This article is part of our NFL Waiver Wire series.
This column is geared toward "standard" 12-team leagues and based upon a $100 free-agent budget. Please, please adjust for your league based upon both the number of teams (I'm in a 24-team league, for example) and budget. This column is posted every Tuesday to, hopefully, accommodate the various waiver schedule. I'll update it in the comments section during the week; please keep in mind a lot can change from Tuesday to Sunday.
Week 7 will largely be known for wrecking Survivor pools as Cincinnati tied and Seattle lost to the Cowboys. As always, this column tries to be ahead of the curve, so players like Storm Johnson and Branden Oliver who have been discussed already won't be mentioned again. Andre Holmes was mentioned two weeks ago, but realistically will be a hot commodity this week, so we'll dicuss him again. The season is at a point where either you need help via the waiver wire, or if you're ahead, you're thinking about buying low on players like Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green or Jimmy Graham.
QUARTERBACKS
Primary Targets
Carson Palmer, ARI - Palmer made a successful return to the field Sunday, leading the Cardinals to a 30-20 comeback victory. Palmer said he felt fine Monday and should be good to go as long as he doesn't suffer a setback. He plays with one of the better wide receiver tandems in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, and youngster John Brown has upside as well. The Cardinals have already had their bye and both divisional rivals Seattle and San Francisco have not looked as strong defensively this season. FAAB: $10-15
RUNNING BACKS
Primary Targets
Brandon Bolden, NE - The knee injury to Stevan Ridley leaves the backfield situation in flux, but Bolden should benefit most. Bolden did little with his opportunity against Buffalo, but the Bills have a stout run defense that Ridley did nothing against. The big pain is figuring out what Bill Belichick will do with his backfield, as he's never been an easy coach to predict. That Bolden took over as the primary ball carrier is a good sign, but the Patriots will also use Shane Vereen, James White and possibly Jonas Gray, if they sign him off the practice squad. Until we see evidence or a report contrary to this opinion, Bolden should be your main New England target with White ($3-$6) and Gray ($1 or FCFS) next. FAAB: $15-20
Secondary Targets
Hail Mary
George Winn, DET - The cousin of Derrick Mason, Winn has been the healthiest of the Lions running backs and saw action Sunday when Theo Riddick left the game with his balky hamstring. There's hesitation with Winn as he's not a big prospect and did not post great numbers at the Combine. Couple that with the likely return of Reggie Bush this week against his former team and Winn probably won't see any action. However, both Joique Bell and Bush have had their injury issues and if gets hurt, Winn would be pressed into action again. FAAB: $1 or FCFS
WIDE RECEIVER
Primary Targets
Andre Holmes, OAK - This column always tries to be proactive and Holmes was discussed as a secondary target two weeks ago. Here's what was written in this column at the time: "Before running to get Holmes, make sure you have a spot for him on your bench with the Raiders on a bye this week. Holmes will probably still be sitting on the waiver wire next week, but if you want to be proactive, get him this week. Holmes carried some sleeper buzz in preseason and turned in a nice performance across the pond with five catches for 74 yards and a touchdown." Holmes followed that performance with more than 100 yards (including a beautiful 77-yard TD catch) and two touchdowns. Derek Carr looks to be a legitimate prospect at quarterback and nicely handled a Chargers defense that has been tough to start the season. Holmes isn't going to be a secret after this performance, and his price likely will be more than double what it was last week or the week before. FAAB: $10-14
Cecil Shorts, JAC - By now it's easy to know the deal with Shorts: if he's on the field and 100 percent healthy, he can be productive. That was evident Sunday when he eclipsed 100 yards on 10 catches (16 targets). The offensive line has been worse at run blocking than pass blocking, and the Jags may lean on the passing game more. Blake Bortles will get better, and the Jaguars will be playing from behind most of the season, making Shorts a great weekly garbage-time candidate. If you acquire him this week just keep your fingers crossed he stays healthy. FAAB: $8-12
Odell Beckham Jr., NYG - After his 44-yard, one-touchdown performance Week 6, Beckham was scooped up in about half of all fantasy formats. The hesitation from this column in going overly nuts was the possibility of what happened against the Eagles on Sunday where he had two catches for 28 yards. However, the injury to Victor Cruz drastically changes Beckham's outlook, as he will now be the second receiving option for Eli Manning. Larry Donnell and Reuben Randle should be the obvious red-zone targets, but Beckham has the skill set to take a short catch to the house or get behind the defense for a long score on occasion. Just note that he's had just five and four targets over his first two games as he looks to build Manning's trust. Teammate Preston Parker is worth $1 or FCFS as the Giants' new third option at wide receiver. FAAB: $8-12
Hail Mary
Jarvis Landry, MIA - Coincidentally, both former-LSU receivers are mentioned back-to-back here, and it's scary to think they both played for the same team a season ago. Landry has seen his role in the Miami offense grow, and there's a strong argument he's passed Brian Hartline as the second receiving option for the Dolphins. Landry had six catches for 75 yards and a score and narrowly missed a second touchdown, getting tackled inside the five on another pass. He now has six, seven, four and eight targets in his last four games, as he's become a dependable option for Ryan Tannehill. FAAB: $2-4
Chris Hogan, BUF - The pride of Monmouth College, Hogan was leaned upon by Kyle Orton on Sunday with teammate Mike Williams a healthy inactive. Hogan finished the day with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown and has built a nice rapport with Orton. Hogan appears to have passed Marquise Goodwin on the depth chart and will see softer coverage with teams using their best corner on Sammy Watkins. It's unknown if Williams will be active this week, which is why Hogan is something of a long shot. Still, after no targets the first four games Hogan is up to eight with Orton under center. FAAB: $1 or FCFS
TIGHT END
Secondary Targets
Jace Amaro, NYJ - Amaro had a nice breakout game Sunday, especially in PPR, where he caught 10 balls for 68 yards and his first professional touchdown. Amaro was considered one of the best tight ends coming out of the draft and put up gaudy stats playing in a spread offense at Texas Tech. Amaro is a strong, physical tight end who uses his size advantage over his speed to get open and break tackles. It's worth noting that before Sunday, Amaro never had more than five targets in a game and Jeff Cumberland is still technically the No. 1 tight end. That said, Geno Smith has nothing really special as receiving options past Eric Decker, so Amaro could play a bigger role in the passing game. FAAB: $4-8
DEFESNE
Primary Targets
Cleveland Browns - Usually there's a good defense to stream every week based on matchup, but it's pretty odd to find one that's good for the next three weeks. The Browns defense isn't top-5, and it's given up a lot of points. The Browns have shown the ability to create turnovers and have a juicy three-game slate upcoming. This week, they're in Jacksonville before returning home for Oakland and Tampa Bay. That's two rookie quarterback and second-year player Mike Glennon who has an interception in three straight games. The Browns are a primary target to grab and play the next three games instead of blowing FAAB over that same period. FAAB: $4-8
