Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only guys eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 40% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

Matthew Stafford (22.7)
Shaun Hill has a broken arm, so the Lions are planning to bring Stafford back after the team’s Week 7 bye. His upcoming schedule is very favorable (WAS, NYJ, BUF, DAL, NE), so he should make an excellent backup/borderline starter for the stretch run.

Chad Henne (62.6)
Henne has thrown 2 TDs in each of the last three weeks. His schedule gets tougher before it starts to ease up in Week 12 (@ OAK).

Josh Freeman (13.8)
Yesterday on Twitter, I mentioned that Freeman is the master of the garbage TD. He has thrown for six scores in five games, and his schedule is pretty reasonable the rest of the way.

Matt Cassel (10.5)
It’s not so much Cassel’s play of late, which has been better. It’s more about how favorable his schedule is over the next several weeks. He has JAX, BUF, OAK, ARI, SEA and DEN twice. He makes a decent QB2 going forward.

Sam Bradford (30.3)
With Mark Clayton out, I don’t feel as good about Bradford as I did a couple of weeks ago. That said, his schedule starting Week 10 is pretty favorable.

Matt Hasselbeck (17.8)
Except for the St. Louis game, Hasselbeck has thrown for at least 220 yards and one TD or for two TDs in the four other games.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (5.6)
It’s tough to argue with seven TDs in the last three weeks, but his schedule gets pretty tough over the next three weeks (BAL, KC, CHI).

Kevin Kolb (58.4)
He’s playing well and a Week 7 matchup with the Titans isn’t bad, so if you need a spot starter, you could do a lot worse. But his long-term status as a starter is very much up in the air.

Bruce Gradkowski (2.5)
Gradkowski should be the starter once that shoulder is healthy. Hopefully, he’ll return this week in time for a matchup with the Broncos.

Alex Smith (15.9)
He has five TDs in the last two weeks and eight TDs on the season. His Week 7 matchup (@ CAR) isn’t the greatest, but things ease up down the stretch.

Colt McCoy (1.2)

Matt Moore (1.2)

Max Hall (1.0)

Trent Edwards (0.6)

Donald Brown (60.3)
Joseph Addai was knocked out of the game for the second consecutive week with some sort of head/shoulder injury, and was reportedly ‘woozy’ heading to the locker room. If he’s out of action, Brown should be the first in line for carries. He has been out of commission for a while but is reportedly getting close, so he should be available after the team’s bye in Week 7.

Danny Woodhead (6.3)
I actually had to start Woodhead in two PPR leagues this week and was rewarded with 16+ points. He has taken over Kevin Faulk’s role in the offense and actually led the Pats in carries on Sunday. He’ll get more work when the Pats are playing catch-up, though his value could take a hit if/when Fred Taylor comes back.

Chris Ivory (2.1)
After being outplayed by Ladell Betts in Week 5, Ivory bounced back with 15 carries for 158 yards against the Bucs. He appears to be the main ball carrier as long as Pierre Thomas is out.

Mike Hart (2.0)
Hart would backup Brown if Addai can’t go in Week 8. If Brown can’t go, Hart would be a solid RB2 against the Texans.

Earnest Graham (11.9)
LeGarrette Blount (1.6)
Graham has been pretty solid this season, though he did leave Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. With Kareem Huggins’ season-ending ACL injury, Graham’s position is a bit more solidified. As for Blount, he was inactive for Sunday’s game, but should be active going forward in Huggins absence.

Derrick Ward (2.4)
He’s probably the best handcuff for Arian Foster, though he has some value in his own right given the fact that he has rushed for a TD in each of the last three games.

Keiland Williams (0.9)
Ryan Torain had a big game for the Redskins, but came out of Week 6 nicked up. It appears that Williams would be next in line if Torain were to miss any time.

Roy E. Williams (65.9)
Two more TD against the Vikings gives Williams five in the last three weeks. It looks like the light has finally gone on.

Kenny Britt (64.8)

Mike Williams 2.0 (53.4)
He has at least four receptions or a TD in all five games. The upcoming schedule (STL, ARI, ATL) is pretty nice.

Jabar Gaffney (48.0)
Continues to be money in PPR leagues. The guy is on pace for a 99-catch season. Seriously.

Robert Meachem (58.5)
2009’s second-half star has finally started his 2010 season. He has 8-128-2 in the last two weeks, but it’s tough to depend on any WR in the Saints’ spread-the-wealth offense.

Lance Moore (58.4)
Moore has three nice games in the last four, but that fourth (1-8 vs. ARI) was ugly. Still, he has 14 receptions and four TDs in the last four games.

Davone Bess (19.7)
Bess seems to be expanding his game from possession guy to bona fide redzone target. 19-219-2 in the last three games.

Deion Branch (13.1)
9-98-1 in his first game back. The matchups aren’t great the next two weeks and I’m skeptical about Branch’s long term upside, but this debut was impressive.

Danny Amendola (32.3)
There was a lot of hype heading into Week 6 and Amendola posted 3-19. Ugh. However, he’s still on pace for 96 catches. Pick him up if you’re in a PPR league or a deeper standard league.

Mike Thomas (11.0)
8-88 against the Titans. He continues to be the Jags most dependable receiver, especially in PPR leagues. He is on pace for 77 catches this season.

Mike Williams 1.0 (45.4)
His 10-123 outing against Chicago was by far his best game of the year. Seattle needs someone to step up.

Steve Johnson (10.6)
Johnson has four TD in the last three weeks and has caught at least three passes in every game this season. With Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, these Bills are no pushovers.

Louis Murphy (44.0)
Murphy really needs Bruce Gradkowski under center. Man, it feels weird typing that.

Vincent Jackson (55.2)
V-Jax is apparently going to report to the Chargers by the end of the month and potentially play starting in Week 12. The way San Diego’s receiving corps has suddenly been depleted, they could use him. If your team is looking strong, he’s an interesting guy to stash for possible use during the fantasy playoffs.

Nate Washington (61.2)

Nate Burleson (29.4)
After a rough start to the season, Burleson is finally healthy. 10-106-2 in the last two weeks is nothing to sneeze at. There are a few nice matchups coming up as well.

Deon Butler (1.0)
4-47-1 in his first game w/o Deion Branch. He looks like the WR2 in Seattle after Mike Williams 1.0. Throw in his deep play ability and he’s an interesting pickup in deeper leagues.

Patrick Crayton (0.5)
Buster Davis (0.3)
With Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee out, these are the starting WRs for the Chargers. Seriously. And with the Patriots coming up, they’re actually startable this week.

Steve Breaston (57.7)
It looks like he’s going to make his return in Week 7.

Michael Jenkins (0.7)
He had 5-99 in his first game back from injury.

Jacoby Jones (34.4)
Kevin Walter wasn’t even targeted in Week 6, so it looks like Jones is Houston’s WR2, at least for now.

Anthony Armstrong (2.1)
8-130-1 in the last two weeks. He’s coming on.

Devin Hester (28.7)
We keep waiting…and waiting…and waiting…for some consistency.

James Jones (1.9)
Keep an eye on Donald Driver’s hamstring injury. If he misses any time, Jones figures to get most of the extra work.

Owen Daniels (57.0)
Is he almost back? 5-79 in Week 6 heading into a bye week. He should be close to 100% in Week 8.

Aaron Hernandez (50.0)
He had a couple of drops in overtime, but still, 4-61 isn’t bad.

Heath Miller (47.9)
It didn’t take long for Ben Roethlisberger to boost Miller’s value. He went 2-50-1 in Week 6,

Benjamin Watson (4.6)
He’s not going to catch a ton of TDs, but in PPR leagues, Watson is a fine TE2 and a borderline starter. He has 22 catches in the last four weeks.

Tony Moeaki (18.5)
After a hot start to the season, Moeaki seems to be cooling off with just 6-71 in the last two games, including a terrific matchup in Week 6 against the Texans.

Brandon Pettigrew (8.9)
Pettigrew is on pace for an 88-catch season, yet he’s available in 91% of ESPN leagues heading into Week 7. I’ll admit that I’m a little worried about his value with Matthew Stafford back under center, but one would think that Stafford has seen what Pettigrew can bring to the table.

John Carlson (21.8)
The Bears aren’t a great matchup, but I was expecting more than 2-21 from Carlson. His schedule is great over the next five weeks.

Jeremy Shockey (59.3)
He had a nice three-week, 17-166-2 run, but just 2-21 against the Bucs in Week 6.

Tony Scheffler (4.5)
Scheffler could see a boost with Stafford coming back. He is on pace for a 69-catch season.

Todd Heap (21.2)
Heap capitalized on a good matchup with the Pats to the tune of 3-49-1. He’s a spot starter in PPR leagues.

Fred Davis (1.6)
Want to take a flier on a TE? If Chris Cooley misses any time with that concussion, Davis is more than capable. He averaged 4.1-46-0.6 in 10 games as Cooley’s fill in last season.

Jermaine Gresham (10.0)
22 catches and two TD in five games. Not bad.

Andrew Quarless (0.7)
He didn’t show much in Week 6, but Jermichael Finley has just been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Bo Scaife (3.7)
If Vince Young misses some time, Scaife could have some value with Kerry Collins, who is more apt to throw the ball in the red zone instead of tucking the ball and running it.