2025 NFL fantasy football waiver wire, Week 7: Jaxson Dart, Kimani Vidal priority pickups

As we creep into mid-October, the injury situations around the league seem as messy and difficult to sort through as ever. On Sunday, two of the three highest-scoring fantasy wide receivers over the first five weeks of the season -- the Rams’ Puka Nacua and Buccaneers’ Emeka Egbuka -- suffered injuries. NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Monday morning that Nacua's ankle sprain puts him in doubt for this week's London game against the Jaguars, while Rapoport says Egbuka's hamstring injury could force him to miss some time.

With all of that in mind, here are my suggestions for Week 7, starting with my top 15 players to prioritize on the waiver wire, regardless of position. (NOTE: The Bills and Ravens are on bye this week.)

The only rule here: Players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues to be eligible for the list.

And now, here are my top five waiver priorities by position:

QUARTERBACKS

Takeaways:

• We should expect ups and downs with any rookie quarterback. Still, the Jaxson Dart Experience is a ride worth taking. He’s now posted 19-plus fantasy points in two of his three starts, including a spirited 23.6-point showing against the Eagles in Week 6. He’ll have a tough matchup on the road against a suffocating Broncos defense in Week 7, so don’t be surprised if he takes a step back. That said, I’ve seen too much upside in his dual-threat ability to avoid recommending him. Dart joined Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson as the only QBs in the Super Bowl era with 50-plus rush yards in each of their first three career starts. Also, he’s thrown at least one TD pass in every start. The 22-year-old is worth rostering in just about every format.
• I don’t love Sam Darnold’s matchup against the Texans in Week 7. However, the man deserves more respect in fantasy circles than he’s receiving. He has scored 20-plus fantasy points in consecutive weeks against respectable defenses. Darnold has posted 15-plus points in all but one game this season -- his rough Seahawks debut vs. San Francisco in Week 1. Maybe his floor isn’t as low as some of us anticipated.
• Things are very boom or bust for Bryce Young, but maybe he can stay on the right track in Week 7 against a Jets team that has allowed 27 or more real-life points in all but one game. Gang Green’s D did shut down the Broncos in London on Sunday. I just haven’t seen enough to trust that group coming off a tough overseas loss. Young is averaging two TD passes in his last three contests and is a fantasy QB2 to consider this week.

RUNNING BACKS

Takeaways:

• Here’s hoping you hopped on the Kimani Vidal bandwagon a week ago. In our first look this season at the Chargers backfield sans Omarion Hampton, Jim Harbaugh painted a clear picture. Vidal played 67 percent of the snaps and handled 75 percent of the RB carries, with Hassan Haskins in the backseat (31% of snaps, 25% of RB carries). Vidal averaged nearly 7 yards per rush against the Dolphins’ porous run defense and is the fantasy RB7 of Week 6 as of this writing (138 yards from scrimmage, one TD catch). Now, with the Chargers in the trade market for RB help, the possibility of Vidal quickly moving back down the depth chart is real. So, temper your Kimani enthusiasm. (He won’t get to line up against Miami every week.) Still, I wouldn’t want to be the one to pass up a chance to add Vidal if my fantasy team could use a boost at the position.
• Sunday brought a plot twist, with the Cardinals utilizing Bam Knight as their RB1 a week after Michael Carter was given the first crack at the gig with James Conner and Trey Benson both on injured reserve. Jonathan Gannon might be splitting the workload fairly evenly between the two players going forward, which limits the fantasy upside of each. I would not go all out to land Knight, but he deserves to be on your radar -- and potentially on your roster in deep leagues -- after scoring a TD in consecutive weeks.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Takeaways:

• I’m hesitating to go all in on Kendrick Bourne because the cavalry could return for the Niners this week. It would seem like Bourne has carved out a significant role regardless, posting 142 yards receiving (and 19-plus fantasy points) in back-to-back games. But he’s done his damage with Mac Jones at quarterback, and Brock Purdy could be back soon, if not this week. If Purdy, Ricky Pearsall and George Kittle return in Week 7, that doesn’t bode particularly well for Bourne. If Pearsall is out again, it will be hard for me to argue against starting Bourne in fantasy lineups, based on what we’ve seen in the last couple games.
• Kayshon Boutte awoke from his fantasy slumber on Sunday, scoring 26.3 points against the Saints. He posted just 14.9 points total from Weeks 3-5, but he’s the fantasy WR3 of Week 6 at publishing after making 5 catches for 93 yards and two TDs. Is this another tease or a sign of things to come? I’m willing to take a chance with the lowly Titans next on New England’s schedule.
• The Panthers already opened the 21-day practice window for Jalen Coker (quad injury); he was questionable for Sunday’s game before being ruled out. It sounds like Dave Canales is liking what he’s seeing from the second-year wideout in practice, so it would make sense to get in on Coker while you still can in deep leagues as we await his 2025 debut. Coker flashed his upside last season and could see some favorable coverages when he returns, with defenses focused on rookie standout Tetairoa McMillan.

TIGHT ENDS

Takeaways:

• With David Njoku leaving Sunday’s game due to a knee injury, our old waiver wire friend Harold Fannin Jr. had the best game of his rookie year, making a team-high seven catches for 81 yards on 10 targets against the Steelers. He played 81 percent of the snaps. If Njoku is going to miss time, Fannin becomes a TE1 in fantasy -- and he should be more widely rostered even if Njoku plays in Week 7. Fannin has posted 11-plus points in back-to-back games and has a date with a weak Miami defense next.
• Oronde Gadsden II showed resilience on Sunday, bouncing back from an early fumble to finish with seven catches for 68 yards on eight targets and earning praise from Jim Harbaugh. Quentin Johnston’s return could spell a reduction in targets for the rookie, but I’m intrigued enough to take a flier, especially in deep leagues.
• With NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reporting Brock Bowers might well be out another week with his knee injury, Michael Mayer is in play as a streaming option at tight end. He dropped 16 fantasy points on the Titans (50 yards receiving, TD), but it won’t be easy to replicate that effort against the Chiefs in Week 7.

DEFENSES

Takeaways:

• I know the Patriots defense has just 13 fantasy points in its last two games combined, but it has the matchup to target in Week 7. Mike Vrabel’s squad will visit the Titans, who have been the friendliest unit for opposing defenses this season.
• The Chiefs defense limited the Lions, boasting one of the league’s top offenses, to 17 points on Sunday night. I’m confident Kansas City will keep the low-wattage Raiders, who could be without top playmaker Brock Bowers again, quiet in Week 7.
• It’s hard to trust the Bears defense at the moment, but if you’re looking for a wild card to stream, this could be the ticket. Chicago hosts the Saints in the elements at Soldier Field in Week 7, and New Orleans still fields one of the leagues’ lowest-scoring offenses.