Wouldn't you know it, Week 7 is going to kick off with a ton of injury question marks for Thursday's game between the Broncos and Browns. Odell Beckham and Teddy Bridgewater both look legitimately questionable for tonight's game, which has already seen Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt ruled out. We could have two backup quarterbacks going head to head in this one. 

It couldn't be any other way this week.  

We all need a little help with our Week 7 lineups, and that's what today's newsletter is all about.  Dave Richard took on the task in his Starts and Sits, Sleepers and Busts column, as he goes through every game on the schedule trying to help you figure out who should be in your lineup. We'll take a look at some of his calls in today's newsletter before getting to all of the injury news you need to know about and a preview of tonight's big game. 

And, in case you missed it, Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em column came out yesterday with all of his favorite picks to start and players to avoid. And, I answered a bunch of your questions in the Week 7 mailbag, about A.J. Brown, Robert Woods, Saquon Barkley, and more, so check that out here.  

If you've still got questions after all that, make sure to subscribe to the Fantasy Football Today YouTube channel and join Adam Aizer, Heath Cummings and me at 2 p.m. ET today for our start/sit live stream, where we'll be answering as many of your questions as we can for Week 7. And, if you have even more questions, email me at Chris.Towers@ViacomCBS.com with the subject line "#AskFFT" to be included in Sunday morning's mailbag. 

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Get ready for Week 7 with our other preview content here:  

Keep an eye out for tomorrow's newsletter, where I'll preview every game this week, including full injury report updates from around the league. Here's what else today's newsletter will cover:

7️⃣Dave Richard's Week 7 preview

There are the obvious calls, and then there are the ones you need help with. Dave Richard goes through each game to identify the most interesting matchups and biggest lineup dilemmas for Week 7. Here are some of his top picks for this week. You can find the rest of his advice for Week 7 here:

Starts

  • D'Ernest Johnson -- "On a short week against a short-handed and tired defense playing in Cleveland, Johnson has the upside to be helpful. And that's the appeal of using him: he's the last man standing in the Browns backfield versus a run defense that bottomed out last week (three total touchdowns to running backs allowed) and will be without both starting inside linebackers. You should know: Johnson doesn't seem to be fast, does seem to shuffle his feet a lot, does lose momentum because he sometimes freezes before contact, and overall feels like a gets-what's-blocked runner rather than a creator. That blocking part has helped him look good in the passing game, so don't be surprised to see him catch a couple passes. If the matchup were tougher, or if this wasn't an upside-down week where every other running back is hurt or on bye, Johnson wouldn't be a good option. But you're starting him on the hope he gets modest total yardage against a tired, beat-up defense."
  • Ricky Seals-Jones -- "We could sit here all day and argue over whether or not Ricky Seals-Jones is a good football player. But the truth is that in Fantasy Football, opportunity matters most. That's why Seals-Jones matters -- he's been an every-down player who has seen 15 targets in his past two games, catching nine for 99 yards and a touchdown. One-fifth of those targets have come within 6  yards of the end zone, too (and none last week). The Packers have held three straight tight ends to under 9.0 half-PPR points, but they've all been low-volume tight ends with modest athleticism. Seals-Jones seems to have the eye of quarterback Taylor Heinicke and Washington figures to be playing from behind, which should lead to a nice amount of targets. He's worthy of starting right away."

Sits

  • Michael Carter -- "Carter's played at least half of the Jets' snaps in each of his last two games, and in those games he handled 62% of the team's running back rushes (at least 10 carries per game). That's good. But he was terribly inefficient (under 4.0 yards per carry in those two games and in four of five) and somehow was at the bottom of the Jets' red-zone snaps played in Weeks 4 and 5 despite a pair of short-yardage scores. That's weird. Point being, there isn't enough evidence to expect Carter to play more snaps or get more touches coming out of the bye week. New England's allowed a lot of total yards to running backs over the past four weeks, but it's been against strong running squads like Dallas, Tampa Bay and New Orleans. The Pats have also let up just one rushing touchdown to a running back all year. Carter is a dicey Fantasy option since his workload doesn't figure to be plentiful nor are his touchdown chances good."
  • Myles Gaskin -- "The Dolphins gave Gaskin another shot as their lead running back last week, but a brutal first quarter (6 yards on three carries) led to just 11 more snaps over the rest of the game. He had two terrible drops (one in the red zone), he stopped running on another red-zone route that led to an incompletion and he bobbled a third pass that led to a zero-yard gain. Combine that with his awful rushing inefficiency (under 2.0 yards per carry in two of his last three games) and there shouldn't be any surprise if Gaskin is a role player for this week's game. Even if he does end up starting for Miami, he's unlikely to be trusted in passing downs like he was last week, nor is he a cinch for red-zone work. It's too bad -- the Falcons have allowed five touchdowns to running backs in their last three games. Maybe that'll work out for Malcolm Brown, who has already been used as a high-leverage situation running back for Miami this season." 

Sleepers

  • Devonta Freeman -- "The Ravens gave more playing time to Le'Veon Bell than Freeman last week after Latavius Murray's injury. I would be shocked if they did that again -- Freeman looked really spry and ran hard last week, following his blockers and using a combination of patience and burst to pick up chunks of yardage. He didn't make any mistakes it seems. Bell didn't have quite the same burst and power. This isn't to say the Ravens will only use Freeman -- they're a multi-back team and they seem interested in giving Ty'Son Williams some work. But if I had to use one Ravens runner against the Bengals' so-so run defense, it's Freeman based solely on their film."
  • Mecole Hardman -- "Trusting Hardman is always dangerous territory, but at least we've seen him playing a majority of snaps this year. Recently, Hardman has posted at least 60 yards in two straight and come up with at least 10 PPR points in three of his last four. That part is good, but what's great is the matchup: Tennessee has given up over 200 yards just to wide receivers in four of six games including 296 yards to the Bills' wideouts on Monday night. No doubt, Hardman's a risky receiver to start, but his upside is undeniable and the matchup is as good as it gets. He's a perfect pivot if you find yourself down by a lot of points after the Thursday night game."

Bust Candidate

  • Mike Davis -- "Coach Arthur Smith spoke this week about how the Falcons spent the bye week analyzing how they've been "trending offensively" and considered their personnel usage. It's conjecture on my part, but I wonder what he thought of Davis' work through five games. Even if you took out his absolute worst game against Washington (a game he caught a touchdown in), he's averaged 3.9 yards per carry this year. Among his worst numbers: he's had six runs of 10-plus yards (9.7% of his carries, 48th-best among running backs) and 12 runs of zero or negative yards (19.4% of his carries, tied for 10th highest among qualifiers). There's not only a chance for Cordarrelle Patterson to get more work at running back, but also for a backup like Wayne Gallman to pitch in like he did two games ago. Davis has managed 15 or 16 touches in each of his last four, failing to provide 13-plus PPR or 10-plus non-PPR points in any game. The allure of the matchup against Miami may make him tough to resist, so if you do start him, do so as a low-end No. 2 rusher."

So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 7 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that has out-performed experts big-time.

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🚑Week 7 Injury Watch

I'll have a full breakdown of the injury report in Friday's newsletter along with my preview of each game, but here's a look at some notables from the first practice participation reports of the week, beginning with a couple of non-updates on players on the COVID list. Damien Williams and Dallas Goedert both remained on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, so they still need to return two negative tests at least 24 hours apart to be activated. It's not yet known if either player has had a first negative test, and we probably won't know their status for the game until they are cleared to play. That means you probably should proceed as if they won't play this week.  

Injuries to watch for Week 7

It's not clear what these injuries mean quite yet.

  • Antonio Gibson (shin) -- Did not practice. Gibson underwent an MRI on his shin injury, but we didn't get any details there. He's missed time consistently over the course of three weeks during practice, but he was noticeably limited in Week 6 against the Chiefs, and it sure seems like the injury isn't healing the way they hoped. The problem is, there might not be much that allows this to heal without rest, so don't be shocked if we see Gibson miss time now. J.D. McKissic is lined up for a big game against the Packers, while Jaret Patterson is worth a look on waivers if you're desperate for an RB. 
  • Tyreek Hill (quad) -- Did not practice. Hill played just 57% of the snaps last week, and while he looked good when he was on the field, the Chiefs will likely continue to limit his usage, especially in practice. At this point, it doesn't look like there's much risk that he won't play, though we'll want to continue to monitor this one. 
  • Terry McLaurin (hamstring) -- Did not practice. McLaurin suffered the injury last week but was able to play through and logged pretty much his usual collection of snaps. I'm expecting him to play in Week 7, but again, we'll keep an eye on it.  
  • A.J. Brown (hamstring) -- Did not practice. Like with Hill and McLaurin, I don't expect Brown to miss Week 7, and I'd be surprised if he practices on a Wednesday at any point this season even if he doesn't miss another game.  
  • Antonio Brown (ankle) -- Did not practice. Brown is dealing with an ankle sprain, and we don't really have any sense for what his chances of playing in Week 7 are. If he plays, you're starting him, and you're not making a start or sit decision on Mike Evans or Chris Godwin based on whether Brown plays. You're just starting them. 
  • T.Y. Hilton (quad) -- Did not practice. Hilton spoke with the media Wednesday, which usually doesn't happen with players who aren't expected to play. 
  • Allen Robinson (ankle) -- Did not practice. Robinson missed plenty of practice last week and still played. He didn't produce much, though, which has been the issue here. If you're waiting with baited breath for an update on Robinson's status at this point, your season has gone sideways. 
  • Henry Ruggs (knee)/Bryan Edwards (hamstring) -- Limited practice. It doesn't sound like there's much reason to be concerned here, but we'll keep an eye on them. Ruggs is an interesting boom-or-bust WR3/4 type most weeks. 
  • Ricky Seals-Jones (quad) -- Did not practice. Seals-Jones was a sought after TE streamer on waivers, so it would be a bummer if he didn't play coming off a solid Week 6 performance. We'll keep an eye on it, but take a look at Mo Alie-Cox as a potential replacement if you need another streamer. 
  • O.J. Howard (ankle) -- Did not practice. We'll see what the rest of the week looks like, however with both Howard and Rob Gronkowski not practicing Wednesday, Cameron Brate could find himself in the streaming conversation, too. 
  • Sony Michel (shoulder) -- Did not practice. Sean McVay told reporters he expects Michel to play despite the injury. 

Trending up for Week 7

This doesn't mean they will play, but we got good news about them Wednesday. 

  • Jimmy Garoppolo (calf) -- Limited practice. Garoppolo practiced while Trey Lance (knee) still hasn't, so you can tell which way the wind is blowing here without much help.  
  • Chase Edmonds (shoulder) -- Limited practice. Edmonds has been limited over the past few weeks but hasn't missed a game yet. He didn't play his usual allotment of snaps in Week 6, however, which is a concern. He's still in the lower-end RB2 discussion for PPR leagues for me, but I'm officially worried. 
  • Darius Slayton (hamstring) -- Limited practice. Slayton was inactive for Week 6 despite putting in a limited practice each day, but he doesn't appear to have suffered a setback, so it would be surprising if he wasn't back this week. 
  • DeVante Parker (shoulder/hamstring) -- Limited practice. This is the first time Parker has practiced since suffering the hamstring injury in Week 5, so this is a promising sign, though not a guarantee he'll be back. It's a great matchup against the Falcons so he wouldn't be a terrible option, but Jaylen Waddle should be ranked ahead of him even if Parker does play.  

Trending down for Week 7

This doesn't mean they won't play, but they aren't moving in the right direction yet. 

  • Saquon Barkley (ankle) -- Did not practice. I'm not counting on Barkley for this one, so Devontae Booker should get another start and is in the RB2 discussion.
  • Julio Jones (hamstring) -- Did not practice. With Jones leaving last week's game after missing the previous two, I'd be surprised if he didn't miss more time. The Titans have to let this thing heal.  
  • Kenny Golladay (knee) -- Did not practice. Golladay was expected to miss more than one week with his knee injury, so it isn't a surprise he didn't practice. 
  • Kadarius Toney (ankle) -- Did not practice. Likewise, Toney's absence from practice isn't much of a surprise. We'll see if he can increase his work in the coming days, but I'm not expecting him to play at this point.
  • Rob Gronkowski (ribs) -- Did not practice. At this point, it looks like the Buccaneers should have put Gronkowski on injured reserve, though that isn't necessarily an issue right now if they don't think he's going to miss three more games. They don't, right?
  • Sammy Watkins (hamstring) -- Did not practice. I'm not expecting Watkins to play this week. Rashod Bateman, the Ravens first-round pick, stepped into Watkins' role in his first game and should stay there as long as Watkins is out, if not longer. 
  • Latavius Murray (ankle) -- Did not practice. Murray is considered day-to-day at this point, so he may be able to play Sunday, but I'm not counting on it. And I wouldn't want to start him even if he did.  
  • Curtis Samuel (groin) -- Did not practice. Samuel missed Week 6 and I'd be shocked if he played in Week 7 at this point. 

🆚TNF Preview: Broncos at Browns 

All lines from Caesars Sportsbook

  • Line: Browns -2; 41 O/U
  • Implied totals: Browns 21.5-Broncos 19.5

What to expect: A pretty ugly one, honestly. We've been lucky with the Thursday night games so far, but the Browns are down their top two running backs, their starting quarterback, and potentially their top two wide receivers. The Broncos are in better shape, but their quarterback was noticeably limping this week and his status is up in the air as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a lot of running in this game as these two offenses just try to get through it.    

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Key injuries: Where do I start ... Baker Mayfield (shoulder)/Nick Chubb (calf)/Kareem Hunt (calf) -- All three have already been ruled out. Case Keenum will start for Mayfield in a revenge game, while D'Ernest Johnson will be the Browns lead back. One key question will be whether Demetric Felton is actually used as a backup running back -- he's played just two snaps lined up out of the backfield so far this season. He could have some appeal as a PPR sleeper with Chubb and Hunt out, but I don't have much faith he'll be used much more than normal ... Odell Beckham (shoulder) -- Beckham is also at real risk of missing this game with a shoulder injury of his own. He's questionable after missing the whole week in practice due to a sprained AC joint and could be a game-time decision for this one. I wouldn't mind using him if he was healthy, but it's hard to trust him with a backup quarterback and the injury ... Teddy Bridgewater (foot) -- Bridgewater is questionable after being limited throughout the week, and it sounds like he is legitimately questionable. Drew Lock would step into the starting lineup if Bridgewater is forced to sit out, but the Broncos offense as a whole would have to be downgraded if he did start. 

What to watch for: I mean, I just hope everyone makes it through this one in one piece. The short week came at a bad time for both sides, and the injuries make it tough to know exactly what to expect. There are opportunities for the likes of Johnson and Felton to play bigger roles, and Johnson is a viable No. 2 Fantasy RB for the matchup who probably deserves to be started in most leagues -- I could see a similar role to what Khalil Herbert had in a similar situation with the Bears last week, where he played nearly every snap. Felton could also earn a longer look for Fantasy if the Browns show they trust him as a true running back and not just as a slot receiver, but I'm not willing to roll the dice on that unless I'm truly desperate. I could also see Donovan Peoples-Jones having a nice game if Beckham is out, but he's too unproven to trust with a backup quarterback. On the Broncos side, there are really only two players I feel comfortable starting in any given week here typically, and I'm probably still starting both Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant even if Lock starts. But I still view Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams as more like RB3 options until we see one of them take on more than a 50-50 role in the offense. I don't really expect to see that this week, and the Browns defensive front is an awfully tough one, so both are touchdown-dependent in their current roles.