There was no shortage of excitement during Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season, and the world of fantasy football remains ever-changing as a result. There were several breakout performances from players who were fairly under the radar before this week, so adding them to your roster ahead of a playoff push could be paramount to a potential postseason berth.
If your team is struggling this far into the season, now is the time to make a move. Many players currently sitting in your fantasy league’s free agency could be instrumental to a playoff run all the way to your league’s championship. It’s absolutely worth targeting these players, especially because of the lack of risk involved. If they underperform, you can just cut them and move on, but if they overperform, you could have a multi-week starter on your hands.
Let’s go over four players you should be targeting on waivers this week, as well as a few honorable mentions who could be worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues. Let’s get into the list!
Joe Flacco (QB, CIN)
4.9% Rostered in ESPN Leagues
Even at 40 years old, quarterback Joe Flacco looked like one of the league’s most electric signal-callers in Week 7, winning a shootout victory over Aaron Rodgers and the division-rival Steelers in primetime on Thursday night.
This is one of the more impressive upset victories of the season, especially considering this was Joe Flacco’s second game within less than two weeks of joining the team via a trade from Cleveland.
During the team’s 33-31 victory, Flacco passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns, proving himself as a clear upgrade over backup quarterback Jake Browning. If Flacco keeps putting up solid performances, we could see the Bengals in the playoff picture late into the regular season.
Specifically, the veteran quarterback had a strong connection with superstar wideout Ja’Marr Chase, sending an unbelievable 23 targets his way on Thursday night that he was able to convert into 16 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown.
It’s clear that Flacco is benefitting from the elite weapons that the Bengals’ offense provides, including Chase and fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins. We’ve seen Flacco make some noise in previous stints with AFC North teams; maybe he can take Cincinnati on a miraculous run of offensive efficiency until Joe Burrow returns in December. Either way, he’s an intriguing fantasy option moving forward.
Brashard Smith (RB, KC)
2.7% Rostered in ESPN Leagues
SMU product Brashard Smith will be the first of two rookies on this list who changed positions during their collegiate careers. Smith was originally a wide receiver at the University of Miami before transferring to SMU for his final season of college football and switching to running back.
Brashard Smith is an explosive athlete and was one of my favorite draft prospects due to his versatility at the running back position. He is a fantastic route runner due to his background as a receiver, and his skills related to the passing game helped improve his draft stock enough to be selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
I absolutely loved this selection for multiple reasons, one of which was the fact that Smith’s versatility and head coach Andy Reid’s creativity on offense seemed to be a great match. Seven weeks into the season, this observation has proven to be correct. Smith’s talents as a receiver have translated seamlessly.
On Sunday, Smith took 14 carries for 39 rushing yards and caught all five of his targets for 42 receiving yards. This was a career-high in regular season touches for the rookie, and even though this might’ve occurred because the game was a blowout, it’s still worth noting that Smith made the most of his opportunities.
The former wide receiver has clearly made a name for himself and earned a role in this elite offense. He’s a low-risk, high-reward waiver addition ahead of Week 8.
Alec Pierce (WR, IND)
3.1% Rostered in ESPN Leagues
Colts wideout Alec Pierce shined on Sunday in the team’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers, recording five receptions on 10 targets for 98 receiving yards.
Pierce shined in the absence of fellow wide receiver Josh Downs, seeing a season-high mark in targets and converting them into impressive production. The former Cincinnati Bearcat has been one of the league’s deep threats for the last few seasons, and once again came through when Indianapolis needed him, hauling in a 48-yard reception to contribute to his overall stat line.
Pierce has the potential to have long-term value due to the Colts’ emergence as one of the NFL’s best offenses. If he can manage to stay involved on a weekly basis, the reliable wide receiver could be a fantasy asset after nearly crossing the century mark in Week 7.
Oronde Gadsden II (TE, LAC)
2.1% Rostered in ESPN Leagues
Oronde Gadsden II was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Chargers back in April, but has already begun to make a major impact in Los Angeles during his rookie season, and has seemingly locked up the starting tight end job going forward.
I’m proud to say that I first mentioned Oronde Gadsden II as a waiver wire option after Week 3, so I think that it’s fair to say that I was slightly ahead of the game here. However, even my most outlandish projections wouldn’t have predicted Gadsden to have the game he did in Week 7.
The Syracuse product put up seven receptions off of nine targets for 164 receiving yards and a touchdown during the Chargers’ 38-24 loss to the Colts on Sunday. This was obviously an incredible performance, and Gadsden flashed many of the impressive qualities he showed in college during his breakout performance.
As a former wide receiver, Gadsden has above-average movement skills for his position, which allowed him to generate plenty of yards after the catch on Sunday against Indianapolis. The rookie is quickly becoming one of quarterback Justin Herbert’s top targets in this high-volume passing offense, and if he has truly earned the starting role, I would be surprised if Gadsden doesn’t finish the year as a top-20 tight end in fantasy football.
Currently, Gadsden is my top waiver wire priority ahead of Week 8. He has earned a true role and he was one of my favorite prospects in this stacked tight end rookie class because of his multi-positional background. His ceiling is extremely high as long as he has an elite option like Herbert at quarterback, and since he is only owned in 2.1% of ESPN fantasy football leagues, he should be available in most places this week.
However, this will likely be your last chance to grab the rookie, so don’t miss out!
HM. Kyle Monangai (RB, CHI)
HM. Marvin Mims Jr. (WR, DEN)
HM. Noah Fant (TE, CIN)
HM. Pat Freiermuth (TE, PIT)