We are roughly one third of the way into the fantasy football season and are starting to get a pretty good idea of where players stand. That said, there are still plenty of surprises and disappointments awaiting, so the waiver wire is a critical part of staying ahead during the bye-week grind.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 wide receivers to target for Week 7
Need someone to replace Vincent Jackson or Jeremy Maclin this week? Here are some waiver wire options that could help out.
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The Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only bye teams this week, so Jeremy Maclin, Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans will have to sit on the shelf. Here are five receivers owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues that might help you out.
Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville Jaguars (38 percent): Shorts' hamstring issues will always be a major concern, but he got through Sunday's game with no setbacks, playing 61 of 77 offensive snaps and finishing with 10 catches for 103 yards. Shorts had no trouble winning the starting job back from Allen Hurns and has quickly become one of Blake Bortles' favorite targets. He's on the WR3 radar as long as he can stay healthy.
Odell Beckham, New York Giants (37 percent): The rookie first-rounder didn't quite take off against the Eagles, getting just two catches for 28 yards. However, he's now locked into a starting position after Victor Cruz was lost for the year with a torn patellar tendon. Preston Parker will move into the slot role, but it's Beckham and Rueben Randle you want to be owning in all leagues. Beckham and the Giants have a favorable matchup with the Dallas Cowboys defense next week.
John Brown, Arizona Cardinals (13 percent): Carson Palmer made his return on Sunday and targeted Brown six times, third behind Andre Ellington and Michael Floyd. Brown has intriguing talent but hasn't always had the chance to show it off this season. With Palmer back in fold, he could be looking at more consistent targets. Brown is worth picking up and holding in deeper leagues, with the occasional WR4 dice roll if you're in a bye-week crunch.
Andre Holmes, Oakland Raiders (6 percent): Holmes continues to prove that he's the only Raiders receiver worth owning in fantasy, burning the San Diego Chargers for 121 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He also led Oakland receivers in snaps with 48, showing that he's the clear No. 1 guy for Derek Carr, with James Jones settling into the No. 2 role. With 195 yards and three touchdowns in the past two games, Holmes' arrow keeps pointing up. He'll get his first real challenge in Week 7 against Patrick Peterson and the Arizona Cardinals.
Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins (2 percent): This is the deep speculative add of the week. After a quiet start to the season, Landry finally had a big game in Week 6, recording a 6-75-1 line against the Green Bay Packers. With Brandon Gibson sidelined, Landry assumed the slot role, playing 45 offensive snaps. Those snaps were third behind Mike Wallace (57) and Brian Hartline (51), but Landry had eight targets compared to Hartline's two. If Gibson is forced to miss more time Landry could run away with the No. 3 role, although that only makes him a WR4 in Miami's offense. The Dolphins get the Chicago Bears next week.
