RADIO
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Week 6 was not kind to wide receivers. Some of the top talent didn’t play in Week 6, and a handful got injured in the action. Many fantasy lineups aren’t as threatening without A.J. Green, Calvin Johnson, or Victor Cruz in them.
If you are one of those unfortunate owners, you surely could use some help at the WR position. Cruz is likely done for the year, and the Green and Megatron injuries are tricky ones that could linger.
Below, I will take a look at some Week 7 wide receiver waiver wire pickups and sleepers, based on their current ownership numbers and fantasy outlooks. Each week of the fantasy football season, I’ll also give you a bonus player to avoid (usually someone who might be a popular pickup that I disagree with).
Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR)
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, NYG) - Owned in 34% of Fleaflicker leagues
Beckham will see a significant increase in targets, particularly in the slot, with Victor Cruz likely out for the season. To be fair, Eli and the Giants offense as a whole looked like garbage in Week 6, but I think it was more a result of the Eagles defense playing well and the Eagles offense controlling the ball. Beckham is immensely talented, and with Cruz gone, Rueben Randle will draw plenty of attention on the deep shots. I think the rookie will become Eli’s go-to on short routes, as he is more talented than Preston Parker, and Tom Coughlin knows it. He’s also got good enough hands to be a considerable red zone threat, as well.
Baller Move: Add in all PPR leagues / deeper standard leagues
Andre Holmes (WR, OAK) - Owned in 5% of Fleaflicker leagues
I stand corrected on Andre Holmes. Two weeks ago, I had him as a player to avoid, but I can now say that I am buying into him. Derek Carr is a legitimate pass-thrower, and Holmes will benefit from Carr’s gun-slinging ways. James Jones is still technically the WR1 on the depth chart, but we’ve seen the best we'll see from him in his career. Holmes has a very high ceiling, and with the Raiders having almost no shot at the playoffs, I think they’d benefit from seeing what they have in Holmes. I wouldn’t consider him a weekly fantasy starter just yet, but if you need a bye fill-in or injury replacement, Holmes could be a very nice FLEX option.
Baller Move: Add in deeper PPR leagues, monitor in standard leagues
Mohamed Sanu (WR, CIN) - Owned in 58% of Fleaflicker leagues
A.J. Green claims that he’ll be back soon, and it looks like he won’t need surgery on that troublesome toe. I don’t necessarily believe that, and as long as Sanu is the WR1 in that offense, he's a fantasy starter. I truly believe that he will still be an option even when Green is back, as he’s quietly produced in some way every week. Dalton clearly trusts Sanu, and the the Red Rifle isn’t afraid to look to Sanu in the redzone. Marvin Jones may be on his way back as well, but he's still dealing with an injury with an unknown timetable. Even if he's healthy, I don’t see him usurping Sanu right away, if at all. Sanu will be useful in the next couple weeks at the very least, if not for the rest of the season.
Baller Move: Add in all leagues
Cecil Shorts III (WR, JAC) - Owned in 47% of Fleaflicker leagues
Shorts finally looked 100% in Week 6, as he'd been crippled by a hamstring injury for the first part of the season. He proved why he is the clear top option in Jacksonville, as Bortles targeted him a whopping 16 times, connecting on 10 passes for 103 yards. The Jaguars offense is still absolutely abysmal, but with almost no running game to speak of and a team that is virtually always behind on the scoreboard, they do tend to throw quite a bit. As long as Shorts remains healthy, he’ll get his targets and his receptions. He’s a legit WR3 as long as he’s healthy, but add him off the waiver wire with caution - he’s always an injury risk.
Baller Move: Add in all leagues
Wide Receiver To Avoid (Bonus)
Brandon LaFell (WR, NE) - Owned in 14% of Fleaflicker leagues
Tom Brady looks like he’s figured things out, but I’m not buying the Patriots offense just yet. LaFell is talented for sure, but I just don’t trust him to be a consistent option. Even if the offense keeps things going, Gronk and Julian Edelman are target monsters while LaFell remains an afterthought. With Stevan Ridley out for an extended period of time, the Patriots run game is a bit less intimidating, allowing secondaries to pay more attention to the New England pass-catchers. While LaFell did blow up in Week 6 for 97 yards and two scores, Brady only looked his way six times and the Bills secondary is less than stellar. He may have one or two more games like that in his system, but I’m not willing to make the gamble on a weekly basis.
I’ll be your wide receiver authority for the 2014 season, so don’t hesitate to reach out to me @Roto_Dubs with any questions whenever.
