Waiver-wire news changes fast and furious throughout the week as injuries and depth-chart shenanigans overtake us. So be sure to follow me on Twitter by clicking on the link next to my headshot at the bottom of the column, and I'll keep you updated as news warrants. Let's get to the best fantasy roster additions heading into Week 7:
Standard ESPN league finds
Jerick McKinnon, RB, Minnesota Vikings (owned in 5.1 percent of ESPN leagues): Last week I recorded a Film Room evaluating McKinnon, little suspecting that the Vikings would make him their starter in Week 6. Jet played 44 snaps compared to 14 for Matt Asiata, and he out-touched Asiata 17-3. Does this mean a permanent changing of the guard? I've heard speculation that the Vikings made this switch because they were concerned about the Detroit Lions' front four, and they'll go right back to Asiata next week. We're all just speculating until they play another game, but my guess is this change sticks. McKinnon isn't a bruiser, but he's got acceleration and quickness in droves, and enough strength and power to throw off defensive backs. He should be added in all leagues.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants (7.9 percent): Victor Cruz is out for the year with a torn patellar tendon, which elevates Rueben Randle and Beckham in the pecking order. I'd first check to see if Randle is available in my league, but if he isn't, add the rookie ODB. The Giants spent the 12th overall pick on Beckham this spring, and his hamstring is finally healthy. He was disappointing Sunday night with only two catches on three targets, but I have to believe that's the fewest chances he'll get in a game the rest of the year. The Giants hope Beckham can be an Antonio Brown-like player on the outside.
Mohamed Sanu, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (38.9 percent): With A.J. Green reportedly unlikely to play in Week 7 and Marvin Jones potentially facing surgery on his problematic ankle, Sanu gets at least one more game as Andy Dalton's top target. For three quarters Sunday, that didn't go so well: Sanu was stuck on three grabs for 19 yards, though he did have a long gain down the seam called back because of an illegal shift. Fortunately for Sanu, he grabbed four for 74 and a TD in a frantic fourth quarter, then another three for 27 in a full overtime period. All this is by way of saying: Sanu is a lot like T.J. Houshmandzadeh. He's a possession receiver and game flow can shut him down. However, he's also a nice red zone target. He's addable and startable for one more week, but I view him as a No. 3 fantasy receiver.
Buffalo Bills defense/special teams (37.6 percent): As always, it's tempting to stream the defense facing the Jaguars, and this week that's the Cleveland Browns (4.8 percent). I'm OK with them, but my concern is that they haven't been particularly good this year: They give up a lot of yards, and don't generate many turnovers. So I prefer the Bills, if you can grab them. They're at home against the Vikings' rookie QB, and seek amends for a bad Week 6 performance. And they are good: The D-line is one of the league's best, and team-wide they're adept stopping the run.
Other solid waiver adds, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Ronnie Hillman, RB, Broncos (5.3 percent); Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns (10.7 percent); James Jones, WR, Raiders (46.2 percent); Josh Gordon, WR, Browns (11.2 percent); Markus Wheaton, WR, Steelers (16.5 percent); Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs (46.5 percent); Owen Daniels, TE, Ravens (31.0 percent).
Speculative standard-league finds
Andre Holmes, WR, Oakland Raiders (0.5 percent): You may remember Holmes from Thanksgiving Day last year, when he caught seven passes for 136 yards against his old team, the Dallas Cowboys. For a 6-foot-4, 223-pound player, Holmes moves well and attacks the ball with freaky-long arms. To this point in his career, though, he's been inconsistent; he hadn't come near a 100-yard receiving day again until this past Sunday, when he registered 121 and two TDs. Holmes has three scores in his past two games, so perhaps he's figuring stuff out. Then again, there are lot of Raiders WRs involved right now: James Jones and Brice Butler also scored Sunday, and if you think Derek Carr is ready to support three fantasy-relevant WRs every week, well, you believe in Carr more than I do. I don't mind Holmes as a speculative add, I just wonder whether he'll find consistency.
Brandon Bolden, RB, New England Patriots (1.8 percent): Stevan Ridley is out for the year with a torn ACL, adding yet another complication to one of the league's hardest-to-decipher backfields. Shane Vereen hasn't seen double-digit carries in a game this year and toted it five times Sunday, twice after Ridley's injury. In fact, Bolden was the immediate prime beneficiary with six carries after Ridley got injured, but it's worth noting that James White (0.3 percent) was inactive for Week 6, at least partly because Bolden plays on special teams. Considering the glowing reports on White in training camp, he could get in the mix, too, as could practice squad player Jonas Gray (0.0 percent).
Storm Johnson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (1.1 percent): With Toby Gerhart shelved by a foot injury, Johnson started Sunday and vultured an early 1-yard TD, but like Gerhart and every other Jags RB this season, he was unable to find any running room. His stat line (11 touches, 24 yards) was nightmarish, as was the final backfield snap count: Johnson played 18 snaps while Jordan Todman played 33 and Denard Robinson 29. No doubt part of that was because of the scoreboard: Jacksonville trailed for most of the day. But it wasn't an auspicious beginning for the rookie Johnson, nor is there any guarantee that Gerhart will be out for a long time. Perhaps the Jags will stay more committed to Johnson in another non-horrible matchup this week versus the Browns.
Deeper-league finds
Tre Mason, RB, St. Louis Rams (2.1 percent): Zac Stacy couldn't find much room to run Monday night and didn't play much in the second half, adding to speculation that he isn't healthy. (It was odd, however, to see Stacy re-inserted on the Rams' final desperation drive, a situation where he normally wouldn't play.) Anyway, something funky is going on with last year's surprise star, and Mason could take advantage. He showed some juice on the first six touches of his regular-season NFL career, although he proved he's utterly unready to be a pro-level pass-blocker. For the moment, this backfield looks fairly hands-off, but Mason could be worth a stash.
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers (25.6 percent): Heck, maybe I should've put the Daily Show on the standard-league list, but we've been burned so many times by these Panthers backs. Stewart is reportedly close to returning from his knee injury, which would probably put him right back in a starting role with DeAngelo Williams still out. But Fozzy Whittaker (0.1 percent) and/or Darrin Reaves (1.3 percent) also will probably mix in, and Cam Newton got back to his running ways Sunday. You'd have to be pretty desperate to start Stewart.
Juwan Thompson, RB, Denver Broncos (0.7 percent): Ronnie Hillman was the clear starter in Montee Ball's absence, but the second man up wasn't C.J. Anderson (38.8 percent), it was Thompson, an undrafted rookie from Duke. He got nine touches and served as a thumping complement to the lighter, quicker Hillman. It would probably take an injury to get Thompson a fantasy-relevant role, but it's interesting to note where he falls on the depth chart.
Josh Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints (0.2 percent): Jimmy Graham is set to miss at least one game and possibly more with an injured shoulder. The Saints like Hill, though they've yet to officially hand him over the No. 2 TE role; Ben Watson (0.1 percent) is a more trustworthy blocker. Without Graham, though, the Saints could turn to Hill, who is more athletic than Watson at this point in their careers. You probably can't start Hill until we see how this works out, but I don't hate adding him in very deep leagues.
Brandon LaFell, WR, Patriots (2.9 percent): Just when you think you can trust LaFell, believe me, you can't. Yes, he scored twice Sunday and has at least 97 yards receiving in two of his past three games. But LaFell is a top teaser: good size, adequate speed, terrific leaping ability, but his hands are stone and he makes mental errors galore. You can feel free to chase his bygone stats. I'm likelier to keep an eye on Brian Tyms (0.0 percent), who made his regular-season debut Sunday and caught a long TD thrown into triple coverage. A height/weight/speed freak who spent a couple of years on the Dolphins' and Browns' practice squads, Tyms impressed the Pats this summer, and has become a name to know in dynasty leagues.
Chris Polk, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (0.6 percent): Darren Sproles suffered a small tear in a knee ligament Sunday night and is expected to miss time. The Eagles are off in Week 7 and Polk has battled a hamstring problem for weeks, but there's a chance he's LeSean McCoy's backup against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8. We've seen that role lead to unexpected fantasy points.
Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins (0.4 percent): Odell Beckham's college teammate, Landry flew lower profile throughout the draft process but is a decent prospect himself, and busted out with six catches for 75 yards and a TD Sunday. Landry had been splitting third-receiver snaps with Brandon Gibson, but Gibson missed Week 6 with a bad hamstring. If he could make his way into two-receiver sets, Landry would offer more upside than Brian Hartline.
Other solid waiver adds for deep-leaguers, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Vikings (11.2 percent); Austin Davis, QB, Rams (4.6 percent); Blake Bortles, QB, Jaguars (3.3 percent); Antone Smith, RB Falcons (5.1 percent); Benjamin Cunningham, RB, Rams (1.8 percent); Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Ravens (20.3 percent); Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars (1.3 percent); Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers (4.2 percent); Louis Murphy, WR, Buccaneers (0.3 percent); Jordan Matthews, WR, Eagles (8.7 percent); Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars (11.9 percent); Andrew Hawkins, WR, Browns (11.3 percent); Dwayne Allen, TE, Colts (15.9 percent); Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Buccaneers (0.5 percent); Tim Wright, TE, Patriots (3.6 percent); Jace Amaro, TE, Jets (1.3 percent).