Early Waiver Wire Report Week 7: Kimani Vidal, Kayshon Boutte Emerge as League-Winning Pickups
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The sixth week of the NFL season delivered no shortage of surprises, making the waiver wire as crucial as any other for fantasy football managers.
Whether it was a rookie flashing upside, a veteran carving out a bigger role or an injury opening the door for a new opportunity, these early adds can influence one’s fantasy football outlook for the rest of the season.
From emerging backfield options to pass-catchers commanding surprising volume, here are the top waiver wire targets heading into Week 7.
*Percentage denotes roster rate on ESPN and Yahoo*
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants (ESPN: 61% Yahoo: 56%)
Robinson made my early waiver wire adds list ahead of Week 3. It feels like forever ago, as Russell Wilson was still the Giants’ starter under center and Malik Nabers was still healthy and in the lineup. As weird as it may sound, those two changes have directly boosted Robinson’s fantasy value. He’s now the No. 1 pass catcher in the Giants’ offense, which Jaxson Dart has elevated. Robinson caught 6-of-7 targets for 84 yards and a touchdown (20.4 fantasy points) vs. the Eagles on Thursday night. Look for him to continue being Dart’s favorite target going forward.
After two full games with Jaxson Dart and no Malik Nabers, @LordDontLose has seen enough of Wan’Dale Robinson to have him in fantasy lineups every week pic.twitter.com/7IEPBWtqJM
— Rotoworld Football (@rotoworld_fb) October 10, 2025
Evan Engram, TE, Denver Broncos (ESPN: 55% Yahoo: 54%)
Engram was one of my favorite targets in fantasy drafts over the offseason. However, early-season injuries and inconsistent usage made him a prime drop candidate. He has since returned to the Broncos’ lineup and is beginning to string together some solid performances. Engram is coming off a season-high in catches (5) and yards (42) this week in Dublin. He’s assumed the consistent role in the slot, where Sean Payton has cycled through many different players in the last few years. I anticipate Engram salvaging his slow start to the season by continuing to be a valuable asset for fantasy managers.
Sure seems as if Bo Nix is an advocate for more continued targets for Evan Engram. No need to read between the lines here.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) October 12, 2025
"That's what happens when you try to get him the ball. He makes big plays. That's why we acquired him." pic.twitter.com/4sED6ueeHD
Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts (ESPN: 42% Yahoo: 48%)
Downs has been the forgotten man in the Colts’ offense in 2025. The third-year wide receiver was a productive fantasy asset each of the last two seasons, as he was targeted at a high rate out of the slot, especially last year. Downs is coming off two of his best performances of the year. This week, he hauled in 6-of-7 targets for 42 yards and his first score in 2025. He scored a season-high 16.2 fantasy points and was also the second-most targeted Colt behind Tyler Warren. Downs is a worthwhile pickup with week-to-week flex appeal that’s available in many leagues.
It's a @Colts TD! Josh Downs ties it up.
— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2025
AZvsIND on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Zopk6l6p8k
Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants (ESPN: 35% Yahoo: 29%)
Dart also made my early waiver wire targets list, as he appeared on it ahead of Week 5. The rookie is coming off his best performance as a pro, helping the Giants destroy the Eagles, 34-17, on Thursday night. He passed for 195 yards, rushed for another 58 and scored two total touchdowns. Dart scored 23.6 fantasy points, and a major catalyst behind his production is his use of his legs. He’s commanded at least seven carries and rushed for 54 or more yards in each of his three starts. As long as that trend continues, Dart will be a fantasy asset.
Jaxson Dart is the first rookie QB to ever defeat a reigning Super Bowl MVP QB in primetime within his first 3 career starts ✅#NYGiants pic.twitter.com/XVIRULu4QI
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) October 10, 2025
Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (ESPN: 27% Yahoo: 27%)
Following Omarion Hampton's placement on IR, many questioned whether it would be Hassan Haskins or Vidal leading the Chargers’ backfield. Vidal put those questions to rest this week. He commanded 21 touches for 138 total yards to go along with a receiving touchdown (22.8 fantasy points). On the other hand, Haskins had just seven touches for a net of 23 yards. As Hampton remains on IR over the next several weeks, Vidal is the back fantasy managers want on their rosters.
If you picked up Kimani Vidal, you won
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) October 12, 2025
If you picked up Hassan Haskins, you didn'tpic.twitter.com/D1gLiPY7oM
Bam Knight, RB, Arizona Cardinals (ESPN: 6% Yahoo: 13%)
Michael Carter led the Cardinals’ backfield with 23 touches in Week 6. However, it was Knight who paced the Arizona backs with 12 touches, including 11 carries this week. He was inefficient, rushing for 34 yards (3.1 YPC), but reached the end zone in back-to-back weeks. Knight played 49% of snaps while Carter played 46%. Emari Demercado saw just three snaps, signaling that the Cardinals’ backfield will be led by a committee between Knight and Carter going forward. Trey Benson likely won’t return until Week 9, which is after Arizona’s bye week.
Bam, there it is 💥
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 12, 2025
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/1KPdrXWQ4S
Kayshon Boutte, WR, New England Patriots (ESPN: 7% Yahoo: 7%)
Boutte is another player who was on my list of early waiver wire adds in a past week. He was one I highlighted all the way back in Week 1. The wide receiver hasn’t been able to replicate his Week 1 success until now, but he posted his possibly best game yet as a pro. Boutte scored multiple touchdowns for the first time in his career. Overall, he caught 5-of-5 targets for 93 yards and scored 26.3 fantasy points. Drake Maye is playing out of his mind. Boutte was the beneficiary this week, but he should be on fantasy managers’ radar.
.@KayshonBoutte1 to the end zone for the second time this half!
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 12, 2025
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/uMwUYvpaGW
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Michael Rovetto previously served as the staff writer for University of Maryland Athletics for nearly two years. There, he wrote, edited and managed all editorial content for all 20 of Maryland's varsity sports on umterps.com. Rovetto is recognized as a College Sports Communicators district award-winning writer. Many of his stories have also appeared on NCAA.org, garnering national attention. Before graduating from Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2023, Rovetto wrote for PressBox and Terrapin Sports Central, covering Maryland men's basketball and football. He also has experience in broadcasting, previously working as an analyst and camera operator for Big State Sports, and communication, interning for Shell Shock TBT as its Director of Communication & Content Development.