Harmon’s Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 7

Fantasy owners have hit the tipping point of the 2013 season. The trade winds are blowing hard, the waiver wire is churning at a rapid pace and fantasy owners are making difficult decisions about struggling stars. Add the miserable run of injuries and those pesky Bye weeks to the mix and you have a recipe for disaster.

So that brings us to the Waiver Wire for Week 7. I already extolled the virtues of Terrance Williams and Keenan Allen in the past, so I don’t need to revisit their ascent to fantasy starters. Let’s run through some of the other options making fantasy owners ponder a shakeup.

New Orleans and Oakland are off the board this week.

In Week 8, a total of six teams sit down. The Ravens, Bears, Texans, Colts, Chargers and Titans will blow holes in fantasy lineups next week.

Without further ado …

Nick Foles, QB, PHI: Foles was up on the board for “Player of the Week” honors following his dismantling of the Buccaneers in Week 6. He connected with Riley Cooper (a fellow WW pickup) on a long touchdown strike and got DeSean Jackson into the end zone twice (first time in Jackson’s career). He’s an A-list starter this week in what promises to be a shootout against the Cowboys.

Mike Glennon, QB, TB: Glennon made his mark in fantasyland last week against the Eagles. He made two touchdown tosses to Vincent Jackson and performed well without Mike Williams. Glennon completed 60.5% of his pass attempts for 274 yards, adding 20 rushing yards as a bonus.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, MIA: Tannehill hasn’t been overwhelming through five weeks of play, but he’s performed consistently to date. He passed for at least 236 yards in each of his first five starts, including two 300-yard games. I expect to see more of the Tannehill-Mike Wallace connection coming out of the Bye week, and this first game (BUF) presents a strong opportunity.

Andy Dalton, QB, CIN: Following back-to-back fantasy disappearing acts, Dalton exploded with a big effort against the Bills. He completed 26-of-40 attempts for 337 yards with three touchdowns. The game didn’t flow as easily as many anticipated, but Dalton delivered for trusting fantasy owners. The thing I circled was the involvement of secondary options alongside A.J. Green.

Josh Freeman, QB, MIN: Freeman will reportedly get the start on Monday night against the porous New York Giants secondary. We saw Freeman willing to lob up deep balls (with varying degrees of success, of course) to Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams in Tampa, so perhaps he’ll be the catalyst to jumpstart Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson downfield. Either way, he’s worth a look-see in deeper leagues, particularly as the Bye weeks swell.

Joseph Randle, RB, DAL: Randle saw some action in the second half of the Cowboys’ Sunday night win over the Redskins. He generated just 17 rushing yards on 11 carries, but he cashed in on his opportunity with a touchdown run. With DeMarco Murray sidelined, Randle is in a huge spot for Week 7 against the Eagles.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG: Jacobs ran wild in Week 6 against the Bears, producing 106 rushing yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns. He’d generated just 48 rushing yards on 22 carries in his previous four appearances. Jacobs gets the nod (Peyton Hillis was signed … I’ll let you fill it in.) on Monday against the Vikings. It’s a strong spot, as the Vikings have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs this season.

Andre Ellington, RB, ARI: Ellington’s still sharing carries with Rashard Mendenhall, but he’s become a valuable component of the passing game. He has been targeted 27 times, pulling down 18 receptions for 180 yards. Ellington’s produced 83 and 92 total yards in his past two games.

Zac Stacy, RB, STL: He hasn’t been world-beating, but Stacy has established himself as the lead man in the St. Louis backfield these past two weeks. Stacy amassed 90 total yards on 20 touches in Week 6 against the Texans following his 14-touch, 78-yard effort against the Jaguars. A high touch count equals RB2 viability in this topsy-turvy NFL.

Percy Harvin, WR, SEA: Harvin won’t be ready for the Thursday night game to kick off Week 7, but he’s coming back to the squad in short order. Check your waiver wire to see if folks have been napping.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, PIT: Sanders won’t be doing any theatrics following his next touchdown grab. I believe that we’ll see more of them coming in the second half of the year. Sanders has been targeted at least six times in every game this season, piling up 23 receptions in 44 targets.

Jarrett Boykin, WR, GB: Boykin gets his opportunity in the Green Bay offense with Randall Cobb (at least six weeks) and James Jones injured. Boykin was targeted six times against the Ravens and hauled in a 43-yard reception.

Kris Durham, WR, DET: A clear No. 2 receiver has yet to emerge for Matthew Stafford (go claim Joseph Fauria, if you must), but Durham is the closest thing. He’s been targeted 32 times this season (16 reception), and led the team with eight receptions on 13 targets for 83 yards against the Browns.

Reuben Randle, WR, NYG: Will the Giants trade Hakeem Nicks before the deadline? Regardless, Randle has established himself as a vital option for Eli Manning in the passing game. I know. You’re going to point to the 0-6 record, and that’s a fair assessment. They still need to play the 60 minutes each week, and defensive deficiencies will require Manning to keep throwing. Period.

Randle posted six receptions for 96 yards with two touchdowns in Week 5, and then lived up to his Ninja status with three grabs for 75 yards with a touchdown against the Bears.

Charles Clay, TE, MIA: The tight end position has been a maddening exhibition beyond those steady, tried-and-true options. Clay has slipped onto the radar of back-end TE1 plays because of his consistent target count. He’s been targeted 31 times through five games (six or more in each game), producing at least 40 receiving yards

Heath Miller, TE, PIT: Miller has been active in the Pittsburgh passing game since returning to action against the Bears. He’s posted 15 receptions in 19 targets for a total of 189 receiving yards.

Jordan Reed, TE, WAS: He hasn’t put up big numbers as of yet, but Reed has certainly established his place in the Washington passing game. Reed has been targeted six time in three different games this season and has logged 50 and 58 yards in his past two games against the Lions and Cowboys, respectively.