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USATSI

The way Thursday night games have gone lately, there's something fitting about a legitimately fun Cardinals-Saints game getting overshadowed by a massive trade dropping midway through the fourth quarter. Because, while Keaontay Ingram and Juwan Johnson touchdowns are exciting, they just can't compare to Christian McCaffrey getting traded. To the 49ers! 

What a fascinating trade -- one of the league's truly elite players, a running back who doubles as a high-end receiver, just got traded to one of the league's best, most creative offenses. It creates some questions about how the 49ers are going to keep everyone happy in an offense that was already crowded, but it's going to make them even harder to defend. I mean, just imagine you're the  defensive coordinator who has to draw up a game plan to stop the 49ers when they roll out there with McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel in the same backfield on the goal line. Good luck.

I wrote about that blockbuster deal Thursday night, and you can read my thoughts here. It also led to a midnight trade reaction podcast from the FFT crew.

In short, I think it creates some math problems for the 49ers, and might make it harder for McCaffrey to unlock that 30-PPG upside he's shown in the past, but it's probably not a bad thing for him. As for the Panthers side ... well, hopefully they turn all those picks next year into good players, because 2023 might be the next time we have any reason to care about a Panthers player for Fantasy. 

Once you're done getting the low-down on that trade, keep scrolling for my thoughts on Thursday Night Football as well as my previews for the rest of the Week 7 schedule. That includes my thoughts on the toughest lineup decisions for each game, the latest injury news, and more. 

If you have any other lineup questions, as I'm sure you will, send them my way at Chris.Towers@ViacomCBS.com with the subject line "#AskFFT" and I'll try to answer them before Sunday morning's lineup locks. Plus, you can catch our YouTube stream Sunday morning at 11:30 am where Adam Aizer, Frankl Stampfl and I will be answering all of your lineup questions. 

Get ready for Week 7 with all of our preview content here:  

And here's what the rest of today's newsletter has in store to help you get ready for Week 7:

  • 🏈TNF Fantasy Recap: Cardinals 42-Saints 34
  • 🔍Week 7 Game Previews: Injury updates and lineup dilemmas

🏈TNF Recap: Cardinals 42, Saints 34

  • Winner: The Cardinals offense. Kyler Murray probably looked better than he has all season, the running backs combined for 137 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, and DeAndre Hopkins looked every bit like an alpha No. 1 wide receiver in his return from a six-game PED suspension. It wasn't quite as good a Fantasy game as the 42 points make it seem, because the Cardinals had pick-sixes on consecutive drives, but given how bad this offense has looked all season, it was a very promising performance. And Hopkins might just be the key -- Marquise Brown is a good player, but Hopkins is the kind of receiver you can force-feed targets to in pretty much any situation. His performance Thursday night made me feel better about my decision to trade Tee Higgins for Aaron Jones in one of the leagues where I've been stashing Hopkins. 
  • Honorable mention winner: Chris Olave. Seven catches, 106 yards coming off a scary concussion, with basically no help around him in the passing game. I don't have much to say beyond just that he's a really awesome player, and I think he's going to be worth starting all season long, even when Michael Thomas is healthy.
  • Loser: Zach Ertz. Ertz really hasn't had anything going for him this season except for volume, and he had just four targets in Hopkins' first game. That's exactly what I was worried about when I mentioned him as a sell-high candidate in Wednesday's Newsletter, so I hope you took advantage. 
  • One more thing: Rondale Moore had just one catch in this one, a disappointing showing after he had 13 in the previous two games, but I'm not worried about that. He played 45 of his 53 snaps lined up out wide, and that just isn't a role the 5-foot-7 Moore is ever going to thrive in. Hopefully the mini-bye heading into Week 8 gives Robbie Anderson enough time to establish himself as the team's primary outside option opposite Hopkins, allowing Moore to slide back into the slot. Better days are coming. 

🔍Week 7 Game Previews

There's something to watch in every game on the NFL schedule every week, even if you have to squint to see it sometimes. Here's a look ahead at every Week 7 game, with some notes on what Vegas is expecting to see, some lineup help and the latest injury updates from around the league:

All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook.

Falcons at Bengals 

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Bengals -6; 47.5 O/U 
  • Implied totals: Bengals 26.75-Falcons 20.75

The Bengals started to figure some stuff out in Week 6, with Joe Burrow putting together by far his best game of the season. The Falcons are surprisingly 3-3 and just held the 49ers to 14 points, but they've also given up the sixth-most yards in the league to date, so I'm not viewing this as a tough matchup. The Bengals shouldn't have too much trouble putting points on the board if they can keep the Falcons run game off the field. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Kyle Pitts -- Start. I'm just going to keep telling you to keep starting Pitts every week. I think the production is going to get better, and I just don't think there's enough upside with the likes of Robert Tonyan or Evan Engram to justify starting them over Pitts. I'm increasingly in the minority on that, but there's going to come a point where the Falcons can't keep throwing it just 20 times per game, and Pitts is going to benefit from that. Let's hope the Bengals can knock the Falcons off their game by getting out to an early lead here.

  • Injuries: Ja'Marr Chase (hip) -- Chase has been limited through both days of practice so far, so it looks like this is more than nothing. I'm not expecting it to keep him out in Week 7 at this point, but there's some additional risk here, for what it's worth, Tee Higgins (ankle) practiced in full Thursday. Just keep an eye out on any reports about Chase just in case there's a chance this limits him. 

Lions at Cowboys

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Cowboys -7; 49 O/U
  • Implied totals: Cowboys 28-Lions 21

The over/under on this game has already moved up a point, making it the second-highest on the schedule this week. That makes sense -- the Lions are averaging 28 points per game while giving up 34, and the Cowboys get their starting quarterback back. The only concern I have for the Cowboys passing game is if the Cowboys decide to take it easy with Dak Prescott and lean on the running game -- they should be able to beat the Lions without having to air it out. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: D'Andre Swift -- Start. I've got my concerns about Swift, and I labeled him a sell-high candidate in Wednesday's newsletter, but it's hard to see how I'm sitting him in his return from injury. I guess if I have Kenneth Walker and Dameon Pierce on my roster I might do it, but Swift is still RB17 even with my concerns about him possibly having a limited role coming back from the injury. It's a tough matchup, but he's the kind of player who doesn't need many opportunities to be worth starting. 
  • Injuries: DJ Chark (ankle)/Josh Reynolds (ankle) -- Both missed Thursday's practice and look likely to be out yet again in Week 7 despite having the bye to get healthy. Amon-Ra St. Brown is expected to play and is back in the top 10 even against a tough matchup ... D'Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder) -- We're expecting Swift to be back this week, but he has been limited in practice. That might just be to limit his reps, though I also fear we might see that with his in-game role as well given his struggles to stay healthy. Swift is a high-upside, high-risk starting option at this point ... Dalton Schultz (knee) -- Schultz continues to practice in full, which we're assuming means he'll play in Week 7. Of course, he was a full participant last Friday and ultimately ended up inactive, so check reports between now and Sunday morning just to be sure. He's a low-end starting option, though if healthy, he could have some upside with Prescott back. Remember, he was a must-start tight end last season. 

Colts at Titans

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Titans -2.5; 42.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Titans 22.5-Colts 20

The Colts figure to have Jonathan Taylor back this week, but it'll be interesting to see if they go back to being a run-heavy offense after finding some success with a pass-first approach in Week 6. I'm guessing it was just a one-week thing with their top two running backs inactive, but if they ever actually used Taylor like they used Deon Jackson last week (10 targets in less than a full game), Taylor would break Fantasy Football. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Alec Pierce -- Sit. Pierce is on a solid run of late, with 14 PPR points per game over his past three. You'd take that every week from your WR3, but it's worth noting that he's benefited from the pass volume for the Colts -- his 16.2% target share in that stretch is still pretty bad. Pierce gets downfield targets and has looked pretty great, especially on contested catches, which is what we expected to see from the 6-foot-3, 213-pound rookie. However, if the Colts are going to be more like a 35-40 pass attempt team, it's going to be hard for him to keep producing this way. He's not a must-sit, but he's not a must-start either. 
  • Injuries: Jonathan Taylor (ankle)/Nyheim Hines (concussion)/Deon Jackson (quad) -- All three were able to practice in full Thursday, so it looks like the Colts are going to have their full backfield available. That likely means Phillip Lindsay is out of the picture, and Taylor should return to his high-value role as the lead back. He's a top-five RB for Fantasy whenever he's healthy. 

Packers at Commanders

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Packers -5.5; 41.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Packers 23.5-Commanders 18

The Commanders will be playing with backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke, and while Heinicke isn't terrible as far as backup quarterbacks go -- and in 2QB leagues he might even be a viable starter given his decent rushing abilities -- but the Commanders ranked 23rd in scoring with him as the starter for most of last season. Believe it or not, that would actually be an improvement for this offense, though that's not the same thing as saying I think he's better than Carson Wentz. He (probably) isn't.

  • Toughest lineup decision: Terry McLaurin -- Sit. It might be tough to actually sit McLaurin, given how many good wide receivers are on bye this week, and it's not like he was worse with Heinicke at QB than he has been so far this season -- his catch rate and yards per game are basically identical, though he had more targets with Heinicke last season -- 7.64 in 2021 vs. 6.17 so far in 2022. However, that was probably more about McLaurin having less competition for targets, so I don't think your expectations should be higher with Heinicke at QB, certainly. McLaurin remains a frustrating WR3 who probably needs to hit on a big play to justify a spot in your lineup.
  • Injuries: Aaron Rodgers (thumb) -- Rodgers was back at practice Thursday without limitations after sitting out Wednesday. He's going to play through this injury, but he didn't look super comfortable with it in Week 6. This is a hard offense to get excited about right now ... Jahan Dotson (hamstring) -- Dotson has been limited so far this week, so even if he doesn't return for this game, he's clearly getting close. He's worth stashing in deeper leagues, though Carson Wentz's finger injury makes it even harder to get excited about this offense. 

Buccaneers at Panthers

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Buccaneers -11; 40.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Buccaneers 25.75-Panthers 14.75

Tom Brady has been uncharacteristically ineffective, with just one multi-touchdown game in six so far. He hasn't had a stretch like that since 2019, when he was playing with one of the worst receiving corps of his career in his final season in New England. Obviously, the group he has in Tampa is still much better than that one, and I don't think there's been enough of an obvious skills decline to explain it, so I'll just chalk it up as a rough patch, one they should smooth out soon enough. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: D.J. Moore -- Sit. There really aren't any tough lineup decisions in this one. You're starting Brady, Leonard Fournette, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans, and you're sitting everyone on the Panthers. I don't want to write Moore off for good, but he has yet to reach even 60 yards in a game in this disaster of an offense. He has to prove he's worth using before you do at this point, even with a pretty strong track record (72.5 yards per game) against the Buccaneers.  
  • Injuries: Julio Jones (knee) -- Jones was upgraded to a limited participation Thursday, but that's no guarantee he plays this week. Jones is worth stashing in deeper leagues, but I dropped him in my 12-team leagues this week with Chris Godwin looking like he's back to 100% ... Cameron Brate (neck) -- Brate hasn't practiced this week and seems unlikely to play anytime soon. Dave Richard has Cade Otton as a sleeper for this week, for what it's worth ... Baker Mayfield (ankle) -- Mayfield practiced on a limited basis Thursday, a sign he could be back soon, though P.J. Walker was already announced as the starter earlier in the week. It's not clear if Mayfield will even be the starter in Week 8 if Sam Darnold (recovering from his own ankle injury) is healthy enough to play. 

Giants at Jaguars

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Jaguars -3; 42 O/U
  • Implied totals: Jaguars 22.5-Giants 19.5

At 5-1, the Giants might be the most shocking apparent contender in the league, but given the line in this one, it's clear nobody is really buying it. Wink Martindale has the defense ranked seventh in scoring, however it has allowed seven passing touchdowns to just one interception and a robust 5.6 yards per carry, so there does appear to be some smoke and mirrors going on there. Still, they can rush the passer, and Trevor Lawrence is still prone to some pretty bad mistakes. The Giants could very well keep rolling if they force some turnovers here. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Christian Kirk -- Start. Kirk's hot start is starting to look like a bit of a mirage, as he has just 95 yards in his past three games combined The eight targets over the past two games are especially concerning, representing an 11.6% target share, well below his 23% mark for the season. It's too small a sample size to overreact to, however, and Kirk's dip in production coincides with an overall decline in Trevor Lawrence's play. I'll give them another week before I start panicking. 
  • Injuries: Kenny Golladay (knee)/Kadarius Toney (hamstring) -- Both have missed each day of practice this week, so it looks like they'll be out yet again this week ... Marvin Jones (hamstring) -- Jones has been limited so far, putting his availability for this week's game in question. Jones isn't more than a low-end flier even if he does play, but his absence would potentially mean more targets for Kirk and Zay Jones. 

Browns at Ravens

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Ravens -6; 45.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Ravens 25.75-Browns 19.75

The Browns season has gone sideways with three straight losses, but it's been the defense that has let them down, with 68 points allowed over the past two games. They've been completely inept at slowing down the run, allowing 5.0 yards per carry. That's a pretty bad trait to have against the Ravens. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: J.K. Dobbins -- Sit. Even if Dobbins plays, I'm steering clear. His knee tightened up on him during the team's last game, so even if he's active, it's impossible to know what kind of role he's going to be able to handle. His recovery from the knee injury that cost him the 2021 season has been complicated, but there's still hope he can be a difference maker in the second half of the season. However, he's going to have to show he can handle the kind of workload we need from him without setbacks before trusting him. I'm treating Kenyan Drake like a low-end RB3, with Justice Hill in a similar range, assuming he's able to play. It's a good matchup, but there isn't a clear hierarchy here. 
  • Injuries: Mark Andrews (knee) -- Andrews has now missed the first two days of prep for this week's game, which means we have to take very seriously the possibility that he won't play this week. That would be a disaster for those of use relying on Andrews. Rookie Isaiah Likely would figure to see an uptick in playing time without Andrews, and would be a very interesting streamer -- he hasn't done much since his big preseason, but there's clearly upside in an offense that throws to the tight ends a bunch ... J.K. Dobbins (knee) -- Dobbins hasn't practiced since his knee tightened up on him during Week 6, and it looks like there's a real chance he won't play this week. Given the short layoff before the Thursday game in Week 8, it might make sense to give Dobbins the week off with an eye on being available for Thursday ... Lamar Jackson (hip) -- There was some concern with Jackson limited Wednesday, but he practiced in full Thursday and should be good to go for Week 7 ... Rashod Bateman (foot) -- Bateman has been limited both days this week after missing consecutive games. It's not clear if he'll be back this week, and it might be tough to trust a player who typically doesn't play full snap shares even when 100% healthy, but he'll be in the WR3 discussion if he's active. 

Jets at Broncos 

  • Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
  • Line: Broncos -1; 38 O/U
  • Implied totals: Broncos 19.5-Jets 18.5

The Broncos offense has been a disaster all season, especially near the red zone, where Russell Wilson has the second-worst passer rating in the league. It's hard to see how a bum hamstring is going to help. The Jets have been able to go 3-0 with Zach Wilson as the starter attempting 25 passes per game, and it's clearly the approach they prefer. We've seen nothing from the Broncos offense to suggest they won't be able to stick with that game plan. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Any WRs in this game - Start Courtland Sutton and that's it. Sutton is coming off a dreadful game on Monday night, catching two of three targets for 14 yards, but he'd scored at least 11 PPR points in each of the previous five games, so I'll give him a bit of a mulligan for that one. I can't say the same about anyone else. Jerry Jeudy is the closest, but he and Wilson just can't get on the same page, as the two have connected on just 47.2% of passes so far -- Jeudy has one of the lowest catchable target rates in the league yet again this season, and while I don't think that's all on Wilson, it's hard to ignore. He still has high upside on a weekly basis, but it's a boom-or-bust profile right now. 
  • Injuries: Russell Wilson (hamstring) -- Wilson has been limited both days of practice but is expected to play through the injury. 

Texans at Raiders

  • Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
  • Line: Raiders -7; 45.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Raiders 26.25-Texans 19.25

The Raiders are a lot better than their record, but at 1-4 coming out of the bye, they've got their work cut out for them to make a playoff run. They've lost all four games by six or fewer points, and Derek Carr's struggles to get on the same page with Davante Adams consistently loom especially large. For what it's worth, I think they'll be just fine moving forward, and with Josh Jacobs playing at arguably the highest level of his career, this offense is going to be pretty dangerous.

  • Toughest lineup decision: Brandin Cooks -- Start. Davis Mills was never likely to be the long-term answer for the Texans, but his across-the-board regression so far this season makes it all but certain. Still, we've seen Cooks play well with Mills, and I have to think they'll be able to figure it out at least a little bit moving forward. Cooks is probably more like a fringe WR2/3 than the high-end WR2 I thought he was -- his target share falling to 22% over the past three weeks doesn't help -- but I'm probably still throwing him out there. The Texans should be chasing points and Cooks is still their clear top pass-catcher. 
  • Injuries: Darren Waller (hamstring) -- Waller told NFL Media's Jim Trotter he is likely to miss Sunday's game despite having the bye week to recover. He hasn't practiced this week. The good news is, Foster Moreau has been limited and could be back. He'll be a viable streamer if Waller is out ... Hunter Renfrow (hip) -- Renfrow didn't practice Thursday as he was added to the injury report, and the mid-week addition is always a concern. You probably don't want to rely on Renfrow anyway, but if he and Waller are both out, Mack Hollins is a pretty interesting WR streamer. 

Seahawks at Chargers

  • Sunday, 4:30 p.m.
  • Line: Chargers -6.5; 51 O/U
  • Implied totals: Chargers 28.72-Seahawks 22.25

Justin Herbert has been a bit of a disappointment this season, and it's fair to wonder whether he's 100% healthy after that rib injury earlier in the season. I think the Chargers offensive line woes are a bigger concern -- Dan Schneier said the same on FFT in 5 earlier in the week -- as Herbert faced the third-highest pressure rate of his career in Week 6 against the Broncos, forcing the Chargers to rely on a shorter, quicker passing game that isn't going to be as effective without someone like Keenan Allen getting open off the line. Here's hoping the Seahawks defense is exactly what the doctor ordered. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Mike Williams -- Start. There really aren't many borderline calls on either of these teams: You're starting Austin Ekeler, Kenneth Walker, Tyler Lockett, and DK Metcalf. And you're starting Williams, despite his up-and-down ways. He's put up three games with 20 or fewer yards and three with 110 or more, which is just the most Mike Williams start to the season possible. Williams came really close on a few passes in Week 6, and I think you just live with his inconsistency because the highs are worth it. 
  • Injuries: Tyler Lockett (hamstring) -- It looks like there is real reason to be concerned here, because Lockett has now missed both days of practice to date. We'll need to keep a close eye on his status Friday, but make sure you have an alternative ready to go just in case this injury keeps Lockett out ... Keenan Allen (hamstring) -- Allen has been limited both days this week, but he admitted Wednesday he is considering sitting out through the team's Week 8 bye to try to get back to 100% health. I wouldn't be surprised if he's limited even if he does play, but it'll be hard to sit him if he's active unless we get confirmation of a limited role ahead of time. The Chargers need him ... Josh Palmer (concussion) -- Palmer looks unlikely to play -- and probably shouldn't have even been out there Monday night, as he hit his head on the turf very early on in the game only to somehow be cleared to play. I'm going to guess they'll be very cautious with this one ... Joshua Kelley (knee) -- It looks like Kelley is going to have to miss some time. Sony Michel is the back to have as the alternative to Austin Ekeler, and he's a viable desperation starter if you need one. Just hope he gets a goal-line carry. 

Chiefs at 49ers

  • Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
  • Line: Chiefs -3; 48.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Chiefs 25.75-49ers 22.75

The Chiefs go from being home dogs against the Bills to road favorites against the 49ers, which tells you how good the Bills are. The Chiefs are pretty good in their own right, though it's been about as frustrating for Fantasy as many thought it might be before the season. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are obviously elite, must-start players, but I'm not sure there's anyone else from this offense you have to start -- and that includes Clyde Edwards-Helaire and JuJu Smith-Schuster, who are both just inside my top 24 at their positions against a very tough matchup. 

Obviously, the McCaffrey situation makes the 49ers harder to predict than usual. If McCaffrey is active, he's too good to consider sitting, but it'll be hard for him to play anything like a full role with just a few days of prep. Of course, it'll be equally hard to trust Jeff Wilson if McCaffrey is healthy; Wilson could be the lead back for this week, but is McCaffrey going to handle the passing downs? What about the red zone work? Is Wilson just an early-down grinder for a week and then a backup? It's pretty much a worst-case scenario for his upside. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Brandon Aiyuk -- Start. Coming off his best game of the season, Aiyuk isn't necessarily a must-start, but hopefully the game script helps him along. The 49ers found themselves down early, in large part due to a Jeff Wilson fumble returned for a touchdown, and that led to an uncharacteristic 41 passes for Jimmy Garoppolo. I'm not saying Aiyuk needs that type of game script to thrive, but that was his first really great Fantasy performance of the season. I'm not sure you can count on that most weeks, and if the bye week wasn't hitting WR so hard, he'd probably be outside my top 36, so he's more of a "start by default," though there is obvious upside here. 
  • Injuries: The Fantasy relevant players on these two teams are pretty healthy right now, but the 49ers could get Nick Bosa (groin) back, which would be a big deal. He's been limited at practice this week. 

Steelers at Dolphins

  • Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
  • Line: Dolphins -7; 45 O/U
  • Implied totals: Dolphins 26-Steelers 19

There are a lot of storylines in this one, but the one we care about is this: Tua Tagovailoa making his return from a frightening concussion back in Week 4. The Dolphins are, rather shockingly, second in the league in passing yards despite having four games where the starting QB left with an injury. And it's not just volume -- they rank fifth in yards per pass attempt. That's a testament to the offense Mike McDaniels has built, but more than that, to the brilliance of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Tagovailoa carries some risk in his first game back, but you should be starting him against a Steelers offense that allows the sixth-most Fantasy points to quarterbacks. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Najee Harris -- Meh ... start. There is absolutely nothing exciting about Harris at this point -- I turned down a trade offer of DeAndre Hopkins for Harris last night, before seeing Hopkins even on the field. He's arguably the least efficient starting running back in the league and he isn't dominating playing time like he did last year, and while I think his preseason foot injury probably explains both, I don't really have much reason to think things are going to get much better. He's another guy who you're probably starting by default, but he's a fringe RB2 at this point. 
  • Injuries: Kenny Pickett (concussion) -- Pickett has practiced in full both Wednesday and Thursday this week, a good sign for his chances of playing. He still needs to be cleared through the concussion protocol, but it looks like he's on track to, and will start if he is cleared ... Pat Freiermuth (concussion) -- Freiermuth has also practiced in full this week and seems in line to make his return. There's some risk of re-injury, given he's had three concussions since the start of last season, but he's a viable starter at TE if he's active. 

Bears at Patriots

  • Monday, 8:30 p.m.
  • Line: Patriots -7.5; 39.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Patriots 23.5-Bears 16

I mean, honestly, even before watching the Bears offense look as hapless as it has this season, who was the scheduling genius who thought a national audience needed to be subjected to this matchup? Justin Fields is QB10 over the past two weeks, and it kind of feels like that's the ceiling for him at this point. Against a very good Patriots defense, I don't expect him to hit his ceiling. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Rhamondre Stevenson -- Start, even if Damien Harris plays. Harris was a full participant in practice Thursday and seems in line to make his return, but I'm keeping Stevenson in my lineup. He's not a top-five back with Harris active, but he's a top-20 one, at least against a Bears offense seemingly designed to keep other teams in run-heavy game scripts. Even if the Bears fall behind early, they aren't going to go with an up-tempo, pass-heavy approach, so the Patriots should be content to run the ball right at this Bears defense, something teams are doing a league-high 33.7 times per game against them. 
  • Injuries: Damien Harris (hamstring) -- Harris was originally feared to have suffered a multi-week injury, but it looks like he has a pretty good chance of returning this week. I'd view both him and Stevenson as top-24 backs if he plays ... Mac Jones (ankle) -- The only question here is if Jones is healthy enough to play -- The Athletic reported Thursday that Jones will start if he's healthy, despite Bailey Zappe's solid play in his absence ... Kendrick Bourne (toe) -- Bourne was limited Thursday. With this being the Patriots, it's impossible to say if that means he's likely to play this week. I'd bet he won't, and Tyquan Thornton is worth a look in deeper leagues. I added the speedy rookie in a few spots ... The Bears practice report Thursday had this to say: "No injuries to report."