Many a fantasy football championship has been won with the waiver wire. Following Week 7 action, these are the names that should be on owners' radars going forward. And fear not if your waiver priority is low-we have some sneaky pickups for you as well.
Quarterbacks
DEEP OPTION: Colt McCoy, Washington Redskins
The Kirk Cousins love affair in D.C. appears to be over. After throwing for just 139 yards with no touchdowns and a pick against the Titans, Cousins was pulled in favor of McCoy, who completed 11 of his 12 pass attempts, tossed a touchdown pass and didn't turn the ball over. He also led the Redskins on a game-winning field goal drive.
It's unclear if he will be the starter next week against the Cowboys, but he probably should be. Cousins has been reckless, throwing eight interceptions against five touchdown passes. Neither is the long-term option, as the 'Skins have announced Robert Griffin III will start when healthy, but for now McCoy is a starter with good weapons in two-QB formats.
Running Backs
Anthony Dixon, Buffalo Bills
The Bills suffered serious damage this week, as Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller both went down with injuries that appeared serious. Anthony Dixon was the only other tailback active in this one, and he rushed for 51 yards on 13 carries. While he didn't set the world on fire, Dixon is a hard-charger who has experience as a goal-line back. If Jackson and Spiller are going to miss several weeks, Dixon is a great add.
Bryce Brown, Buffalo Bills
While Dixon got all the carries last week when the two studs got hurt, Brown watched on the sidelines as a healthy scratch. He hasn't done anything all season, but if both Jackson and Spiller miss real time, Brown is the higher-upside add. In the early going they will split carries, and Dixon will likely get the touchdown chances, but Brown has more speed than Dixon and is more elusive. Choosing between the two will be based on team need. Those with solid records and/or depth at RB can afford to gamble on Brown. Teams dealing with injuries that need immediate help should look Dixon's way.
Juwan Thompson, Denver Broncos
Ronnie Hillman looked great against a San Francisco 49ers defense known for stuffing the run. Thompson is clearly the No. 2 behind him, but with Montee Ball sidelined that has value. Thompson gets a handful of series here and there, and Peyton Manning's hurry-up offense means entire drives will belong to him. Should something happen to Hillman, Thompson becomes the guy until Ball returns.
DEEP OPTION: Denard Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Robinson finally broke out on Sunday, rushing 22 times for 127 yards and a score. The former college QB gave Jacksonville a threat on the ground they haven't had all year, and the performance should be enough to land him on the proper side of a timeshare with Toby Gerhart.
Wide Receivers
Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks
With Percy Harvin gone, Baldwin was the clear beneficiary. He saw a season-high 11 targets from a red-hot Russell Wilson, and made the most of them, piling up 123 yards to go with a touchdown. Baldwin is a must-own, and as a more polished route runner than Harvin, may be in line for major production for the rest of the season.
Brandon Lloyd, San Francisco 49ers
Lloyd saw a season-high six targets Sunday night, and has become a boom-or-bust option with increasing chances of boom. He only has one touchdown this season, but has three straight weeks of 63-plus yards receiving. He's a bye week, FLEX-type option-not a WR2. Still, he may be useful in a pinch.
DEEP OPTION: Paul Richardson, Seattle Seahawks
This rookie is probably part of the reason Seattle felt okay with shipping away a player as talented as Harvin. The Seahawks plucked Richardson out of Colorado with a second round pick in this year's draft, and he saw five targets on Sunday. Expect that to continue, with inconsistent, but at times high-level production.
Tight Ends
Gavin Escobar, Dallas Cowboys
Escobar had a coming out party of sorts against the Giants Sunday afternoon, hauling in two touchdown passes from Tony Romo and averaging 21 yards per catch. He only saw three targets, so don't go nuts spending FAAB dollars. However, stalwart Jason Witten is clearly slowing down, and Escobar may be turned to more often.
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