Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 7: Top Free Agent Adds Include Alec Pierce, Chase Claypool, Tyquan Thornton, Wan'Dale Robinson

October 18, 2022

Justin Carter's fantasy football wide receiver waiver wire pickups for Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season. His free agent WRs to add, stream and stash off waivers.

We're quickly approaching the midpoint of fantasy football regular seasons. If you're still in contention for the playoffs in your league but need an extra push, then I'm here to help you find that extra push. Below, you'll find some wide receivers that you should be targeting on the fantasy football waiver wire ahead of Week 7.

Not all of these waiver wire options are the same. Some players may be better in PPR or deeper leagues, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all comparison. Use your best judgment when deciding which of these players is the right fit for your roster.

Be sure to also check out our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 7 for help at all the skill positions. All players on this list here are around 50% rostered or below.

Wide Receivers Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

Writer's Note: As the season goes along, I'll be trimming down the number of players mentioned in this article, but going longer on the ones that I do mention. This is because a) there are fewer good players on waivers and b) you can't be as patient waiting on a breakout at this point.

Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers - 41% rostered

Claypool didn't have the best numbers over the first four weeks of the season, but he's seen a notable uptick in volume over the past two weeks. Last week against Buffalo, Claypool was targeted a season-high nine times, catching five of them for 50 yards. It wasn't a great game from a fantasy perspective, but it at least showed an increased level of involvement in this offense.

This week, that increase paid off, as Claypool caught all seven of his passes for 96 yards. He found the end zone for the first time this season. The change to Kenny Pickett at quarterback has vaulted Claypool into flex consideration. Of course, there's an issue: Pickett was hurt on Sunday. If he misses next week's game against Miami, we might see the Claypool from the first four weeks. But Pickett will be back under center at some point, and when he is, you'll want Claypool on your roster.

Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears - 54% rostered

Justin Fields has kind of been a disaster as a passer this year, with three games with 121 yards or less, including a game against the Packers where he had 70 passing yards. But Fields has been more competent of a passer lately, and it's helping Darnell Mooney out.

Over the first three games, Mooney averaged 1.3 catches for nine yards. Terrible numbers. Zero fantasy value in that. But with Fields throwing better, Mooney has put some stuff together over the last three games. He's averaging 7.3 targets—including 12 of them this week—with 4.3 receptions and 71.3 yards. Those numbers don't set the world on fire, but they make him a rosterable player who you can stick in a flex spot.

Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals - 46% rostered

Moore's outlook going forward depends a lot on Marquise Brown, who exited late in Sunday's game. Because DeAndre Hopkins returns next week, Moore would theoretically lose a ton of value, with Hopkins and Brown serving as the top-two receivers. But if Brown misses time, then Moore will remain intriguing.

After missing the first three weeks, Moore has seen a steady rise in his targets, all the way up to 10 of them on Sunday. He caught six of those for 49 yards. The yardage totals aren't where you might want them, but with this level of usage, Moore should be added in all formats if Brown's injury ends up being something that can cost him time. If it isn't, you can probably ignore him in shallower leagues.

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts - 38% rostered

Pierce wasn't the most productive Colts receiver on Sunday, and he wasn't the second-most productive either. But he had his fourth game in a row with at least five targets and he found the end zone for the first time. The fact that Michael Pittman Jr. outplayed him is fine. That Parris Campbell also did is...less fine, but I also don't really think I trust Campbell.

Pierce is a talented young receiver who has a pretty key role in this offense, and the Colts' offense finally exploded with a big game on Sunday. If Matt Ryan and company have found something offensively, that'll help Pierce going forward. Expect more touchdowns and consider him a WR3/4 option.

Tyquan Thornton, New England Patriots - 1% rostered

A player rostered in just 1% of leagues that's in this top section instead of down in the deep league section? Yep. Let me explain.

Thornton was targeted five times this week, which tied him for third on the Patriots. He caught four passes for 37 yards and a touchdown. He also had three carries totaling 16 rushing yards and another score. It took a bit for Thornton to see the field after a collarbone injury in the preseason, but he's pretty quickly carving out a role on a team that could definitely use the help at receiver. Thornton is the only wide receiver that I'm adding to the stash in anticipation of a future breakout in re-draft leagues.

Wide Receiver Deeper League Waiver Wire Pickups

Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts - 2% rostered

I've been tricked too many times by Parris Campbell to pick him up in a 12-team league, but I'm definitely willing to give him a shot in a 14-team or deeper league, or in a 12-team league with deep benches.

Campbell has been inconsistent throughout his NFL career, but it's impossible to ignore that he was targeted 11 times this week, catching seven passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. It was his best game of the season in every statistical category. If this Colts offense can play at this level moving forward, Campbell becomes appealing, though I'm far from ready to think we can expect this offense to be this good every week.

Wan'Dale Robinson - New York Giants - 8% rostered

Robinson played for the first time since Week 1, catching three of his four targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. The rookie has a lot of talent and the Giants have a lot of injuries at wide receiver, so we should see more of Robinson going forward. It's in the team's best interest, for example, to have him on the field over Kenny Golladay. I'd say I'm cautiously optimistic about Robinson as a playable fantasy option going forward.

Ben Skowronek, Los Angeles Rams - 2% rostered

Okay, fine. This Skowronek thing is real. After being targeted eight times last week, Skowronek saw five targets this week, catching all of them for 40 yards. He also got involved on the ground, running in a 17-yard touchdown.

The problem: Skowronek continuing to break out depends on Allen Robinson II continuing to struggle, and Robinson had his best game of the season this week, with five catches for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns - 15% rostered

I will continue to champion Donovan Peoples-Jones as someone who should be rostered in around 25% of leagues, not the 15% that he's currently rostered in.

Peoples-Jones isn't winning you a fantasy league, but he's had at least four catches in three consecutive games and just had his fourth game of the year with over 50 yards. He isn't finding the end zone, but he's producing the kind of numbers that can help fantasy managers who need bye-week fill-ins.

Dante Pettis, Chicago Bears - 0% rostered

I mean...seven targets, which he turned into four catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, definitely isn't nothing, which is why I'm bringing Pettis up. These were his first receptions since Week 1 when he caught his only previous pass of the year for a 51-yard touchdown.

Maybe Justin Fields will look Pettis' way more. Probably not, but in a deep, deep league, he's a dart throw that's better than some of the other dart throws you could make.

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