National Football League

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Watch Week 7

Published Oct. 14, 2014 1:02 p.m. ET

Ryan Fowler

Ever heard of the GLIAC? The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference? Buehler? Anything?

If you have, I would suspect you either attended one of the conferences institutions or heard the conference mentioned in passing when the University of Findlay basketball team won a 2009 D-II National Championship like this …

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Andre Holmes knows all about the GLIAC – a 2011 graduate of Hillsdale College. Yes, three days after torching the San Diego Chargers, the former Hillsdale Charger becomes one of the most coveted waiver wire targets of Week 7. Holmes caught four passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns. Over the past two games, Derek Carr has targeted him 20 times, compiled 195 yards with three touchdowns.

It’s not the first time Holmes has been on my fantasy football radar this season. A quick glance back to my 2014 pre-draft fantasy football rankings shows my bullish stance on the receiver. Back in early August, Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur and I also discussed the odds Holmes could win a starting gig out of training camp on the FOX Sports Team Report Podcast.

You may ask, how many leagues did you draft Holmes in? The answer: zero. However, I’m not the first team to pass. The Vikings, Cowboys and Patriots all signed him, but either kept him on the practice squad or failed to insert him into a regular season contest.

Here’s an excerpt from a Dallas Morning News article after Holmes torched the Cowboys last Thanksgiving for seven reception for 136 yards.

Holmes remaining schedule isn’t a cake-walk, but if you are like me and adhere the notion that the Raiders will need to pass the ball to compete on Sundays, adding him to your roster is the move to make.

Shane Vereen / Brandon Bolden / James White / Jonas Gray

You are looking at what the experts call a FFBFUBAR backfield and/or fantasy football quagmire. However, if you’re the type of owner that enjoys the occasional gamble and has a roster stash slot open, Bolden could be your guy. He’s had a few games of positive production over the past three seasons. He’s been crucial to the Patriots’ special teams play in 2014.

Rookie James White has a shot, but has been a healthy scratch the last two weeks. The same holds true for Jonas Gray – currently on the practice squad.

Vereen is owned in 77 percent of leagues. It’s safe to say 100 percent of those owners are banging their heads against a wall.

I look at it this way, after a sluggish start, Tom Brady’s offense has started to move the chains behind a pass-heavy offense. To throw a rookie or practice squad tailback into the equation wouldn’t make much sense especially with Brady’s patience for young offensive options worn thin.

Bolden runs more like Ridley than Vereen, but with the passing game so active, the absence of Ridley could remind “The Hoodie” Vereen caught 47 passes for over 400 yards with three touchdowns in only eight games last year.

Rueben Randle (available 48 percent) and Odell Beckham Jr. (available 76 percent of leagues)

Randle ranks seventh in wide receiver targets over the last month (39) and that was with Victor Cruz in the lineup. He only has four games with more than 80 receiving yards in 38 games, but expect that number to jump rest of season.

Beckham was the latest shiny new toy out of the box after he scored his first NFL touchdown in his first career game. He caught four out of five passes for 44 yards with the score against the Falcons.

Cecil Shorts – available 59 percent of leagues

Targets haven’t been an issue for Shorts the last season and a half. He ranked inside the top 25 in looks last season with 125 thanks, mostly, to Chad Henne. A bad hamstring slowed Shorts this past August and September, but Blake Bortles targeted him a career-high 16 times against the Titans in Week 6. Shorts finished with 10 receptions for 103 yards and reignited his PPR fantasy value. However, the receptions and yards were never in question, it’s whether or not Bortles and Shorts can trump the three touchdowns posted by the receiver last season.

Jerick McKinnon – available in 87 percent of leagues

How’s this for a stat and reason to target McKinnon: over the last month the Vikings running back ranks 21st in fantasy points scored in PPR leagues. He’s a RB2 the last month. McKinnon’s stock received the necessary uptick after he “earned” the start over Matt Asiata against the Lions. His 80 total yards with six receptions is encouraging, but a quick glance ahead at the Vikings schedule also displays a unfriendly fantasy playoff schedule. He’s not thee answer, but could be a plug and play FLEX option in PPR leagues.

Mohamed Sanu – available in 52 percent of leagues

Marvin Jones is out for the year and the Bengals signed Greg Little. Sanu’s job security has never been stronger. He’s averaging better than 18 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues. A.J. Green’s foot isn’t near healthy. The Bengals face the Colts in Week 7 which expects to be a high-scoring matchup (49 over/under).