sports

UPNXT: Best Week 7 NFL Waiver Wire Pickups and Trading Card Moves

Jason Koeppel/ONE37pm

Published Oct 21, 2020

Football and food, food and football. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than grabbing something good to eat, pouring up a cold beverage, and kicking back and watching America’s game for seven straight hours on NFL RedZone. In fact, now that I’m thinking of it, I probably had entirely too many snacks this past weekend. Which got me to thinking, what all did I have on Sunday? Hmm…

That’s right! I remember now… I had an Oh Henry! And much like the candy bar, the other-worldly running back of the Tennessee Titans went absolutely nuts! Derrick Henry called game in overtime on Sunday, taking the winning run into the endzone to put the kibosh on any hopes the Houston Texans had of winning. Henry rushed for 212 yards, two touchdowns, and added another 52 receiving yards to his monstrous stat line. Yeah, that was good and all, but I’m a big guy with a big appetite…

Next, I found myself reaching for the bag of potato chips. I think they were kettle-cooked, which reminds me now of how George Kittle cooked the Los Angeles Rams to the tune of seven receptions, 109 yards, and a touchdown! You’d think I’d be full of all that right? Well, think again! I kept going…

After all those tasty treats and heart-pounding NFL action, I was feeling parched, so I cracked open a frosty can of Matty Ice, and it was satisfyingly refreshing to see the Falcons’ quarterback finally return to form! After falling flat and smelling skunky for three straight weeks, Matt Ryan popped the top off the Vikings’ defense, passing for 371 yards and four touchdowns, leading Atlanta to their first win of the season, and their first win under interim Head Coach Raheem Morris.

Okay, so I’m not exactly proud of myself for going off the rails this weekend and eating all of those calories, but I knew we were going to hard and work it all off today as we sprint through who’s UPNXT for Week 7 in the NFL. Ready, set, go!

BONUS: Hang around until the end for a quick recap of last week’s picks!

Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos

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After Tim Patrick’s performances in weeks three and four, while playing with a less than stellar quarterback, you’d think more people would take notice. Against the Bucs and Jets, Patrick went for a combined ten receptions, 156 yards, and two touchdowns. He’s now had four or more targets in every game this season, proving that he’s capable of stepping in for the likes of Courtland Sutton and rookie K.J. Hamler. And with Drew Lock back under center, Patrick’s value only goes up!

Fantasy Ownership: As mentioned above, Patrick’s ownership is still low at just 18% in season-long fantasy leagues. With the likes of Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Davante Parker, T.Y. Hilton, and Hollywood Brown on bye this week, fantasy managers can look to Patrick as a solid streaming option.

DFS: (DraftKings: $4,600, FanDuel: $5,500) vs. Chiefs Tim Patrick and the Broncos host the high-scoring Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, which should lead to a lot of passes flying from both teams. The implied total of this game is 48, but I am taking the over on this one. The Broncos are +9 underdogs, so expect them to abandon the run if they fall behind early. Patrick is likely just a low-owned tournament consideration this week.

Card Market Rating: Sell. Tim Patrick bounced around the league as an undrafted free agent before eventually landing on the Broncos practice squad. His first NFL action was in 2018 where he played in 4 games down the stretch, catching 2 touchdowns. He broke his hand in 2019 and missed half the season and was ineffective when he returned. With the Broncos hit hard by injuries, he has been their most productive receiver in 2020, with 20 catches for 310 yards and 2 touchdowns in 5 games.

That said, the Broncos just drafted Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, who are likely to be the future of the WR position in Denver. They also have Courtland Sutton on IR, so when all three are healthy, Tim Patrick doesn't stand much of a chance at seeing many reps. This is a flash in the pan. Ride it out in fantasy, but don't invest in his cards.

Boston Scott, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

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Hello, darkness my old friend… Yet another injury to an important piece of the Eagles’ offense as Miles Sanders is expected to miss multiple weeks with a knee injury. In his place, Philly will likely lean on the likes of Boston Scott and Corey Clement until Sanders is healthy enough to return to the starting lineup.

While Scott did show flashes of brilliance at times last season, he didn’t come anywhere close to matching that production in Week 1 while Sanders was recovering from a leg injury. I guess what I’m saying is, you should definitely consider adding him at a thin running back position, just temper your expectations some.

Fantasy Ownership: Boston Scott finds himself rostered in only 12% of fantasy leagues which bodes well for you if you’re reading this article. As mentioned previously, there are several teams on bye this week, so if you have Dalvin Cook, Myles Gaskin, Jonathan Taylor, or any of the Ravens’ running backs on your team, consider Scott as an RB3/FLEX play this week, with slightly more value in full point-per-reception scoring formats.

DFS: (DraftKings: $5,600 FanDuel: $4,600) vs. Giants The Eagles play on Thursday night this week, which means you’ll either have to play the single-game showdown contest or play the Thursday-Monday contest if you want to get a piece of Scott in your lineups.

With that said, if you do play the showdown contests, Scott will compete with the Giants’ Devonta Freeman for the top running back on the board. I don’t think the optimal lineup will have Scott in it, as he just hasn’t shown he’s enough of a factor when he gets the start for Philadelphia. I’ll likely be avoiding this game altogether.

Card Market Rating: Sell. Boston Scott is another guy I'm not investing in. There is no market for him unless you are an Eagles fan and want to pick up some cheap autos. Miles Sanders is in no danger of losing his starting job, and even he has a dead card market (PSA 10 Prizm Rookie = $50). Don't bother buying this penny stock.

Keelan Cole, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

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It’s a Cole world, but this is no sideline story! On the contrary, Keelan Cole was very much on the field Sunday versus the Detroit Lions. Cole set the pace for the Jaguars passing attack by hauling in six receptions for 143 yards on nine targets. Although D.J. Chark led the team in targets and receptions, his ankle injury likely limited him in making any big plays down field, so Cole stepped up and was a chunk yardage beast for Jacksonville. Cole’s longest play of the day came on a 51-yard bomb, which was the longest reception by a receiver for either team. The Jags and Gardner Minshew continue to pass the ball at a high clip, making Cole a worthwhile addition to your fantasy lineups this week.

Fantasy Ownership: With D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr. both playing through nagging injuries, Keelan Cole is a cat worth mentioning in this Jaguars’ receiving stable. Luckily for you, he can be had in over 75% of fantasy leagues. The bye weeks are in full force, so if you need to take a flyer on a wide receiver this week, Cole could be your guy.

DFS: (DraftKings: $4,700, FanDuel: $5,500) @ Chargers The Jaguars travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers in Week 7 in what should be a fun duel between two of the better young quarterbacks in the league. This game has a healthy implied total of 49.5 points, with the Chargers as -7.5 favorites. I like this spot for the Jags’ passing game as they’ll likely find themselves playing catchup. This could turn into a shootout, so if you want to use Cole in tournaments, I don’t mind. He should see enough volume to be worth rostering.

Card Market Rating: We're going 3 for 3 this week. Sell. Sell. Sell. DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr are the clear future in Jacksonville. If you are a Jags fan and want to add to your collection, you can pick up some of Cole's rookie autos for under $5. Don't do it as an investment though. He makes a fine bye week filler as a fantasy guy, but you are living in a fantasy world if you think any of these three guys are going to make you any money on the card market.

BONUS: Week 6 Recap

Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

THE LINE: Receiving: 4 TGTS, 4 REC, 74 YDS Rushing: 2 CAR, 7 YDS, 1 TD

THE SCOOP: While Claypool didn’t put up huge receiving numbers like last week, he did find the endzone once again on a rushing attempt. Not only that, but he led the team in yards for the second week in a row, and may quietly, or not so quietly, be unseating JuJu Smith-Schuster as the WR1 on the Steelers.

UPNXT @ Titans: The Steelers travel to Tennessee to take on the red hot Titans this week. Diontae Johnson missed last week’s game, but if he plays, he could cut into some of Claypool’s upside. Even still, Claypool has earned my trust as a receiver you can start each week. Lock and load!

Travis Fulgham, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

THE LINE: Receiving: 10 TGTS, 6 REC, 75 YDS, 1 TD

THE SCOOP: Fulgham continues to impress! He tied for the team lead in targets, led the team in yards, and was the only Eagles’ wide receiver with a touchdown catch. He’s definitely carved out a role for himself in this receiving group going forward.

UPNXT vs Giants: Philly takes on division rival New York this week in a game that both teams can’t afford to lose. You’ll want to keep an eye on news regarding Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Jalen Reagor, and Dallas Goedert. If any of these guys are active, it would likely directly impact Fulgham’s workload on a short week.

Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings

THE LINE: Rushing: 10 CAR, 26 YDS Receiving: 1 REC, 4 YDS

THE SCOOP: Ok, so maybe Mattison isn’t Dalvin Cook 2.0 after all. This isn’t how anyone saw this going, as Mattison struggled on his ten rushing attempts. In fact, 16 of his 26 total yards came on one run! Once the Vikings found themselves trailing, they want into pass-heavy mode and never looked back, crushing any chances of Mattison having a good day.

UPNXT BYE: After the bye week, Cook will likely resume his role as the starting running back for Minnesota. Still, keep Mattison on your bench in case there’s a setback in Cook’s recovery.