As we close in on mid-season, it's probably become apparent if your team is a "have" or a "have not." As always, I'll do my best to mention as many quality free agent acquisitions as possible this week (without repeating old analysis) for those teams hurting due to injuries. Let's see what comes to the surface this week...

Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray completed only 14 of 26 passes for 145 yards, one score and one pick on Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. He also added six runs for 64 yards and a score. Murray has thrown for exactly one touchdown in six of his seven games, and he has 214 or fewer passing yards in six of seven games, too. That said, he has run for 64 or more yards with one rushing score in two of his past three games. Why isn't Murray producing better offensive stats? Simply put, the offensive coordinator isn't putting the team's best wide receiver in advantageous positions to produce quick results. He is scheming too long of plays for longer passes and Murray isn't getting the time to wait for the plays to develop. Until this changes, both Murray and rookie WR Marvin Harrison will continue to underwhelm. If you ask me, Murray is only a borderline QB1 right now, while Harrison is only a WR3 with WR2 upside. Get used to it. The only thing that could make the future change is a change in coordinators, which could happen if the team loses the next 5 game in a row. Yeah, and that could happen!

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson had a point to prove and he did just that on Sunday night. Wilson completed 16 of 29 passes for 264 yards and two scores, while adding a third score on a sneak in Sunday's 37-15 win over the Jets. Wilson made his much-anticipated debut with Pittsburgh after missing the first six games due to a calf injury. He looked healthy in Sunday's game, producing three touchdowns without turning the football over in a decisive victory. Wilson is set to continue leading this contending team in another primetime game when Pittsburgh hosts the New York Giants next Monday. Fantasy owners in need at QB should give Wilson ample consideration for a waiver wire pickup due to his sharp debut, along with the fact that the Giants defense can be worn down just like the Jets.

It was not a happy day for QB C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans on Sunday. Stroud completed only 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards, with no score or turnover in Sunday's 24-22 loss to the Packers. He added five runs for 19 yards. Stroud had just 44 passing yards in the first half, but the Texans took a 19-14 lead into the locker room thanks to two RB Joe Mixon touchdown runs and two picks of QB Jordan Love by the defense. Unfortunately, Stroud struggled even more with only 42 passing yards after halftime, as the team los on a late FG. An interesting fact... Stroud has 21 touchdown passes in 11 career regular-season home games, but only 12 touchdown passes in 11 road games. Why is he struggling? Well, he said the team has to get WR Tank Dell more involved. And while this is a good point, the primary issue here is the loss of WR Nico Collins (hamstring - IR), who will miss the next two games. Bottom Line: The Texans play at home this week, which is a good sign, but when Collins returns, you can once again expect the Texans passing game to take off into the stratosphere. That is the primary issue right now, so only time can solve this problem!

New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers was up an down in the same game on Sunday night. He completed 24 of 39 passes for 276 yards, one score and two picks in a 37-15 loss to the Steelers. He also threw a two-point conversion. Rodgers' best sequence came on a second-quarter drive that gave the Jets a 15-6 lead, as he connected with RB Breece Hall for a 57-yard gain through the air, then threw a one-yard touchdown pass to TE Tyler Conklin, following that up with a two-point conversion throw to WR Garrett Wilson. Unfortunately, it was all downhill after that sequence. Rodgers threw a pick just prior to halftime, and the Steelers turned in into 6 point immediately. That began a 31-0 Pittsburgh run. Rodgers also wasn't quite on the same page with new Jets WR Davante Adams, who had only 30 yards on nine targets in Adams' Jets debut after being acquired via trade from Vegas on Tuesday. That said, Rodgers has the potential to produce some gaudy numbers through the air against weaker defenses with Adams, Wilson and Hall among his targets, but the 2-5 Jets are running out of time find a way to win and make the playoffs. Still, he's not as bad option to pick up for fantasy for desperate fantasy owners.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is making just enough plays to win. He completed 16 of 27 passes for only 154 yards, zero scores and two picks, while rushing for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-18 win over the 49ers. Mahomes produced his worst passing performance through six games this season, but he salvaged his fantasy day by generating his best rushing line against San Francisco in a rematch of last year's Super Bowl. He had a sweet 33-yards run during the contest. Mahomes completed the same drive by trucking the only defender that stood between him and the end zone for his first rushing score of the season. The Chiefs remain undefeated heading into a soft road matchup against the Raiders next Sunday. So... that makes Mahomes a good fantasy play this week right? Not so fast. Mahomes has failed to top 20 fantasy point in ANY of his six games in 2024! Why? He keeps losing weapons to injuries and even TE Travis Kelce hasn't scored yet! Bottom Line: Mahomes is nothing but a decent QB2 for fantasy, and until that changes, I wouldn't start him unless I had no other choice! He is currently QB21 and averages only 17.5 PPG!

Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said Monday that QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) will practice Wednesday in preparation to potentially play this week against the Cardinals. Tagovailoa will need to both come off IR and fully clear the NFL's concussion protocol in order to be eligible to play Sunday against Arizona, but, barring any unexpected setbacks at practice, it sounds like he is trending toward a Week #8 return. He was placed on injured reserve Sept. 12 after suffering a fourth documented concussion in five years and missed his fourth and final requisite game while sitting out Sunday's loss to Indianapolis, a contest in which interim starter QB Tyler Huntley (shoulder) was forced out due to injury. The Dolphins offense has ranked last in points per game since Tagovailoa's injury, with WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle having combined for just two catches and 19 yards on four targets on Sunday. His return to the lineup should spark some much-needed life into the production of Miami's skill-position players. And if Tua is still on your waiver wire, pick him up! If he starts this week, he could immediately produce a 25+ point fame for fantasy with the weapons around him!

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable QB performances from last week... New England Patriots QB Drake Maye threw for two cores on Sunday against the Jaguars. Washington Commanders QB Marcus Mariota threw for two scores on Sunday against the Panthers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers implemented a 3-man RBBC on Monday night against the Ravens. All three running backs played multiple snaps on the Buccaneers' first drive against the Ravens, each ending the first half with five carries. For most of the game, the trio split time fairly evenly on early downs. The only clear role was on third downs, where RB Rachaad White remained the primary running back. Because the Buccaneers were losing throughout the second half, they abandoned the run and mostly played White, their primary receiving back. Three scores went to Tampa Bay running backs once the team was down by 24 points, which significantly increased their fantasy production this week. Had the Ravens been able to hold the football for most of the fourth quarter, all three backs likely would have been fantasy disappointments. That said, RB Bucky Irving had some big plays throughout the game, so he and White are clearly still ahead of RB Sean Tucker. If you picked up Tucker, do not drop him just yet. With more BYEs on the schedule, he could still come in handy in the coming weeks. As for both Irving and White, they remain solid fantasy plays most weeks, likely due to the big injuries the team has suffered at wideout. That will likely mean more runs for Irving and definitely more dump offs to White!

Cincinnati Bengals RB Chase Brown tied his career-high in rushing attempts on Sunday at 15. While RB Zack Moss remains the passing-down back, Brown has slowly takden over as the early down back. He played nearly twice as many early-down snaps as Moss in Sunday's game against the Browns. Brown ran 15 times for 44 yards, while Moss ran only 6 times for 7 yards. While neither running back was very effective, Brown still played better as a runner and should play an even higher percentage of early-down snaps moving forward. He is a BUY LOW candidate for fantasy right now. As for Moss, he should remain your fantasy roster if you own him, but his standalone fantasy value has significantly decreased with this recent change implemented by the Bengals.

Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb finally returned to game action on Sunday, his first game back after suffering a devastating knee injury last season. Not surprisingly, Chubb was the primary ball carrier in his first game back. RB Jerome Ford (hamstring) had been the lead rusher, but he was inactive due to a hamstring injury. Chubb ran 11 times for 22 yards and a score and caught one pass for 10 yards. He largely split time with RB Pierre Strong, and Strong played most of the passing downs. In past years, Chubb would take most of the early-down, short-yardage and goal-line work, while playing a few snaps in clear passing situations. It wouldn't be surprising if Chubb plays a slightly higher percentage of Cleveland's offensive snaps over time, but it might not be significant. Considering the Browns are 1-6 and lost their starting quarterback for the season, they might not want to overwork him in hopes he can return to his elite form in 2025. Once Ford is healthy, he will mostly take playing time away from Strong. Ford is worth holding for fantasy in case he maintains a significant passing down role, but it's also possible the team uses a 3-man RBBC with only Chubb having significant fantasy value. Only time will tell!

It appears the New York Giants have made the switch to rookie RB Tyrone Tracy as their new primary back. Tracy was the Giants' lead back on Sunday regardless of the situation despite RB Devin Singletary returning to action. Singletary missed the last two weeks due to a groin injury, which allowed Tracy a chance to start and produce. HC Brian Daboll said last week that Tracy had earned more playing time moving forward. He was not kidding. Despite the playing time, Tracy only ran 6 times for 23 yards and caught 3 passes for 9 yards against the Eagles. Meanwhile, Singletary ran just 5 times for 18 yards. It's safe to assume Tracy will remain the starter, but the Giants could employ a RBBC between both backs. Only time will tell, so if you own Singletary, it's too soon to consider dropping him for fantasy.

New York Jets rookie RB Braelon Allen barely played on Sunday despite his recent strong play. Allen has earned high rushing grades over the first six weeks. Meanwhile, RB Breece Hall was in the middle of the pack. From Week #2 through Week #5, Allen consistently played 30-40% of the offensive snaps during the first three quarters of games, allowing Hall some needed breaks. In the fourth quarter, playing time often depended on the game script, as the Jets frequently ran plays with both running backs on the field simultaneously. Things have changed, though, since the firing of HC Robert Saleh. The Jets chose to increase Hall's usage and reduce Allen's two weeks ago, with Allen taking the field for just 23% of the snaps. On Sunday night, his participation dropped further to just 11% of snaps during the first three quarters. While Allen remains one of the better handcuff options for fantasy, his standalone value has quickly eroded into pretty much nothing. In other words, hold him if you own him, but I'd only start him if Hall suffered a major injury.

The Miami Dolphins have settled into a three-man RBBC. On Sunday, RB De'Von Achane started the game, which was noteworthy considering RB Raheem Mostert had been starting every game he played in over the past two years. Achane was the primary running back in all situations, while Mostert also played significant snaps, regardless of the situation. Rookie RB Jaylen Wright was a clear third on the depth chart, but whenever he was on the field, he was likely to touch the football. All three running backs were efficient with the ball in their hands, but Wright had the best yards per carry. Achane can safely be started for fantasy if he remains healthy, but there is at least a chance Wright earns more playing time moving forward given his good play. With QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) set to return, now is a great time to BUY LOW on Achane (been telling you this for weeks now), since the team's production will go up significantly as long as Tua stays healthy!

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable RB performances from last week... New Orleans Saints WR Kendre Miller saw 8 touches last Thursday against the Broncos. Jacksonville Jaguars RB D'Ernest Johnson saw 12 touches on Sunday against the Patriots. Atlanta Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier saw 6 touches on Sunday against the Seahawks. Indianapolis Colts RB Tyler Goodson scored on 14 runs on Sunday against the Dolphins. Buffalo Bills rookie RB Ray Davis scored on 6 touches on Sunday against the Titans. Philadelphia Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell saw 14 touches in a blowout win over the Giants on Sunday. Baltimore Ravens RB Justice Hill saw 8 touches on Monday night against the Buccaneers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost both of their top two WRs on Monday night to injuries. After WR Mike Evans (hamstring) left the game, WR Trey Palmer took over as an every-down outside receiver. Over the first six weeks, Evans and Palmer each played two-thirds of their snaps as outside receivers on the line. Palmer is the wide receiver to target off the waiver wire in this case. Meanwhile, rookie WR Jalen McMillan and WR Sterling Shepard were rotating at Z receiver throughout the game, and Evans' injury didn't impact that rotation. McMillan is now healthy, so he's the starter and the clear leader in the rotation with Shepard. Unfortunately, WR Chris Godwin (ankle) dislocated his ankle late in the game. In the brief time that the Buccaneers kept playing to finish the game, Shepard lined up in the slot. The most likely scenario has McMillan and Shepard splitting time in the slot and out wide moving forward. The Buccaneers may also decide to pick one player to play in the slot full-time. The slot role in this offense is very valuable, so the bet here is that Shepard wil play most of his time in the slot, while McMillan plays outside. They could switch roles on occasion. Any way you look at it, it's a downgrade for QB Baker Mayfield and the Bucs' passing game, but it is what it is!

The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with major injuries at the wideout position, but they aren't along, just ask the Bucs. That said, lets' take a quick look at their Sunday at the position. WR Jauan Jennings (hip) was ruled OUT and did not play. On the bright side, rookie WR Ricky Pearsall made his NFL debut. Pearsall took Jennings' place as the primary slot receiver. Meanwhile, WR Deebo Samuel showed up on the injury report due to a wrist injury, but he was dealing with an unannounced illness on Sunday morning. He only played four snaps in the first quarter, left, and didn't return. WR Chris Conley was Samuel's replacement throughout the game. Conley joined WR Brandon Aiyuk in 2-TE sets, while Samuel, Conley and Pearsall all played three snaps each in 1-TE and 2-RB sets, all across from Aiyuk. Then Aiyuk suffered a serious knee injury that required him to be carted off the field. WR Ronnie Bell became Aiyuk's primary replacement in 1-TE sets. WR Jacob Cowing also played some snaps throughout the game, primarily in Conley's place in 1-TE sets. With Aiyuk out for the season, Jennings is the top waiver-wire option, as he is likely be an every-down starter. Pearsall should also be seriously considered off the waiver wire, as there is a chance he would have a significant role moving forward. If he outplays Jennings, he could become the offense's WR2 behind Samuel sooner than later.

Arizona Cardinals rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. is not getting it done for his fantasy owners. Harrison had just 3 catches on 6 targets for only 21 yards in Monday's 17-15 win over the Chargers. What is going on here? Well, first, Harrison is drawing top corner coverage. That means most passes thrown his way are being contested. Secondly, he's running most of his patterns deep, and QB Kyler Murray isn't getting the time to be able to wait and target him most of the time. Third, the offensive coordinator is not scheming up ways to get him open quickly, so it's stunting the team's overall passing game. Most of Harrison's big plays to date have been when Murray goes "off script" and improvises to get the football to Harrison. But until things change, Harrison will be up and down for fantasy most weeks. That said, Harrison has the pedigree and potential to be worth a fantasy start each week despite his recent lackluster production. In other words, stick with him or you will miss out on the highs as well as the lows!

New York Jets WR Davante Adams debuted for the team on Sunday night and as expected, was not limited at all. He immediately started and played every snap in three-receiver sets. The only plays he missed were during a few instances in two-TE sets. This had no impact on WR Garrett Wilson's playing time. WR Allen Lazard saw the most significant decrease in playing time among the primary WR group, losing most of his 2-TE set snaps and some of his 1-TE set snaps. Lazard had been the Jets' primary slot receiver this season, playing 149 snaps from the slot over the first six weeks compared to Wilson's 98. In this game, Adams and Wilson emerged as the clear leaders in slot snaps. Over the last two seasons, Wilson has averaged more fantasy points per route from the slot than when lined up out wide. Adams has generated more fantasy points when positioned out wide over the same period, although the Raiders rarely utilized him in the slot. During his last two seasons with the Packers, he lined up in the slot more frequently. Bottom Line: If this playing pattern holds, then both Wilson and Adams can exist and produce solid WR2 numbers for fantasy with WR1 upside. As for Lazard, he is actually the biggest loser of the group, since he will play out of position. That said, he still managed to catch all 4 targets on Sunday night for 58 yards. He becomes more of a risky flex due to reduced targets, one without much upside.

Denver Broncos rookie WR Troy Franklin is finally starting to make an impact. Franklin set a career-high in receiving yards (50), breaking the 31-yard mark he set for himself last week. Over the last two weeks since WR Josh Reynolds (finger) landed on injured reserve, the Broncos have mostly used WR Courtland Sutton, Franklin, and WR Devaughn Vele on passing plays, while Sutton and WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey are used on run plays. During those two weeks, Franklin has led the team in targets (9) and catches (7). Last Thursday night, he caught five passes for 50 yards, leading the Broncos. Bottom Line: Franklin is definitely worthy of a fantasy waiver wire pickup because there's a chance he will lead the Broncos in targets in more than one game over the rest of the season!

Tennessee Titans WR Calvin Ridley rebounded a bit on Sunday, catching 3 of 9 targets for 42 yards in a 34-10 loss to the Bills. He remained highly inefficient in the loss, though he did manage his highest yardage output since Week #2. Last week, Ridley was talked about after being held catchless in the previous game. The coaches said that needed to get Ridley more involved in the offense. And although he only caught three passes, his nine targets led the team by a wide margin. It's fair to wonder just what Ridley is going to be able to do moving forward in a passing game that simply looks lost, but this was at least a small step in the right direction. Ridley looks like a potential BUY LOW candidate for owners in dynasty leagues looking to add a veteran receiver who has a bit of upside. As for redrafter leagues, he is likely best left on your bench, unless you just lost a receiver like 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (knee) or Bucs WR Chris Godwin (ankle). In that case, beggars can't be choosers!

Cleveland Browns WR Cedric Tillman made quite the splash on Sunday, catching 8 of 12 targets for 81 yards in a 21-14 loss to the Bengals. After Cleveland traded WR Amari Cooper to Buffalo last week, speculation as to which receiver(s) would pick up the available targets mainly focused on WR Jerry Jeudy, WR Elijah Moore, and TE David Njoku. Tillman, to a lesser degree, was also expected to see a bump in activity, but Sunday's results were a big surprise. In Sunday's game, Tillman was a clear starter in 1-TE sets, while both WR Jaelon Darden and WR Jamari Thrash played more snaps than usual as the backups. In 2-TE sets, the team went with Jeudy and Tillman throughout the game. Tillman also received the most targets of any of the wideouts on the roster. He had entered the contest with just five targets (three catches) and hadn't been thrown to the previous three games. Obviously, it's uncertain Tillman will maintain that kind of priority with regard to targets, but desperate fantasy owners may want to give him a shot off their waiver wire. What can it hurt?

The following wideouts caught at least two passes or scored this past weekend and deserve fantasy consideration: New Orleans Saints WR Cedrick Wilson (6-57-1), New England Patriots WR K.J. Osborn (2-26-1), Detroit Lions WR Kalif Raymond (3-39-1), Minnesota Vikings WR Jalen Nailor (4-76), Green Bay Packers WR Dontavion Wicks (3-48-1), Cleveland Browns WR Elijah Moore (6-41), Tennessee Titans WR Tyler Boyd (5-43), Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman (4-125), Los Angeles Rams WR Tutu Atwell (6-51), Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman (4-121-1), and Los Angeles Chargers WR Josh Palmer (4-63).

The wideouts are dropping like flies in Tampa Bay, so TE Cade Otton stepped up to the challenge on Monday night! He caught 8 of 10 targets for 100 yards in the Buccaneers' 41-31 loss to the Ravens. Otton finished as the Buccaneers' leader in catches, receiving yards and targets, reaching the those numbers thanks to injuries suffered to WR Mike Evans (early - hamstring) and WR Chris Godwin (ankle - late). Otton's catches and receiving yardage totals were both regular-season career highs, while his target number matched the high-water mark he'd established in Week #13 of his 2022 rookie campaign. Otton could be set to garner a similar amount of QB Baker Mayfield's attention moving forward, considering Evans' injury and the fact Godwin was carted off with his left lower leg in an air cast, meaning he could be lost for the season. Bottom Line: Otton is a high priority waiver wire target for fantasy leagues this week, no doubts!

With TE Hayden Hurst (groin) inactive, TE Will Dissly led the Los Angeles Chargers TE room once again on Monday night and this time is led to a lot of fantasy production. Dissly is one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the NFL, but he also has a history of being a decent receiver. He consistently gained 200-400 yards with the Seahawks each season. Over the first five games, Hurst ran 75 routes to Dissly's 31, yet Dissly had more total catches and receiving yards. Dissly totaled more catches (8) and receiving yards (81) in Monday night's game alone than Hurst all season. It seems more than likely that Dissly will become the Chargers' primary tight end going forward, in which case he could have significant fantasy value. As such, Dissly deserves some fantasy consideration off your waiver wire in larger leagues, especially if Hurst continues to be plagued by a groin injury.

New England Patriots TE Hunter Henry continues to be one of the most frustrating tight ends for fantasy. Sunday's game was the second time this season he caught 8 passes for 90+ yards, but in his five other games, he's only caught 2/3 passes each game for an average of 22 yards. Last season, he similarly had four weeks with 16+ PPR points, but in over half of his games, he was held under 6 PPR points. That said, there are indications that rookie QB Drake Maye likes to target Henry, and they are working well together. The WR corps is a work in progress, so Henry brings stability to a growing passing game. That means he could be more stable for fantasy moving forward. Bottom Line: Beggars can't be choosers, so if Henry's still on your waiver wire, grab him if you are in need and hope he continues to produce!

The beat goes on for Seattle Seahawks TE Noah Fant, as he topped 60 receiving yards in his second-straight game on Sunday. Fant caught 4 passes for 65 yards after catching 6 passes for 63 yards last week. Fant's role still isn't ideal because rookie TE A.J. Barner has cut into his playing time significantly in both one and two-TE sets. Throughout the season, Fant tends to be on the field more on passing plays, while Barner is on the field more on run plays. This hasn't mattered as much for Fant as it has other tight ends in a rotation because of how many plays the Seahawks run and how much they pass. Over the first six games, the Seahawks have run 307 pass plays, which is 25 more than any other team. They've gone from the team that runs the fewest plays per game to the team that runs the most thanks to the coaching change. This means that despite getting rotated out more than other elite tight ends, his 210 routes over the first six weeks are the third-most for tight ends. Bottom Line: Fant is one of the best waiver wire options at tight end this week because he's maintaining a high target share thanks to his good overall play.

The following tight ends caught at least two passes this past weekend or scored and deserve fantasy consideration: Miami Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith (7-96-1), Denver Broncos TE Lucas Krull (3-41), New Orleans Saints TE Juwan Johnson (3-18), New Orleans Saints TE Foster Moreau (2-38), Cleveland Browns TE Jordan Akins (4-42), Tennessee Titans TE Chiggy Okonkwo (4-50), Carolina Panthers TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (6-61), Los Angeles Rams TE Colby Parkinson (2-32), and Kansas City Chiefs TE Noah Gray (4-66).

The following is the 7^th in-season free agent player rankings list for the 2024 NFL season. If you're looking for a free agent off your leagues' waiver wire to fill a need (maybe depth), these are the players to consider...

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