A lot of crazy games and upsets in Week 7 of the NFL. The Ravens swooped in and beat the Lions, the Patriots picked on a struggling Bills team, and the Tyson Bagent led Bears team mauled the Raiders. We also had some craziness with the Atlanta Falcons not reporting Bijan Robinson’s illness, as they’re required to do. That event led to him being on the most chopped player list along with some other big names. I’m here to help you make the best waiver wire bid on the most chopped players going into Week 8.
Big-Name Players Chopped from Week 7:
Bijan Robinson (bid 15 percent)
It’s no shocker that Bijan ends up on this list. The illness seems like a one-off, so it’s not something we should be concerned with moving forward. Bijan hasn’t been quite the bell-cow running back we’ve wanted, but he’s still getting a ton of usage. His running mate, Tyler Allgeier, has 66 percent of the team’s carries inside the 5-yard line, which makes sense but is also concerning. Bijan has just two touchdowns on the season, both coming through the air. He’s still in elite company as one of five running backs averaging 55 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards per game (Tony Pollard, Christian McCaffrey, Travis Etienne, James Cook, and Bijan Robinson).
Austin Ekeler (bid 24 percent)
Speaking of elite company, Ekeler ends up on this list after facing a stout Chiefs defense. Ekeler for the most part, is matchup-proof. Combine that with the Chargers already past their bye, and Ekeler is locked into your lineup for the rest of the season. Better days are ahead for last year’s top running back.
Josh Jacobs (bid 15 percent)
Jacobs hasn’t quite looked himself during the 2023 season, but he is getting the bulk of the workload. He’s averaging 17 carries (3rd-best among running backs) and 5 targets a game (second best). Jacobs has been extremely inefficient, averaging a miserable 2.9 yards per carry and only 2 touchdowns this season. His workload makes him a safe bet in guillotine leagues, let’s just hope his efficiency gets better.
Calvin Ridley (bid 2 percent)
Ridley has been a detriment to guillotine league teams. Two of his seven performances have been good this season. He’s been too boom-or-bust on the season for me to confidently plug him into my lineup. With only 11 teams left in guillotine leagues, you’re probably kicking off a solid player for Ridley, so just keep that in mind; you likely won’t be needing him in your lineup for much longer. Hopefully the Jaguars figure out how to get him involved more after the bye, but that’s not something I'm banking on.
Raheem Mostert (bid 19 percent)
Ready, set, go! That’s the Miami Dolphins’ track…sorry, football team. Mostert isn’t in the top 12 in carries and targets, but he is extremely efficient. 11 touchdowns through seven games and more games to play without De’Von Achane, who, much like Mostert, can make any touch a house call. I have him slightly behind Ekeler just because of Ekeler’s floor of passing work, and he’s past his bye.
Cooper Kupp (bid 25 percent)
Puka Nacua has taken the NFL by storm, but let’s not act as if Kupp isn’t still the real deal. Both can coexist on the Rams’ offense, which is passing at the 10th highest rate in the NFL. Since Kupp came back in Week 5, both Puka and Kupp have target shares north of 30 percent, which is elite. There may be more games than we would like that end up like Weeks six and seven, where Puka and Kupp swap whose “week” it is, but they can also work fine alongside each other with the elite amount of receiving work they are getting.
Keenan Allen (bid 22 percent)
A guillotine legend due to his safety, Keenan is on a 17-game pace for 130 receptions and is currently 6th in receiving yards, despite having his bye already. He’s a player that you can lock into your lineup for the rest of the season with confidence.
JaMarr Chase (bid 25 percent)
It’s unfair when you’re a popular chopped player and you don’t even have a dog in the fight because you’re on bye. Nevertheless, Chase is another player, much like Keenan, that you can lock into your lineups, so the expensive price tag is warranted. Chase has a league high of 45 percent of his team’s receiving yardage. Joe Burrow has likely had time to heal up over the bye, which is great news for Chase. His receiving mate, Tee Higgins, was seen at practice this week after dealing with a rib injury before the bye, so he seems to be ready to go out there, but that doesn’t lower my confidence in Chase in the slightest
Gabe Davis (bid 2 percent)
Much like Calvin Ridley, Gabe Davis has been too boom-or-bust. In weeks in which he got a touchdown, which happened for four weeks in a row, you were happy. Outside of that, he’s absolutely demolished your fantasy team. Davis is the exact type of player I hope I see my league mates paying up for and starting. I’m totally out on Davis.
Team Assumptions:
The bid amounts are subject to how your team is doing. If you are cruising along just fine, your team is a top-half team, and you’ve sustained minimal injuries, congratulations. The bids I recommend should be lowered by roughly 5-8 percent. If your team was nearly chopped this week (like mine), you’re dealing with serious injuries, or you simply won’t get any points out of the player you’ve got to start, consider going above these recommended bids by 5-8 percent. If you’re in the middle of the pack, feel free to bid as recommended. For a more detailed and tailored recommendation amount, feel free to hit me up on Twitter. I do a guillotine league post every Tuesday morning. You show me your team and which players are available, and I recommend amounts to bid.
—Colt Williams
Williams is working towards a degree in economics and statistics at Sonoma State. A United States Air Force veteran, he’s been playing fantasy football since 2012. Follow him on Twitter @_ColtWilliams