A third of the way through the 2023 NFL season, Fantasy Football managers have a good idea of how their season is going. There is still time to turn things around if you are managing a team near the bottom of the standings, but some savvy managing is going to have to be done in the next few weeks.
With six teams on bye in Week 7, there is going to be a lot of lineup shuffling in Fantasy Football this week. Everyone is going to be scouring the waiver wire for bye-week fillers and for some of the players who suffered injuries this past week.
Some players stand out amongst the free agent pool that you should prioritize picking up. The first player to target, if you can afford to, is Devin Singletary of the Houston Texans.
The Texans are one of the six aforementioned teams on bye this week, so Singletary may not be a feasible addition for some managers. But, we saw a major change in the Houston backfield this week, making Singletary a hot commodity.
Singletary led the backfield in snaps and early down work. Dameon Pierce out-snapped him 5-3 on goal-line situations but it was Singletary who was the short-yardage back. He also received three third-down snaps compared to zero for Pierce and five for Mike Boone.
The more effective runner thus far this season, Singletary is becoming the lead dog in this backfield. Another running back whom managers should be looking to add is Craig Reynolds of the Detroit Lions.
A feature-back role in an elite offense? That is something Fantasy Football managers dream of adding in Week 7 and that is what they can potentially get in Reynolds. David Montgomery went down with a rib injury in Week 6, pushing Reynolds into the lead role with Jahmyr Gibbs sidelined with an injury.
Zonovan Knight is dealing with a potentially season-ending shoulder injury, leaving this backfield to Reynolds until Montgomery and Reynolds can return. As long as Montgomery is out and Reynolds handles his role, he will be a useful option in Fantasy Football.
If you are looking for wide receiver help this week, Arizona Cardinals rookie Michael Wilson could be your guy. He caught three passes for 62 yards in their loss to the Los Angeles Rams and has been a locked-in starter opposite Marquise Brown all season.
Wilson has hit his stride, clearing 60 yards in three out of the last four weeks. He is a top-25 option at wide receiver despite a limited target share of 12.1 percent, leading to 15 looks in the past four weeks.
If that number goes up, Wilson will become an every-week starter in Fantasy Football. Hop on this train before it’s too late and someone else swoops him up in your league.
One of the tougher bye-week positions to fill is quarterback. That is what puts Sam Howell of the Washington Commanders on your radar this week. Howell was low-volume in Week 6 with only 23 passes but made the most of it with 14 completions for 151 yards and three touchdowns.
Leading the league in dropbacks, Howell is a potential Fantasy Football gold mine for owners. He is in the top 10 of passing touchdowns and yardage, as his only drawback has been turnovers to this point.
There is a chance he is going to improve as he only has seven starts in the NFL under his belt. With a strong supporting cast of weapons around him, Howell could work his way into weekly consideration for a starting spot.
Last but not least, we have a useful tight end. Michael Mayer of the Las Vegas Raiders was considered by many the top prospect at the position in this year’s draft class. This week, he finally got his chance to show what he has got.
Mayer was the tight end on the field for 11 personnel, one running back and one tight end, this past weekend against the New England Patriots. He made the most of it, catching five passes for 75 yards, surpassing his totals from the first five weeks of the season combined.
Given the dearth of reliable tight end options, a performance like that puts Mayer squarely on the Fantasy Football radar. If his play distribution remains at that level, he will quickly become an every-week starter.
