Though you may still be scrubbing off the stench from this past week’s games, many of you will be getting your hands even dirtier while preparing for Week 7. Your fantasy football waiver wire is going to be a hotbed of activity this week, with six teams on their bye and an array of quarterback injuries.
Those playing in single-quarterback leagues are going to have a tough time replacing Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott and C.J. Stroud, but SuperFlex league managers are going to be scrambling even more now that Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and a few others left their games with injuries. It is time to start scraping the bottom of the barrel.
If you find yourself shorthanded this week, you may want to consider stopping by the Browns clubhouse and acquainting yourself with P.J. Walker. With Deshaun Watson iffy with his shoulder injury and Dorian Thompson-Robinson not quite ready to lead the offense, the former XFL passing yards leader from 2020 is ready to take over.
We’ve watched Walker in spot starts when he was with Carolina the previous three seasons, and he did a respectable job Sunday leading the Browns to an upset victory over the once undefeated 49ers. The production wasn’t great, but against the league’s best defense and with the wind and rain, he kept them in the game.
This week, Walker will face the Colts, and all signs are pointing to a better performance. Not only do the Browns have an outstanding offensive line, but the Colts routinely struggle in pass coverage. They’ve allowed the 10th-most passing yards per game this season and have allowed seven touchdowns through the air. His mobility should help neutralize the Colts’ pass rush, and he’s got the downfield weapons to do some damage.
If Walker isn’t your cup of tea, then head over to Las Vegas where the Raiders have won two games in a row and take on the defensively challenged Bears next. Jimmy Garoppolo left Sunday’s game with a back injury, and Brian Hoyer stepped in for mop-up duty, throwing for 102 yards against the Patriots.
Hoyer is no guarantee to start in Week 7, but whether it’s him or rookie Aiden O’Connell, you’ve got a great matchup. The Bears rank 30th in DVOA against the pass, they’re allowing the fourth-most passing yards per game and have given up 13 touchdowns through the air. We may see Josh Jacobs get a lot of rushing work, but that will open up the play-action, and allow either quarterback to find Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers downfield.
Quarterback injuries are tough in the fantasy game, but losing one is not insurmountable. Don’t worry about who might be good for anything beyond this week. Take it one week at a time. Forget about Mr. Right. Just get yourself Mr. Right Now.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to Fantasy-Alarm.com for all your fantasy football advice.