The sixth week of the 2016 regular season is just about coming to a close with only the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change (via Yahoo!) and news arrives.
Editor’s update: San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde suffered a shoulder injury in Week 6, and is wearing a sling at the team’s first practice of the week. If he is unable to play on Sunday vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Davis (0 percent owned) would get the start in his place.
Waiver wire running back rankings, Week 7
1. Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins (30 percent owned)
The Dolphins’ backfield has frustrated most owners thus far in 2016, as it has been very difficult to predict. Despite the return of Arian Foster, Ajayi posted one of the most impressive running back performances of the season so far against Pittsburgh. The Miami running back rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and added one catch for 3 yards. Ajayi out touched Foster, 25 to six, and may have secured himself the starting role on the team. Hopefully Ajayi will be allowed to carry this momentum forward next week against the Bills.
2. Devontae Booker, Denver Broncos (27 percent owned)
C.J. Anderson’s usage has declined in recent weeks, as Booker’s usage has gradually increased. The rookie running back is slowly carving out a role for himself on offense, as a semblance of a committee is beginning to take shape. The rookie running back rushed for 46 yards and added two receptions for 7 yards in Denver’s loss to the Chargers on Thursday. Booker has great upside, and his usage is due to increase in coming weeks.
3. Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars (11 percent owned)
At the beginning of the season it was unclear who would be the lead back in Jacksonville, and despite T.J. Yeldon supposedly taking ownership of the feature back role, he was out-touched by Ivory in Week 6. While Ivory only rushed for 32 yards, he was able to score a touchdown and appeared to be favored in valuable goal line situations over Yeldon. Hopefully, Ivory’s mysterious ailments that plagued him at the beginning of the year are behind him. Even if he splits time evenly with Yeldon, there aren’t many running back options on the waiver wire with the level of talent Ivory possesses.
4. Chris Thompson, Washington (nine percent owned)
Thompson has always been a valid PPR consideration, and he’s seen somewhat consistent usage so far this season. In addition, Matt Jones has been inconsistent, and despite his strong performance in Week 6, Thompson received a season-high number of carries. The Washington running back rushed for 37 yards and added three receptions for 29 yards. Look for Thompson to build upon his recent string of good outings with a good matchup against the Lions in Week 7.
5. Zach Zenner, Detroit Lions (one percent owned)
Zenner was thrust into action alongside a freshly signed Justin Forsett as both Theo Riddick and Dwayne Washington were sidelined in Week 6. The Lions running back rushed for 58 yards and added 19 yards through the air on two catches. Forsett will take additional time to learn the playbook, and the status of Riddick and Washington is unclear going into the Lions’ Week 7 matchup against Washington. Zenner’s value will be significantly impacted based on the status of his teammates, but he is definitely in the mix of this battered backfield.