WAIVER WIRE WONDERS: Week 7

A light serving of wonders this week as we go through another weekend with a pair of Monday night football games on the schedule. Regular bye weeks and COVID schedule changes continue to keep fantasy owners on their toes. Injuries in Philadelphia and Tennessee have opened the door for some waiver wire wonders this week, and for the second week in a row we have a white-hot kicker getting a mention in the weekly story as a solid pickup. On to the wonders!

Solid Pickups

RB Boston Scott, Philadelphia

Early reports are that starter Miles Sanders will have an MRI to determine the extent of any damage as a result of a knee injury suffered in this past week’s game. Philadelphia has a short week, with a Thursday night game on tap against the New York Giants. There is a strong possibility that Miles Sanders will miss the game, which would promote Scott to the starting role. This is a rare opportunity to grab a starting runner from the waiver wire, even if it ends up being temporary until Sanders returns. 

TE Anthony Firkser, Tennessee

The injury to Jonnu Smith opened the door for Firkser to get onto the field, and he exploded as Tennessee did not change its game plan of big tight end involvement. He ended the day against Houston with eight catches for 113 yards and a score, a huge day that doubled his entire statistical output for the season. If Smith misses time, Firkser is capable of putting up these numbers in his absence. 

K Brandon McManus, Denver

Denver is the perfect storm for a strong-legged kicker right now. The offense can move the ball at times, but often stalls out so the kicker has to come through with the three-point attempt. Against New England this past week, that’s all Denver got, as McManus delivered the goods on all six (SIX!) of his field goal attempts. Denver made those 18 points stand up, but the fantasy owner is happy that two of those kicks were from beyond 50-yards and two others beyond 40. The previous game against the New York Jets saw two of his three field goals come from beyond the 50-yard mark. With those bonus points rolling in, it is no wonder that we have a kicker in this week’s top category. 

On the Radar

RB J.D. McKissic, Washington

Already heavily involved in the passing game, McKissic is starting to cut into the carries of Antonio Gibson. As has been usual over the last three games, he hauled in six passes for 43 yards against the New York Giants. He got a spike in carries this week, taking a handoff eight times and taking the rock 41 yards in those carries. The numbers are not huge, but the spike in carries is an indicator that Washington likes the ball in his hands, so look for his role in the offense to continue to increase.

WR Adam Humphries, Tennessee

Active for the first time in a couple of weeks, Humphries stepped right back into the mix for Tennessee. He was targeted often, ending the day with six catches for 64 yards and a score. Look for him to continue to be a part of the Tennessee offense going forward. 

WR James Washington, Pittsburgh

Last week we highlighted the play of Chase Claypool, who backed up his four-touchdown performance against Philadelphia Eagles with a strong game against Cleveland. Injuries have whittled things down to he and Washington, who also had a good week against Cleveland. He caught four passes for 68 yards and a score, providing a nice complement to the play of Claypool on the opposite side. As long as the playing time is there, Washington will continue to produce. 

TE Adam Shaheen, Miami

Miami continues to roll, but the tight end position has been a bit of a mystery this season in Miami. Mike Gesicki is the starter, but so far this season he has been a major fantasy disappointment catching one pass (or less!) in three of the last four games. Enter Shaheen, who found the end zone for the second consecutive week as he caught three passes for 51 yards against the New York Jets. This is not enough to be a trend, but it is enough to warrant a speculative add for those who need a backup tight end.