Fantasy football steams into week seven and we at Belly Up Sports are here to help get your lineups set and your team healthy! Injuries continue to be a situation that has to be dealt with. There are several players that have not met expectations. Bye weeks must come into the equation. Do you have questions? We have answers as we dive into this football waivers week seven edition.

Running Backs

It is getting pretty rough out there in the jungle when hunting for running backs. However, there are still a few to consider. Below are some backs for owners to set their sights on.

Frank Gore, New York Jets, 23.6% owned

It is almost painful to recommend any players on the awful New York Jets team, especially with the Buffalo Bills up next. However that is exactly what it going to happen this week with Frank Gore. With Le’Veon Bell out of the picture, Gore saw a season high in targets and receptions (four). He rushed 11 times for 46 yards and turned those catches into 24 yards.

The Jets got shut out by Miami, so the picture certainly isn’t rosy for any of their players. With the free agent pool draining, though, there isn’t a lot at running back to choose from. One positive is that New York doesn’t have their bye until week 10, which gives three straight games Gore can appear in. Let it be remembered this is not a high recommendation in the least. It is simply to fill a roster spot if needed.

Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers, 19.5% owned

It is an understatement to say that things didn’t go as planned for the Packers against Tampa on Sunday. Green Bay raced to the first 10 points of the game and then went into a hole, losing 38-10. Jamaal Williams sure didn’t help much, either. He rushed just four times for 34 yards and didn’t catch his lone target. After the game started to get away from the Packers, they abandoned the run, capping Williams’ production.

Now that the bad news is out of the way, let’s look at the good. The Packers are past their bye week, meaning they will play every week for the rest of the season. Their next two games are the Texans and Vikings, two teams that aren’t good defensively. One only has to go back one game to see what Williams can do against a bad defense. He caught all eight targets for 95 yards against Atlanta. As stated, RB is shallow and Williams can help a fantasy roster the next two games and the rest of the season.

J.D. McKissic, Washington Football Team, 20.7% owned

J.D. McKissic has been recommended in this space since week five and he will continue to be until he is rostered throughout the land. Sunday against the Giants was a clear demonstration of the versatility he can bring on the field and in fantasy. He rushed eight times for 41 yards and caught all six of his targets for another 43 yards.

His yards per carry average was an excellent 5.13. It is clear that McKissic will be on the field no matter who else is available in Washington’s backfield. Best of all, he has the dreadful Dallas defense up next at home. The Cowboys will have one less day to prepare after playing Monday night and this should be a juicy matchup for all Washington skill players.

Wide Receivers

Even as we reach week seven, there are still some worthy receivers to consider on most league waiver wires. Where can these bargains be found? Let’s take a look, shall we?

James Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers, 6.6% owned

The Steelers have an embarrassment of riches at the wide receiver position. First, Chase Claypool explodes on the scene last Sunday, scoring four touchdowns. This week, James Washington stepped up with four catches in seven targets for 68 yards. Washington also added a score. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has targeted Washington seven times in two of the last three games.

Both Washington and Claypool outplayed their more celebrated teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster against the Browns. Even if all are on the field, the Steelers have an offense that can sustain such a three headed monster. Pittsburgh has two tough defenses upcoming in Tennessee and Baltimore, but Washington is widely available and should produce no matter the opponent.

Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars, 14.3% owned

What is it going to take to get Keelan Cole some love? He has been regularly recommended in this column, but his ownership remains criminally low. All Cole did on Sunday was catch six of nine targets for a whopping 143 yards. The average yards per catch was an unbelievable 23.83. When was the last time a receiver put together a YPC that high in a game?

Whomever it was, you can be sure he wasn’t owned in just 14.3% of leagues. Jacksonville hasn’t been winning, but that doesn’t matter at all in fantasy. The Chargers are up next and L.A. has surrendered 30 points or more in their last two games. If a roster has a need at WR, don’t allow Cole to sit on the wire any further and go get him.

Adam Humphries, Tennessee Titans, 4.5% owned

Adam Humphries has seemed the forgotten man in the Tennessee offense, at least to fantasy owners. It’s known the Titans are a run first team, of course, and Humphries did miss two games before week six.

Even so, in the victory over the Texans, Humphries caught all six targets for 64 yards and a TD. In the four games he has played, Humphries has been targeted 26 times. No question, there is a place on a roster for a player like Humphries.

Other recommendations- Randall Cobb, Houston Texans, discussed last week, actually went down in ownership. He scored a TD against the Titans. Best of all, Cobb is going up against a Packers’ D that has given up 30 or more points three times this season.

Tight Ends

The tight end position sure dried up quickly over the past few weeks and the wire was looking largely empty. However, some new players threw their hat in the ring after established veterans went down this past Sunday. If a need exists at the position and it just won’t go away, we will help find a replacement.

Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team, 7.9% owned

After catching just one pass in two consecutive games, Logan Thomas was written off by most fantasy owners. With good reason, it might be added. Thomas should be back on everyone’s radar, however, after scoring a TD Sunday against the Giants, his second of the season. The rest of his stats won’t get anyone excited, though his next opponent should. Thomas had three catches for 42 yards.

However, the next team on the schedule is the Dallas Cowboys and their dreadful defense. The first three games showed that Thomas can be active in the Washington offense, as he was targeted 24 times. More of the same should be on tap against Dallas. If there is a tight end need, for at least one week, Thomas can help, so give him a look.

Darren Fells, Houston Texans, 3.4% owned

There is no doubt that almost nothing has gone Houston’s way this season, as they have but a single win. Veteran tight end Jordan Atkins missed his second straight game and hasn’t played since the Texans fired their head coach. It is unknown how he will fit in the new offense once he is cleared to return. What we do know, however, is how Darren Fells fits in and that is very well.

Fells has now caught a scoring pass in two consecutive games. He grabbed six of seven targets for 85 yards against a tough Colts defense. As was pointed out with Cobb above, the Packers don’t look so fearsome after getting walloped by Tampa Bay. Best of all, though, their defense hasn’t played well this year. Even if Atkins returns this week, Fells has QB Deshaun Watson’s confidence. Both should be able to play in the Houston offense, making Fells a worthy add on this football waivers week seven edition.

Anthony Firkser, Tennessee Titans, 0.1% owned

The question can be heard throughout most of America- who in the world is Anthony Firkser? He was virtually unknown until this week when he demanded attention. Fellow tight end Jonnu Smith went down in the third quarter Sunday and didn’t return. Even before Smith went out, Firkser caught a touchdown pass. He finished the game with eight catches in nine targets for 113 yards. That, my friend, is a quality outing by any definition.

The status of Smith’s injury is unknown as of this writing. However, it is clear that even when Smith returns to the field, Firkser will have value. He was targeted five times the previous week against Buffalo. The Pittsburgh Steelers are next up on the schedule and their defense is top notch. With not much else to pick through, though, Firkser can help in a pinch.

Quarterbacks

In two quarterback and 12 team and larger leagues, the waiver wire is bare. It is probably better to look to make a trade in those situations. For those in 10 team or smaller leagues, though, there still are some bargains worth scanning the horizon for.

Jimmy Garoppolo, S.F. 49ers, 20.3% owned

After his disastrous return against the Dolphins, it wasn’t a surprise to see so many owners drop Jimmy Garoppolo. After all, he scored all of 2.5 points against Miami. Garoppolo was back in the driver’s seat against the Rams, however, with 40.5 PPR points.

Garoppolo hit L.A. up for 268 yards and three TDs while completing 23 of 33 passes. Best of all, he didn’t turn the ball over in leading Frisco to a 24-16 win. It was a huge victory for the 49ers and could spring Garoppolo to bigger things to come. If you need help at the QB position, give him a price check.

Kyle Allen, Washington football team, 1.6% owned

How in the Sam Hill can three Washington players get recommendations? It’s easy when the opponent is the Cowboys. Kyle Allen is the last to get the spotlight. Against the Giants, Allen showed what he can do when faced by a terrible defense. Allen completed 31 of 42 passes for 280 yards and two TDs. He managed an excellent 34.5 PPR points.

That kind of production will certainly carry a team for a week, even with two turnovers. Obviously, Allen is capable of doing the same against the Cowboys. Allen may be unstartable the the remainder of the season, but he certainly is this weekend.

Other Recommendation- Derek Carr was recommended last week. If he wasn’t picked up during his bye, now is the time to make the claim. Carr is the priority QB to own if he is on the wire and a need exists.

Thanks for joining me for this fantasy football waivers week seven edition. As always, feel free to comment or make a suggestion on which players to add or remove from the list. I welcome all input. Have a great fantasy football week seven! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea, and be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports and Picks for all the latest NFL and sports news!