Week 7 Fantasy Football Stash Report: Streamers, rookies, backup RBs, deep-league options to put on your bench

USATSI

In Week 8 we will go from six teams on a bye to zero, so naturally there should be more room for stashes on the back side of rosters. There is also an opportunity for picking up players who were dropped in the past week because of roster crunches. This could be an opportunity to pick up a rest of season kicker like Brandon Aubrey or Evan McPherson. It could also be your last chance to add a guy like Tank Dell, who saw his roster rate fall to 74% first because of his concussion and second because of his bye.

In the four categories below you'll find future streamers, rookie stashes, backup running backs, and deep-league stashes. For the first three categories, I am looking for guys rostered in 65% of leagues or less. For the deep-league stashes, I'll target guys rostered in fewer than 10% of leagues who I haven't mentioned yet.

You can also plan further in the future by checking out my Dynasty Trade Chart available at SportsLine.

Week 8 streamers

QB Kyler Murray (63%)

We don't know for sure that Murray will start in Week 8, but he needs to be rostered in close to 90% of leagues. He will be once he's fully recovered from his torn ACL. He has already shown us elite Fantasy upside and he's never averaged fewer than 20 FPPG in any season.

TE Jake Ferguson (63%)

The fact that nearly two-thirds of teams appear to be carrying Ferguson through his bye tells you that he should be a priority. While his past two games have been disappointing, I still view him as someone you may be able to add and use as a set-it-forget-it starting option.

DST New York Jets (64%)

Despite a grueling opening schedule, the Jets defense ranks No. 6 in standard CBS scoring. In Week 8 they face the Giants, who have surrendered the most Fantasy points to opposing defenses. If the Jets are available on your waiver wire, they're worth carrying through their bye.

K Brandon Aubrey (51%)

Aubrey and McPherson are both excellent options rest of season, but Aubrey is at home against the Rams in Week 8 while McPherson is at San Francisco. This is enough to make Aubrey the clear priority.

Rookie stashes

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (53%)

Smith-Njigba actually saw his roster rate drop again this week, and it's not surprising after the post-bye breakout failed to materialize in Week 6. Still, I'd like to have him on my bench. If you're looking for a positive, his route participation was at a season-high 81% last week.

Josh Downs (43%)

I don't really understand why Downs can't gain any momentum in terms of roster rate, but the Week 7 matchup against the Browns may explain it. Downs has six or more targets and 13 or more Fantasy points in three of his last four games. He may not be a stash at all because he's a fine flex this week.

Luke Musgrave (59%)

Musgrave has 15 targets in his last two healthy games, is coming off of his bye, and gets to face the Broncos. He could leap into must-start territory if he has another seven-target game and produces.

Backup running backs

Zach Charbonnet (64%)

Charbonnet has previously been in the rookie section, but it is becoming more and more clear that he's strictly a handcuff to Kenneth Walker at this point. He's also battling a hamstring injury so his roster rate may go even lower. I'm not sure any backup has more upside in the case of injury.

Latavius Murray (36%)

With Damien Harris injured, the depth chart clears up in Buffalo. Murray would see 15-plus touches if something happens to Cook. Murray also gives you touchdown upside every week, which makes him a fine flex with six teams on a bye.

Devin Singletary (27%)

It's not often I would tell you to stash a veteran backup running back over their bye, but Singletary outplayed Pierce in Week 6 and was rewarded with a season-high 54% snap share. At this point I'm not even sure he needs an injury to become Fantasy relevant. He may take the job without one.

Deep-league stashes

Zamir White (7%)

Josh Jacobs continues to dominate touches in this backfield. But his extreme workload means more opportunities for injury, and White is the clear backup if Jacobs goes down. I wouldn't expect efficiency from White if Jacobs goes down, but I would expect more than 15 touches per game.

Trey McBride (6%)

McBride played his most snaps in Week 6 and delivered 62 yards on a season-high five targets. The trade deadline is approaching, and if Zach Ertz gets dealt, McBride becomes a top-12 tight end.