Week 7 Waiver Wire Targets to Replace Fantasy Players on Injury List

Week 7 got underway with Thursday night's battle between the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots. Unfortunately, the game featured another significant injury, as Bears tight end Cole Kmet suffered a knee injury that is expected to end his season.

Several other fantasy stars are on the injury list, too, which will leave many looking to the waiver wire for the rest of the weekend. Additionally, the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, and Washington Commanders will be off this weekend and on bye.

Fortunately, some potential fill-in targets should still be available on the wire heading into the remaining Week 7 schedule.

Here, we'll dive into the Week 7 injury report , provide rankings for the top remaining point-per-reception (PPR) plays, and highlight sleepers who might still be available in your league.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson could return from his ankle injury, though he's officially listed as questionable. Baker Mayfield is also questionable but appears set to make his return from a thumb injury and start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week.

"It felt good for him, so it looks like he's ready to go," Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said of Mayfield, per ESPN's Jenna Laine .

Managers looking to pick up Mayfield will find him available in roughly 60 percent of fantasy leagues. Managers desperate to add a starter late in the week can also consider Eagles backup-turned-starter Tanner McKee.

With Jalen Hurts out for the season with blood clots, McKee will be Philly's starter for the foreseeable future. He got the start last week and delivered just 12.6 fantasy points against the Carolina Panthers. However, McKee has a much more favorable matchup this week against the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas has surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

McKee is rostered in only five percent of fantasy leagues. Aaron Rodgers, J.J. McCarthy, and Geno Smith are other QBs to consider off the wire this week.

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

David Montgomery and Jeremiyah Love are set to miss Week 7 for the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals, respectively. The Falcons won't have backup Brian Robinson Jr.

Zach Charbonnet is not quite ready to return for the Seattle Seahawks. However, he should have some long-term value beyond Week 7 and is only rostered in 65 percent of leagues.

The list of running backs who are questionable includes Breece Hall, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason, Dylan Sampson, Jonah Coleman, and Mike Washington Jr.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is again questionable with the lingering back injury that has affected him for multiple weeks. This potentially opens the door for Kendre Miller to see substantial workload for a second straight week.

Miller led the Saints with 20 carries and 70 rushing yards against the New York Giants last week. He also added a pair of receptions.

This week, the Saints will battle the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL's latest international game. It's not an ideal situation, as the Saints have struggled to run block effectively, and the Steelers are average against the run (14th-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs).

However, managers won't find many running backs who can get a starter's workload this late in the week. Miller is rostered in 30 percent of leagues. Washington, Samaje Perine, and Jawhar Johnson are other RBs to consider.

While the Buccaneers should have Mayfield this week, they won't have receiver Emeka Egbuka. With him out, Ted Hurst III has some deep sleeper value. He had three catches for 40 yards last week and is rostered in just four percent of fantasy leagues.

The San Francisco 49ers will be short on receivers this week, as both Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel have been ruled out. However, Christian Kirk is questionable and could make his 2026 debut for San Francisco. He's rostered in just 10 percent of leagues.

Rashee Rice will miss a second straight game for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The list of receivers who are questionable also includes Puka Nacua, Olamide Zaccheaus, Tank Dell, and Calvin Ridley.

Baltimore Ravens rookie receiver Ja'Kobi Lane is a sleeper who should have a solid floor against the Cincinnati Bengals this week. He made his return from a fractured wrist last week and caught four of five targets for 40 yards.

Lane is still rostered in only 26 percent of fantasy leagues.

Jets rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is another high-upside target, though he doesn't have the most favorable of Week 7 matchups. New York will host the Miami Dolphins, who have surrendered the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers.

However, Cooper returned from his ankle injury in Week 6 to drop 19.3 fantasy points, and he should be locked into the Jets' No. 2 role moving forward. He's rostered in only 36 percent of fantasy leagues.

Germie Barnard, Jaylin Noel, Keenan Allen, and Tre Tucker are other receivers to consider targeting this week.

The injury report doesn't feature an extensive list of tight ends, though one of the injuries is a big one. Indianapolis Colts star Tyler Warren has been ruled out for the second straight week with a groin injury.

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson is questionable.

With Davante Adams expected to miss an extended period with his hamstring injury, and with Nacua at less than 100 percent, Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee could jump into a huge offensive role. He delivered just 4.2 fantasy points last week but reached double digits in each of his previous games.

This week, the Rams will battle the Las Vegas Raiders, who have surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points (tied) to opposing tight ends this season. Higbee is only rostered in 21 percent of fantasy leagues.

T.J. Hockenson and Pat Freiermuth are two other tight ends who may be found on the wire and who have legitimate sleeper potential in Week 7.

*Fantasy scoring and roster information from FantasyPros .