mark matched by just five other quarterbacks on the year.

We know how much of a cheat code rushing is for quarterbacks in fantasy football, so I don't think it's an overreaction to vault Dart into that low-end QB1 territory rest of season. But even if you just need Dart as a plug-and-play, the upcoming schedule is appealing. Next week's road date with the Broncos (second in fantasy points per dropback allowed) isn't fun, but after that he gets the Eagles (15th), 49ers (17th), and Bears (30th).

Aaron Rodgers, Steelers

It's fair to question how much rest-of-season upside Aaron Rodgers carries, but the 41-year-old has proven capable of delivering in the right matchup. He's fresh off a 17.5-fantasy point showing against the Browns -- one which saw him throw for 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

That was easily his best performance since Week 1's 25.7-point outburst, and it leaves room for optimism heading into a Thursday Night Football clash with the Bengals -- a defense ranked 24th in fantasy points per dropback and 27th in EPA per dropback allowed to quarterbacks.

After that, the Steelers do face three consecutive top 10 fantasy defenses versus the quarterback position, but then they get the Bears (30th in fantasy points per dropback allowed) and another crack at the Bengals. Rodgers probably isn't someone to hold through the three-week gauntlet in shallower leagues but has proven capable of filling in when the matchup is right.

Others to Consider:

Michael Penix Jr. (at. San Francisco), Sam Darnold(vs. Houston)

If you're looking for more of a long-term play, J.J. McCarthy and Shedeur Sanders are decent stashes. Your guess is as good as mine of when we see these two young quarterbacks, but it's hard to imagine Minnesota not giving last year's 1st round pick another shot, whereas Dillon Gabriel did not look nearly as impressive in his second start with Cleveland. They can likely be left in free agency in shallow leagues, but both should be rostered in any sort of Superflex or two-QB format.

Running Backs

Kimani Vidal, Chargers

We can't assume the way things shook out in Week 6 are how it will go moving forward, but it's pretty clear we prioritized the wrong Los Angeles Chargers running back in the wake of Omarion Hampton's injury.

Though Hassan Haskins was added in more leagues, it was Kimani Vidal who emerged as the clear RB1 in this Chargers backfield. Vidal saw 18 carries and 4 targets (compared to Haskins' 6 carries and 1 target), turning those 26 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) into 138 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Entering Monday Night Football, Vidal's 21.3 fantasy points ranked sixth at the position.

The second year back was an interesting prospect coming out, and he showed some flashes as a rookie. But Vidal finally got an opportunity to be the lead back last week, easily pacing the Chargers backfield in snap rate (69%) and route participation (57%). Perhaps most encouragingly, Vidal saw his snap rate rise in the second half and he was out there for 14 of LA's 17 red zone plays; Hassan Haskins only saw 2 red zone snaps and his overall snap rate dipped to 20% in the second half.

With Hampton out at minimum the next three games after going on IR, Vidal is an absolute priority waiver wire add heading into Week 7. He's someone who should operate as a top-24 fantasy running back in the coming weeks.

Tyjae Spears, Titans

It didn't take long for Tyjae Spears to split this backfield. Despite Tony Pollard seeing an 88% snap rate and 21.5 adjusted opportunities per game over the first four weeks, Spears has quickly turned this running back room on its head.

After getting eased into the 2025 season in Week 5, Spears led the Tennessee backfield in snap rate (59%), red zone snap rate (71%), and route participation (50%) in Week 6. He turned 13 adjusted opportunities into 50 yards.

Pollard was still involved (14 adjusted opps for 47 yards), but he was far less effective as a rusher (20% Rushing Success Rate; 60% for Spears) while Spears doubled his targets (4 to 2) in the passing game.

At this point, neither back can be confidently started in fantasy. But Spears has plenty of upside if Pollard were to miss any time, and he's looked like the much more effective back. It wouldn't be surprising to see the 24-year-old take on a bigger role as the season wanes on, so Tyjae Spears is a worthwhile stash in a relatively light running back week on the waiver wire.

Kenneth Gainwell

Even with Jaylen Warren returning from injury, Kenneth Gainwell remained involved in the Pittsburgh offense. Though Warren trumped Gainwell in terms of snaps (30 to 20) and rush attempts (11 to 6), the two were neck-and-neck in routes (13 to 12) with the latter tripled the former's targets (6 to 2).

So, while the raw volume still favored Warren, the team clearly had a plan for Gainwell when he was out there; he saw an opportunity on 60% of snaps -- a truly elite mark.

That gives him flex appeal leading into a Week 7 matchup with the Bengals, and we saw in Week 5 what Gainwell could do if Warren were to miss any more time. He's a rare handcuff with standalone value if you need a spot starter, but also one who possesses low-end RB1 upside if he were to take on a full workload.

Others to Consider:

Zonovan Knight (vs. Green Bay), Sean Tucker (at Detroit), Kendre Miller (at Chicago)

Wide Receivers

Kayshon Boutte, Patriots

Kayshon Boutte was a hot pickup following his 103-yard, 13.3-fantasy point outburst in Week 1, but four straight weeks outside the top 45 wide receivers likely mitigated any buzz surrounding the 23-year-old receiver. But Boutte was big again in Week 5, catching all 5 targets for 93 yards and two touchdowns. His 23.8 fantasy points are good for WR3 heading into Monday Night Football.

It wasn't like the role changed too much in the four games between his two fantasy-relevant outings. Boutte leads all New England Patriots receivers in snap rate (71%) and route participation (66%) on the year, and he's hit a 17% single-game target share in half of his 2025 games.

Boutte's operated as Drake Maye's go-to deep threat this season, pacing New England in air yards share (27%), aDOT (15.9 yards), and downfield targets (3.0 per game). That's helped him record a rock-solid 2.06 yards per route run, offering some hope this third year breakout has some legs.

This is also just an offense we want shares of. Drake Maye is up to fourth in EPA per dropback and sixth in passing yards per game. With Stefon Diggs' snaps still being limited, there's an argument for Kayshon Boutte being the most valuable New England pass catcher going forward. That makes him a top waiver wire add heading into Week 7.

Elic Ayomanor, Titans

If you're in a deeper league, Elic Ayomanor is someone you've likely flirted with adding on several occasions. The rookie pass catcher has hit a 70% snap rate in every game this season, and he's finished as a top-25 wide receiver in two separate weeks.

Even so, he's been held under 50 yards in all but one game this season, keeping the 22-year-old's roster rate largely in check.

But a Week 6 injury to Calvin Ridley allowed Ayomanor to operate as the team's true No. 1 wide receiver, at least in terms of utilization. Ayomanor set season-bests for snap (93%) and route (91%) rates while being one of just three Tennessee Titans pass catchers to see at least 5 targets.

With Ridley banged up, the rookie now leads all healthy receivers with an 18.5% target share. Even on an offense as gross as Tennessee's, the team's WR1 needs to be rostered. There's less immediate upside with Ayomanor, but he could be a real fantasy contributor if Cameron Ward progresses over the second half of the season.

Tez Johnson, Buccaneers

The Bucs continue to suffer injuries on the offensive side of the ball -- the latest being to star rookie Emeka Egbuka. He's expected to miss some time, joining Chris Godwin and Mike Evans on the bench.

Now, Evans should (could?) return soon, I'd be surprised to see more than one of those three pass catchers active in the same game the next few weeks. But Baker Mayfield is playing at an MVP-level right now, and he's going to make someone fantasy-relevant in this Tampa passing game. Entering Monday Night Football, Baker had propelled Kameron Johnson and Tez Johnson into top-20 fantasy wideouts in Week 6.

Still, while Kameron Johnson had the better fantasy outing, Tez's utilization makes him the more appealing waiver wire target. The rookie 7th-round pick finished second among Bucs pass catchers with an 80% route rate last week, seeing a third of the team's air yards despite only commanding three targets. Baker's been one of the best deep ball quarterbacks in football early on, so that field stretching role comes with plenty of upside.

Kameron Johnson is worth an add in deeper leagues -- as is Sterling Shepard. This offense has been too good to leave primary pieces on the wire, even if we're not quite sure how the target distribution will shake out moving forward. Even so, Tez Johnson would be my top priority here, offering upside in the immediate future and perhaps rest of season.

Others to Consider:

Zay Jones (vs. Green Bay), Kendrick Bourne (vs. Atlanta), Alec Pierce (at LA Chargers), Christian Watson (at Arizona)

Tight Ends

Harold Fannin, Browns

Harold Fannin Jr. was a popular waiver wire pickup after a 9-target, 10.1-fantasy point showing in Week 1. But he failed to crack double-digit fantasy points each of the following four games, causing his roster rate to dip across many of the top platforms.

Still, it was encouraging to see the rookie post a 22.2% target-per-route rate and secure his first career touchdown in Dillon Gabriel's starting debut across the pond.

He followed that up with an even bigger performance in Week 6, notching 7 receptions (on 10 targets) for 81 yards with David Njoku limited to a 43% snap rate after picking up a knee injury. With Njoku in-and-out of the game, Fannin ranked third among Cleveland Browns pass catchers in snap rate (81%) and route participation (74%) while commanding the team's second highest target share (19.6%). His 11.6 half-PPR fantasy points rank top 10 at the position leading into Monday Night Football.

The Browns won't attempt 48 passes every game, though they're likely to continue facing negative game scripts moving forward. If Njoku misses any time, Fannin would vault into a weekly top-12 option at the position.

But even if Njoku's injury isn't serious, Fannin's shown enough to warrant a moderate FAB bid or waiver priority ahead of Week 7's home date with the Miami Dolphins. Miami's let four different tight ends clear a 20% target share against them, and through six games they've allowed the third highest target rate, third most fantasy points per target, and most yards per route run to the position.

With a plus matchup on deck and an expanded role incoming, Harold Fannin Jr. is one of the best fantasy football waiver wire adds heading into NFL Week 7.

Others to Consider:

Oronde Gadsden (vs. Indianapolis), Michael Mayer (at Kansas City), Cade Otton (at Detroit)

Defenses

Cleveland Browns

The Browns defense wasn't great in Week 6. They gave up 23 points and 335 total yards to the Steelers' middling offense, failing to force a turnover or record a sack.

That resulted in 0 fantasy points and marked the fourth time in six games the Browns D/ST failed to crack 5 fantasy points.

Still, Cleveland remains the league's top run defense, ranking 1st in EPA per carry and Rushing Success Rate allowed. While their passing defense hasn't been great overall, they're a top 10 unit when you adjusted for strength of opponent and are still right around league average in pressure rate.

Better days should be ahead for this defense, and they're back on the fantasy radar ahead of a Week 7 home date with the Dolphins. Miami's offense is fine, but they're just 18th in scoring and have allowed at least 8 fantasy points to three of the six defenses they've faced.

Others to Consider:

New York Giants (at Denver), Chicago Bears (vs. New Orleans)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.