The NFL eased us into the bye weeks in Week 6, but we’re getting hit hard in Week 7, with the Bills, Rams, Vikings, and Eagles all out. That’s going to hurt at every position, obviously, but we’re especially going to feel the absence of the quarterbacks, with Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts ranking among the position’s elite and Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins were still started in over 50% of CBS Fantasy leagues this week, so there are going to be a lot of Fantasy players in need of a starting QB for Week 7.
And your best bet might be a guy who just attempted 14 passes Sunday. Of course, if you’re starting Marcus Mariota, you already know that his passing production isn’t why you’re there. He did have two passing touchdowns Sunday while completing 13 of 14 passes for 129 yards, which is nothing to scoff at.
But the value Mariota brought to the table with his legs is what makes him a viable bye-week replacement option. In the 28-14 win against a very good 49ers defense, Mariota had six carries for 50 yards and a touchdown, accounting for 11 of his 28.2 points in six-point-per-pass-TD leagues with his legs.
Mariota hasn’t been great this season, but he’s had his moments, generally when he’s been making plays with his legs. He’s got the Bengals on the way in Week 7, and while they’re a pretty good defense, it shouldn’t be enough to scare you away entirely. And, if the Bengals offense forces the Falcons to throw the ball a bit more than normal, well we wouldn’t mind that one bit.
If Mariota isn’t available, there aren’t a lot of other great options for next week, either. Daniel Jones against the Jaguars, Justin Fields against the Patriots, or Jameis Winston or Andy Dalton against the Cardinals might be the best options otherwise. So … let’s hope Mariota is out there on waivers in your league if you need a QB.
Here’s who else we’ll be chasing on the waiver wire for Week 7.
Week 7 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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