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The waiver wire well runs shallow these days, but we are here to help. Don’t give up on the wire just because the gold is few and far between. Injuries are always a concern and bench depth is important. Stash those guys with upside this week. If you still holding out hope for those late round draft picks, then you have the room on your roster.

Quarterbacks

Blake Bortles, JAX – Second year quarterback Blake Bortles continues to have fantasy relevance. His last 2 weeks he’s thrown for 634 yards and 7 touchdowns. The downside continues to be his accuracy and interceptions. That being said Jacksonville will continue to rely on the passing game and that is only going to increase Blake Bortles’ fantasy value. He’s only owned in 44% of leagues.

Running Backs

Christine Michael, DAL – All reports coming out of Dallas suggests Christine Michael is going to start. He received first team reps on Monday and Joseph Randle has produced little. Some may want to wait for Michael to prove himself, but you’re smart to grab him this week. He has a great matchup against the New York Giants bottom third run defense coming off of a bye week. He’ll also be running behind one of the best offensive lines in football. He’s still available in 60% of leagues out there.

Charles Sims, TB – 2015 seems to be the year of the 3^rd down back. Charles Sims is one of the more consistent guys out in that role. His hard work is paying off as he saw an increase in carries last week with 12 for 51 yards. As with all third down back fantasy plays his value resides in his pass catching abilities. Before the bye week Sims posted 85 yards on 4 catches. I am not gonna lie, he is a risky pick, but if you need a flex option Sims has consistency going for him right now. He’s only off the board in 25% of leagues.

Wide Receivers

Stefon Diggs, MIN – This is going to be the most added player by tomorrow morning when waivers clear. In his last two games Stefon Diggs has 13 catches on 19 targets for 206 yards. Mike Wallace is already comparing him to Antonio Brown. While I am not inclined to talk that confidently about Diggs, he certainly has proved enough to be owned in all formats. He has a great matchup this week against the Lions awful secondary.

Michael Floyd, ARI – Its late in the fantasy season and the waiver wire is getting slim. Michael Floyd is a good bet if you need some depth at wide receiver. He saw a season high 8 targets last game, catching 5 of them for 50 yards and a TD. Floyd is more of a stash pick at this point, but it's never bad to stash WR’s playing on elite offenses.

Tight Ends

Benjamin Watson, NO – I will be the first to admit that until last week, Benjamin Watson has done virtually nothing to be considered relevant in fantasy circles. That being said the Saints are struggling and Watson’s size is something familiar to Drew Brees. The last two weeks he has found the end zone. Last week he saw an incredible amount of targets and his best game yet. Optimism says he will settle somewhere in between there.

Defense/Special Teams

Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers defense has been holding their own from a fantasy standpoint. Realistically any time a defense can earn you more than the 10 points they start with it’s a decent day. Pittsburgh has done that in their last four games. They have a good matchup this week against Kansas City without Jamaal Charles.

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! This season seems to get stranger by the week. What’s wrong with the Seahawks? What exactly constitutes a catch? Can the Saints get back in the NFC playoff picture? Is someone going to go undefeated?...I’m not going to talk about any of these things. Instead, I’ll dive into the breakout week of Stefon Diggs, the continued disappearing act of Melvin Gordon, and the health status of Matt Jones, TJ Yeldon, and Marcus Mariota, and also what you should do with your rookies for week 7. Let’s dig in….

Rookies to Start:

RB Todd Gurley, STL (Wk. 7: vs. Cle.): Gurley is the only rookie I can confidently recommend starting this week. He was a terror on opposing defenses for the last 2 games before the bye, and now he gets to face a Browns team that has allowed an NFL-high 789 rush yards to opposing RBs and the 4^th most fantasy points per game to the position. Gurley will get the rock a ton, and has easy RB1 upside in a plus-plus matchup. Get him in there this week.

Borderline Rookies:

QB Marcus Mariota, TEN (Wk. 7: vs. Atl.): Mariota is confident that he will play this week, but I’m not. If he does suit up, I think he’s due for a bit of a turnaround game. The Falcons have allowed just a 7:6 TD:INT ratio for the season, but they’ve also allowed over a 65% completion percentage and over 295 passing yards per game on the season. I think he’ll find some success throwing against a Falcons’ team that hasn’t been quite as good as their 5-1 record would make you think. He should be a decent QB2 option if he plays, and a sleeper QB1 in really deep leagues. Several starting QBs have tough matchups or byes this week (Rodgers, Bradford, Dalton, Bortles, McCown, Kaep). I know they aren’t all big names, but all have been productive at points this year.

RB Melvin Gordon, OAK (Wk. 7: vs. Oak.): I'd lean toward sitting Gordon this week after he was benched for fumbling last week. He failed to break out against two bad run defenses in Cleveland and Green Bay this year, and this week he gets a decent one. The Raiders have allowed just 3 RB TDs all year, and 14.2 fantasy points per game. I'd expect the Chargers to go back to Gordon this week despite the benching, but there might not be much upside.

RB Duke Johnson, CLE (Wk. 7: @StL.): Duke remains an intriguing PPR option. The Rams have a strong defensive front vs. the run, but they've averaged giving up 6 catches and 55 receiving yards per game to opposing RBs. Johnson will remain very involved in the game plan and could be a really solid PPR flex play once again.

RB Matt Jones, WAS (Wk. 7: vs. TB): Keep an eye on Jones's health this week. This could be the most positive game script Jones has seen in weeks. Washington is a 3-point favorite, and Tampa is allowing 105 RB rush yards per game and have give up 4 rushing TDs. I think Washington will actually be able to establish the ground game this week, and I like Jones better than Alfred Morris as long as he's able to play.

WR Amari Cooper, OAK (Wk. 7: @SD): You are likely playing Cooper if you have him, but this is not a week to run him out there in DFS. He saw just 4 targets in a tough matchup with the Broncos before the bye, and this week he gets to tangle with Jason Verrett, who has yet to allow more than 2 completions in any game on passes thrown into his coverage. Number one receivers Calvin Johnson, AJ Green, Randall Cobb, Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown have all failed to record 50 rec. yards and none had more than 3 catches against San Diego. That isn’t a fluke. I wouldn’t be optimistic for Amari in week 7.

WR Stefon Diggs, MIN (Wk. 7: @Det.): Diggs has done enough to warrant more work over the past 2 games. He may have surpassed Charles Johnson on the depth chart while CJ's been out with a rib injury. The Vikings' offense centers around AP running it, so the volume won't be consistent for Diggs, but the matchup this week is juicy. The Lions allow 15 catches and over 200 yards per week to WRs, and Diggs has been the most effective Viking WR this season. He's a better play if Johnson is out again, but still in the WR3 discussion even if Johnson plays.

WR Jamison Crowder, WAS (Wk. 7: vs. TB): DeSean Jackson is unlikely to play again this week, and Crowder has seen at least 6 targets in 4 straight games, and at least 8 in 3 straight. Jordan Reed seems likely to play this week, which could cut into Crowder's targets, but I'd still expect him to be good for at least 5 catches and is a decent PPR WR3 option. The Bucs allow the 5th most WR fantasy points per gm.

Rookies to Sit:

RB TJ Yeldon, JAX (Wk. 7: vs. Buf.): You might not have any better options with how thin the RB position has been this year, but this week doesn't set up well for TJ. He might not even play due to injury, and if he does play, he might be competing for touches with the now healthy Denard Robinson. Yeldon hasn't been very efficient with a lot of volume, and this week's matchup is tougher than it looks on paper. The Bills are middle of the road vs. opposing RBs, but they've held the opposition under 50 RB rush yards 3 times in 6 games. The Jaguars might make it 4 of 7. I'd steer clear of Yeldon if you can.

RB David Johnson, ARI (Wk. 7: vs. Bal.): Johnson finally showed what should happen when you only get 4 touches in a game. He had been scoring touchdowns weekly with very few touches, and this week it finally caught up with him as he turned his 4 touches into 17 scoreless yards. The Ravens have been stingy to opposing RBs, allowing just 14 ppg to them each week, and DJ still is fighting with CJ2K and Ellington for touches.

RB Tevin Coleman, ATL (Wk. 7: @Ten.): The matchup is better for Coleman than it looks on paper, but unless something happens to Devonta Freeman, the workload won’t be large enough for Coleman to be worth playing him. He did manage 40 yards on 4 carries last week, and he’s got home run potential, but to bank on him producing with single-digit touches would be a desperation play. Leave him benched.

RB Thomas Rawls, SEA (Wk. 7: @SF): Rawls got just one carry last week with Marshawn back at full strength. He’d be a threat to get more work if the Seahawks blow this game open, but the 49ers have been playing well in primetime games (win over MIN and last minute loss to NYG) and the Seahawks haven’t looked like themselves, blowing 4^th quarter leads in all 4 of their losses this year. Don’t look for much work for Rawls in this one.

RB Karlos Williams, BUF (Wk. 7: @Jax.): It's unlikely that Williams plays yet again as he battles back from a concussion, and Shady McCoy re-established himself in week 6 with a big game. If Karlos is able to go, he'll likely see just a few change of pace carries unless it's a blowout, making him a TD dice roll. It's not a gamble I'd want to take. Editor's Note: Karlos Williams was removed from this list, since he didn't make the trip to London with his team.

RB Javorius Allen, BAL (Wk. 7: @Ari.): This is a tough matchup, and Forsett has emerged as the workhorse in the Ravens’ backfield again since Taliaferro went on the IR. Forsett has had 24 or more touches in each of the last 3 games while Allen has totaled 18 touches. Allen needs a Forsett injury to be relevant in most leagues.

WR Nelson Agholor, PHI (Wk. 7: @Car.): Agholor should be back from injury this week, but he gets a brutal matchup in the return. If he plays, he will likely see a bunch of Carolina’s top CB Josh Norman, who has been one of the league’s top cover guys thus far in 2015. Agholor hasn’t been lighting up the stat sheet in plus matchups. Why play him in a really bad one?

WR Devin Smith, NYJ (Wk. 7: @NE): After his inefficient performances in his first two games, Smith ran behind fellow rookie Quincy Enunwa in week 6 and saw zero targets. He’ll have to work his way back up to be an option in any leagues. Enunwa is also not worth starting this week.

WR Devin Funchess, CAR (Wk. 7: vs. Phi.): His volume increased in week 6, seeing a season-high 6 targets last week, but he did drop a couple of them and tallied just 2 catches. Until he develops some consistency, his targets won't increase much. Keep him sidelined again this week.

WR DeVante Parker, MIA (Wk. 7: vs. Hou.): Parker had zero targets in the Dolphins’ first game under interim coach Dan Campbell. I wouldn’t expect much to change for him this week in a tougher matchup.

WRs Keith Mumphery and Jaelen Strong, HOU (Wk. 7: @Mia.): With Cecil Shorts back last week, Mumph and Strong combined for just 5 targets against the Jaguars. They had twice that many with Shorts and Nate Washington both out the week before. Shorts will be out again this week, but Washington is expected back. With DeAndre Hopkins soaking up all the targets he can handle, there isn’t enough to go around to the 3^rd and 4^th WRs in the pecking order, even in a plus matchup.

TE Maxx Williams, BAL (Wk. 7: @Ari.): With Crockett Gillmore back from injury, Williams is an afterthought in the pass game. He has just 5 catches for 24 yards in the past 2 weeks. Leave him sitting.

Deep League Sleepers and Cheap DFS Options:

QB Jameis Winston, TB (Wk. 7: @Was.): Jameis's transition to the NFL hasn't exactly been smooth, but he may have some sneaky upside this week against a Washington defense that has allowed a 9:3 TD:INT ratio in 6 games. They've allowed less than 240 pass yards per game, but they haven't played with a ton of leads and teams aren't throwing on them late very often. There won't be many DBs in this matchup that can cover V-Jax or Mike Evans, and ASJ may return as well. This could be a good week to take a chance on Winston in a 2 QB league or as a DFS punt option.

RB Ameer Abdullah, DET (Wk. 7: vs. Min.): I think this is the week that the Lions get the run game going. It might be Joique Bell, it might be Abdullah. Ameer has had issues with fumbles this season, but the Lions did put him back in the game late vs. the Bears. For the season, the Vikings have allowed the 7th fewest points to opposing RBs, but that doesn't tell the whole story. At home, Minnesota has given up just 153 rush yards and zero TDs to RBS, but on the road they've allowed 335 yards and 3 TDs in 2 games, as well as 4.5 yards per rush on the season. I have a hunch that either Abdullah or Bell has a nice game, I'm just not sure which one.

WR Tyler Lockett, SEA (Wk. 7: @SF): San Francisco gives up heaps of fantasy points to opposing WRs, and the Seahawks don't have a WR who stands out as the obvious guy who will score them. That makes Lockett an interesting really cheap DFS option. He's always a threat to score a return TD, and someone on this team will score some points. Why not Lockett? Don't read much into the 2 targets he had last week. No Seahawk WR had more than 4 in that game, and Lockett had 5 in each of the two games before that. Is that a lot of volume? No, but if he gets 5 targets and takes a kick or punt to the house? DFS Gold.

That's all I've got for this week. Hopefully it helps you make some tough lineup decisions with some big bye weeks upon us. Feel free to hit me up on twitter if you want to say nice things or call me an idiot (@shawn_foss). As always, good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It's just a game.

Around the NFL

Injuries:

Tyrod Taylor (BUF) – missed week 6 with an MCL sprain. Not guaranteed to start in week 7 but as he almost started last week according to some sources, he should be back soon. With both Percy Harvin (hip, may be out for a significant period of time) and Sammy Watkins (ankle sprain, could play next week but it’s an early game in London) possibly out, Taylor is in trouble even if he gets back on the field this week.

Emmanuel Sanders (DEN) – we started the season under the impression that Sanders’ role would diminish a little in the Broncos offense, but he has been performing at a high level this year, and is the 5^th most targeted wide receivers, with 65 targets in 2015. Unfortunately, he sprained his AC joint last week, which can be a lingering injury. Thankfully, the Broncos have a bye in week 7 and we’ll have to wait and see if Sanders can get healthy leading up to week 8.

Marcus Mariota (TEN) – a grade 2 MCL injury could have Mariota sidelined for up to 3-4 weeks, so it’s very unlikely that he starts this week. Zach Mettenberger may be the Titans’ QB for a little while. If so, that doesn’t really hurt Kendall Wright and Delanie Walker.

Jeremy Maclin (KC) – A nasty looking hit resulted in a concussion for Maclin, and he is currently moving through the league’s protocol. After the loss of star RB Jamaal Charles for the season, the Chiefs may choose to play it safe and hold Maclin out a week. Make sure to watch for updates on this.

Top Performers for Week 6

QB - Matthew Stafford 405 Passing Yards, 4 Passing TD's, 37 Rushing Yards, 1 INT, 33 Fantasy Points

QB - Philip Rivers 503 Passing Yards, 2 TD's, 28 Fantasy Points

QB - Andrew Luck 312 Passing Yards, 3 Passing TD's, 35 Rushing Yards, 27 Fantasy Points

RB - Devonta Freeman 13 Carries for 100 Yards, 8 Catches for 56 Yards, 2 Total TD's, 27 Fantasy Points

RB - Chris Ivory 20 Carries for 146 Yards and 1 TD, 3 Catches for 50 Yards, 25 Fantasy Points

RB - James Starks 10 Carries for 112 Yards, 1 Catches for 5 Yards, 2 Total TD's 23 Fantasy Points

WR - DeAndre Hopkins 15 Targets, 10 Receptions for 148 Yards and 2 TD's, 26 Fantasy Points

WR - Martavis Bryant 8 Targets, 6 Receptions for 137 Yards and 2 TD's, 25 Fantasy Points

WR - Calvin Johnson 9 Targets, 6 Receptions for 166 Yards and 1 TD, 22 Fantasy Points

TE - Greg Olsen 11 Targets, 7 Receptions for 131 Yards and 1 TD, 19 Fantasy Points

TE - Benjamin Watson 12 Targets, 10 Receptions for 127 Yards and 1 TD, 18 Fantasy Points

TE - Gary Barnidge 9 Targets, 3 Receptions for 39 Yards and 2 TD's, 15 Fantasy Points

Player Transaction Trends (Yahoo)

ADD – Blake Bortles, 13k leagues. Duh! Surprised to see he was still not owned in so many leagues.. even against BUF this week, Bortles should perform well.

DROP – Sam Bradford, 9k leagues. Bradford is our QB, says Chip Kelly. Well, things are improving slowly over there but Bradford’s performance is still sub-par.

ADD – Stefon Diggs, 24k leagues. Wow, looks like a breakout here.. 19 targets for over 200 yards in the last 2 games.

ADD – Brandon LaFell, 9k leagues. Will he play this week? That’s up for grabs.. but if he does he’ll immediately be a WR2 and a stud in PPR.

ADD – Christine Michael, 12k leagues. So many sources close to the team are saying that Michael will get his chance this next few weeks to show he can be the starter in Dallas.

DROP – Charcandrick West, 10k leagues. Whoops. Looks like Jamaal Charles can’t be replaced so easily. A committee will likely form in KC.

Six weeks of the season are in the books and unfortunately, no perfect lineups to show for it; let's change that around! This week we are going with a low cost QB/WR stack who face off against a team that scores a lot of points, spending high on a couple of stud RBs with great matchups and selecting a duo of old man WRs whose teams happen to be going head to head.

QB  - Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ - $7,100 at NE:  Fitzpatrick has been steady all season and should get a boost in production this week up against New England. Look for the Jets to throw the ball more than normal to keep up in this game as well as there being a high potential for garbage time points.

RB - Devonta Freeman, ATL - $8,700 at TEN:  Freeman has been shredding defenses all season and the Titans 5th worst run defense isn't going to stop him this week. Great matchup here as the Falcons should have a lead throughout the game which leans the offense even further towards the run.

RB - Todd Gurley, STL - $7,400 vs. CLE:  It looks like Tre Mason will be sitting out week 7 so Todd Gurley will be getting a huge workload against the worst run defense in the NFL. Great price tag for the value here.

WR - Larry Fitzgerald, ARI - $7,800 vs. BAL:  Old man receiver number 1 in our lineup has a great matchup against the 4th worst pass defense. Fitzgerald also should get a boost this week as it looks like John Brown will not be playing due to a hamstring injury.

WR - Steve Smith, BAL - $6,900 at ARI:  Old man receiver number 2 in our lineup has a tough matchup against the Cardinals, but his high volume of targets will make up for it since Flacco has no one else to throw to.

WR - Eric Decker, NYJ - $6,200 at NE:  Selecting Decker as a wide receiver stack to Fitzpatrick. The Patriots like to scheme against a the opposing teams best player which means that Brandon Marshall should draw the defenses attention away from Decker.

TE - Travis Kelce, KC - $6,000 vs. PIT:  Kelce should continue to see an increase in targets after Jamaal Charles was injured and he may see even more this week as Jeremy Maclin still hasn't been cleared to play from a concussion he received last week.

K - Stephen Gostkowski, NE - $5,100 vs. NYJ:  Rolling with the kicker that scores the most points.

DEF - Atlanta, ATL - $4,700 at TEN:  Unfortunately the Broncos are on a bye this week but Atlanta draws a great matchup against a Titans team that giving up the most fantasy points to opposing defenses this year.