Fantasy Football Sneaky Waiver Wire Pickups, Starts for Week 7 (2026)

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Jaylen Waddle – Fantasy Football Rankings, Juicy WR Matchups


Michael Florio’s sneaky fantasy football debut, pivot plays and waiver post-waiver pickups for Week 7 of 2026. Start them as under-the-radar fantasy sleepers.

In a lot of my leagues, things started to balance out. There are still some top teams out there, but over the last couple of weeks, a lot of teams that started slow have picked up wins. There are a lot of 3-3 teams out there right now.

This means that even if you started slowly, you are in the running. Injuries remain a problem. However, some players are returning or close to returning. Like I said earlier this season, if you were the team hit hard by the injury bug, just try to stay around .500.

I hope your team is starting to get healthy. If not, or if you’re hit hard by the bye week, here are players you can either bring up from your bench or off the waiver wire.

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Week 7 Sneaky Starts and Pivot Options

Quarterbacks

CJ Stroud has been very effective lately. He is second in the NFL in passing yards, having topped 300 in three of his last five games. He has topped 20 Fantasy points in each of his last three games. Expect him to stay hot in a strong game against the Giants.

New York has allowed the sixth-most touchdowns this season. Three of the last five QBs to face them have scored 26 fantasy points or more. Besides, the way to shake up Stroud is to put pressure on him. The Giants generate pressure at the fifth-lowest rate. I would play Stroud against Dak Prescott and Patrick Mahomes this week.

Kyler Murray has looked much more comfortable in the last two games. This should continue, especially after the bye week. He also just had his best rushing performance of the season, converting 10 carries into 51 yards. Plus, it’s a good game against the Colts. Indy is in the top 10 in touchdowns allowed to QBs. They are also in the top 12 in passing yards and fantasy PPG. This has Murray in play.

Aaron Rodgers has thrown a bunch of them this season. He is fourth in the NFL in pass attempts and touchdowns. This has led him to score 21 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games. Its floor and ceiling are higher than last season.

This week he faces the Saints, who have been in many high-scoring games. They have allowed the sixth-most passing yards. They generated pressure at the seventh-lowest spot. Don’t wait until Sunday to decide, unless you wake up early, because he plays early in the Paris match.

Tanner McKee threw the ball 45 times in his first start. He should get more comfortable the more time he has. The main reason he’s an option this week is the game against Dallas, which allowed the fifth-most fantasy PPG to QBs. They have also allowed the fifth most passing yards per game and the seventh most touchdowns. They also generate pressure at the bottom 10.

He is an option for those who need a replacement in deeper leagues or, primarily, superflex leagues.

Malik Willis is in play purely because of his running ability. The hope is that he will run more consistently. Before the pass, Willis ran for a game-high 74 yards and a touchdown. He exceeded 50 rushing yards twice and at least 39 in three of his five games.

This gets him playing in superflex leagues.

Running backs

Woody Marks didn’t have a huge fantasy day last week, but he played 78% of the snaps with 15 carries and three targets. This is an RB1 workload. Last week, he faced the toughest run defense in the NFL. This week he has a much better game against the Giants.

New York has allowed the fifth-most rushing yards per game and allows explosive runs at the third-highest rate. This means the chance to make big plays is there. This volume in a better matchup should lead to a strong fantasy day.

JK Dobbins saw 20 opportunities last week. In fact, he has 18 or more touches in three out of four games. This consistent volume is enough to keep it within the flexible range each week. Although he plays more on the ground, he brings more upside than usual this week against the Cardinals.

Arizona has allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per game to running backs. This should be a game where the Broncos play forward, which means volume for Dobbins.

Ollie Gordon II has averaged 16 touches per game over the past three weeks. In those, he averaged 81 yards from scrimmage per game and scored a touchdown in each. This week he gets the Jets, who have allowed the sixth-most rushing yards per game. They also allowed the 10th most fantastic PPG to return.

Turn up the hot hand with Gordon. He’s an RB2 in what could be a more competitive game than the Dolphins typically find themselves in.

Dameon Pierce is in play again as a streaming option if Saquon Barkley sits. Over the past two weeks, he has recorded 13 and 16 touches. He scored a goal-line touchdown last week. Plus, he has a favorable matchup as the Cowboys are top seven in yards and touchdowns allowed to RBs.

Roschon Johnson has played about 40 percent of the snaps each of the last two weeks. Two weeks ago he saw seven targets, and last week he had 15 chances and scored a touchdown. Since the week is short, I would expect him to stay involved on a Bears team that features RBs at a high rate.

Wide receiver

Germie Bernard saw 12 targets last week and nine in the previous game. He was very efficient, posting over 80 yards in each of those games. The Saints are in the top 10 in receiving touchdowns and have had many high-scoring games. With how often the Steelers are throwing, Bernard is in play as a WR3 with upside.

Jaylen Waddle is in play this week despite the Broncos’ struggles in the passing game. Waddle has seen at least seven targets in three of his last five games. More importantly, he has a team-high 22 percent target share from the zone, which the Cardinals play at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL (87 percent).

The Cardinals have allowed the second-most touchdowns and seventh-most fantasy PPG to WRs. They’ve also allowed the sixth-most yards on deep passes, and Waddle leads the Broncos in deep targets. Also, this may be a narrative, but I think the Broncos hear the talk and will try to get in this game.

Marvin Harrison Jr. should see his playing time and usage climb this week. He has chemistry with Stroud and is in a favorable matchup. The Giants are tied for third most receiving touchdowns this season. The floor is low, but it brings a sneaky side.

Konata Mumpfield is a sleeper with Davante Adams out. I would expect him to get the bulk of the snaps opposite Puka Nacua. The Rams are spreading the ball and throwing it to their RBs and TEs at a high rate, so the field is iffy with Mumpfield. However, the upside is high because he is tied to one of the best QBs/offenses in the NFL.

Additionally, the Raiders have allowed the fifth-most touchdown passes. Stafford has thrown multiple touchdowns in four of his last five games. If you’re streaming, the benefits are worth seeking out.

Tight ends

Tyler Higbee is also in play due to the absence of Davante Adams. He disappointed last week, but before that he was producing for fantasy. He had topped 60 yards and 11 fantasy points in three straight games, even eclipsing 20 once.

The Raiders allowed the seventh fantasy PPG to end. They have also allowed the third-most touchdowns at the position. Higbee is a solid streaming option this week.

Pat Freiermuth has had his ups and downs this season. He saw at least five targets in four of the six games. Three times he reached double digits. He has a favorable matchup against the Saints, who have allowed the sixth-most yards per game and seventh-most fantasy PPG to TEs.

AJ Barner has a great matchup against the Chiefs, who allowed a fantastic third PPG finish. The Chiefs have been elite at eliminating receivers, so it’s possible that more volume could be funneled to Barner. This is for those in deeper leagues who need a tight end.

Evan Engram is a streaming option for those diving a little deeper this week. He faces the Cardinals, who have allowed the fourth-most touchdowns and fifth-most fantasy PPG to tight ends. Although it is the match,

Be sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.

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