The past few Thursday Night Football games have been pretty disastrous, with the Colts Broncos, Commanders, and Bears combining for two touchdowns and 40 points across the past two weeks. It's been some abysmal football, and it's put Fantasy players relying on those games in a hole.

I'm hoping this week's game won't be as bad. In fact, I'm kind of excited about the Cardinals-Saints matchup. Maybe that's just wishful thinking. Maybe watching Carson Wentz and Justin Fields literally throw the ball off other players' helmets -- OK, in fairness, only Fields did that -- has broken me to the point where I'm excited about a potential Kyler Murray/Andy Dalton matchup.

But I am! DeAndre Hopkins is back! Alvin Kamara has been electric the past couple of weeks. Chris Olave is healthy and looks like a star. Come on, let's get excited! I mean, at the very least ... it can't get worse than the past two weeks, right? 

Let's hope not. In case you missed it yesterday, Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em picks for Week 7 are right here, and he's expecting a throwback performance from Ezekiel Elliott is his Start of the Week. Today's newsletter will also bring Dave Richard's start and sit picks to you as well. And if you have other questions you need answers to, make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Football Today YouTube channel and join Adam Aizer and I at 2 p.m. ET for our start/sit live stream. We'll be discussing all of the latest news and answering your toughest lineup questions. 

In tomorrow's newsletter, I'll have previews of every game on the Week 7 schedule, including the latest injury updates for everyone you need to know about, plus all of the key takeaways from that super-exciting Saints-Cardinals game. I'm sorry if that came out sarcastic -- maybe the past two weeks really have broken me. I hope not.

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

• Week 7 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB |  RB | WR
• Starts, sits and sleepers for every game
• Week 7 Position Previews:  QB | RB | WR | TE
• Week 7 Rankings: Jamey | Dave | Heath
• My rankings: QB |  RB  | WR | TE

Here's what else today's newsletter will cover:

• 7️⃣Dave Richard's Week 7 Preview
• 🆚TNF Preview: Saints at Cardinals
• 🚑Week 7 Injury Watch

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:

• Matt Ryan -- "Ryan's coming off a nice game and actually has 22 or more Fantasy points in two of his past three (18-plus in 3 of 4). The timing is great for Fantasy managers in need of a one-week replacement. Ryan may actually be better than that -- after the Titans , the Colts play the Commanders, then the Patriots (eww), then the Raiders. You might get three good starts out of him in the next four weeks, which is nice. I'd start Ryan over Jimmy Garoppolo, Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr and Geno Smith."
• Dak Prescott -- "It's taking a leap of faith to start Prescott in his first game back, but the Cowboys have set him up with a better-than-expected offensive line and a healthier-than-ever group of wide receivers. And the Lions' giving nature of Fantasy points to quarterbacks helps a ton. The quarterback position isn't pretty with three quality starters on bye in Week 7, which is why Prescott is basically a must-start ahead of Derek Carr, Tua Tagovailoa and Aaron Rodgers." 

• Eno Benjamin -- "There are no complaints about Benjamin's workload last week, but his results yielded nothing but groans. The Cardinals may not let him have as many carries this week, nor might the targets flow his way since DeAndre Hopkins' return and Robbie Anderson's arrival figures to reconfigure the distribution of throws. He's at best a flex who I'd sit for Robert Woods, Ezekiel Elliott, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Travis Etienne."
• Devin Duvernay -- "Duvernay has been fun to talk about, but his statistical upside shouldn't enthrall you, mainly because he doesn't get enough targets to warrant anything but bye-week use as a touchdown-needy receiver. Even in full-PPR he hasn't had more than 12 points since Week 1. I'd rather take a shot at some upside on a guy like Darnell Mooney or Michael Gallup." 

• Cade Otton -- "Otton is a stream-worthy tight end in full PPR only on the hunch he can catch four or five passes. There is not much upside unless he scores, so keep expectations mild. I'd rather start Taysom Hill , even in full PPR, but he qualifies ahead of Greg Dulcich, Tyler Conklin and Cole Kmet in PPR."

• Chris Olave -- "There's little doubt Olave will have a big role in the Saints' gameplan, but the Cardinals defense deserves respect after the job they've done against top-tier receivers. In a normal week, he'd be no better than a flex, but I wouldn't blame you for starting him as a No. 2 wideout. But I would rather start Amari Cooper, Brandin Cooks and Brandon Aiyuk over Olave."

All lines from Caesars Sportsbook

• Line: Cardinals -2; 44.5 O/U
• Implied totals: Cardinals 23.25-Saints 21.25

The Cardinals offense has been a mess, especially the passing game. Kyler Murray 's completed passes have averaged just 4.1 air yards so far this season, down from 6.0 last year. That's the lowest mark in football, because he just can't complete passes down the field -- Murray's 39.1% completion rate on passes 10 or more air yards past the line of scrimmage is the worst in the league. Last season, he was sixth at 53.1%, so there's reason to believe this offense can start to figure things out, and the return of DeAndre Hopkins from his suspension should help. Hopefully. I can't honestly say I have a ton of confidence in Kliff Kingsbury to fix this.

• Toughest lineup decision: DeAndre Hopkins -- Start. I have Hopkins as a top-12 WR for this week, though I'll admit there's quite a bit of risk in that ranking. Soft-tissue injuries are always at a higher risk when players are getting back into game shape, and you would think there is more risk of that when a player is doing that mid-season. We also don't necessarily know what to expect from Hopkins, who was averaging 6.7 targets per game even before his injury last season, down from 10 per game in 2020. I'm expecting him to be a target hog on a Cardinals offense with Zach Ertz and Robbie Anderson expected to play big roles, but if that doesn't happen, he'll be touchdown dependent, just like he was last season. For what it's worth, as Heath Cummings noted in his QB Preview for Week 7, Murray has averaged 4.8 Fantasy points per game more with Hopkins active in his career, so he should have a pretty big positive impact on this offense. I'm rolling the dice in his first game back, and it helps that Marshon Lattimore (abdomen) won't play.
• Injuries: Michael Thomas (foot)/ Jarvis Landry (ankle) -- Thomas and Landry were both ruled out after missing practice each day in the run up to the game. Here's hoping the extended time off before Week 8 gives them enough time to get healthy ... Jameis Winston (back/ankle)/Andy Dalton (ankle) -- The Saints haven't announced a starter yet. Winston was limited Wednesday while Dalton practiced in full, but it's not clear if Winston will be handed his job back when healthy or not. Coach Dennis Allen said it will be a game-time decision ... Marquise Brown (foot) -- Brown will miss at least a month, if not longer, and seems likely to be placed on IR in the coming days ... James Conner (ribs) -- Conner is questionable for tonight's game. If he can't play, Eno Benjamin will be a high-end RB2 for me despite his disappointing performance last week. I think he still has a lot of upside as the lead back in this offense. For what it's worth, Conner didn't practice at all this week, so I'd guess he's truly questionable. Hopefully we get an update before kickoff. 

The Big News: Keenan Allen (hamstring) was limited in practice Wednesday, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be back this week. Allen was asked if he might take one more game off to allow himself to get fully healthy during the team's Week 8 bye, and he told reporters he's considering it.

"Yeah, most definitely. It's going to be a thought process going into it," Allen said. "Definitely want to play it the smartest way, and if that's the best thing, then that's what it will be."

That doesn't mean Allen won't play this week, but it sure sounds like there's a decent chance he misses the game. He's already suffered at least one setback trying to come back from the injury, suffered back in Week 1, so a cautious approach makes sense. The Chargers were also missing Josh Palmer (concussion) Wednesday, so they could be especially shorthanded against the Seahawks. This is a great matchup, and DeAndre Carter would become an interesting deep-league dice roll if both Palmer and Allen are out. 

I'll have a full breakdown of the injury report in Friday's newsletter along with my previews of each game, but here's a look at the first practice participation reports of the week.

• FP = Full participation in practice.
• LP = Limited participation. 
• DNP = Did not practice. 

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

• Lamar Jackson (hip) -- LP. This is a new issue for Jackson, though the fact he was limited seems to indicate he'll be able to play through it. We'll flag it for now and keep an eye on it, but I'm expecting him to play. 
• Russell Wilson (hamstring) -- LP. Wilson had an MRI taken and is day-to-day, so it looks like he's going to play. He's been awful this season, especially in the red zone, where his 46.8 passer rating is the second-lowest in the league. It's hard to imagine things being much better for the Broncos with Wilson dealing with this injury, 
• Aaron Rodgers (thumb) -- DNP. Rodgers also started last week with a DNP before practicing without limitations the rest of the week, so this doesn't really tell us much. I'm expecting he'll continue to play through the injury, but he's definitely more of a QB2 given how much he struggled last week. 
• Kenny Pickett (concussion) -- FP. Pickett will still have to clear the concussion protocol, but this is a good start. He'll start vs. Miami if he is cleared. 
• D'Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder) -- LP. Coming off the bye week, we're expecting to see Swift back in the lineup for Sunday, and this is a good initial sign. I have my concerns about Swift's usage coming back from the injury, but he's still a top-20 RB for me; just not a top-12 one. 
• Joshua Kelley (knee) -- DNP. Kelley's injury Monday night came at an especially bad time because it looked like he had emerged as the primary backup to Austin Ekeler and had 12 touches in Week 5. Sony Michel is worth stashing on your bench just in case anything happens to Ekeler. 
• Ja'Marr Chase (hip) -- LP. Chase was limited Wednesday, and since this is the first we're seeing of him on the injury report, we'll just note it here. Tee Higgins was also limited with his ankle injury, but he pretty much played his typical role in Week 6, so I'm expecting him to be fine for Week 7. 
• Tyler Lockett (hamstring) -- DNP. Lockett was limited one day last week due to the injury, but played through it without apparent issue, so hopefully he's good to go this week. He remains a WR2 despite a subpar outing in Week 6. 
• Jaylen Waddle (shoulder) -- LP. Waddle suffered the injury on his final catch in Week 6, but the fact he's limited already seems to bode pretty well for his chances of playing this week. And it's a good matchup, with Waddle getting Tua Tagovailoa back from his two-game absence. He'll be a borderline WR1 if he plays. 
• Nico Collins (Achilles/wrist) -- LP. As far as I can tell, this is the first we're hearing about this issue for Collins, and given that he's coming off a bye week, it's a bit concerning that Collins isn't 100%. He remains an intriguing stash, but not someone you can feel confident starting. 
• Mark Andrews (knee) -- DNP. It's not clear if this was a rest day for Andrews, so we'll reserve our freak out for if he's out Thursday as well. 
• Darren Waller (hamstring) -- DNP. Waller suffered the injury early on during Week 5, but the fact that he's still not practicing after the Week 6 bye is certainly cause for concern. It doesn't mean Waller won't be available, but there's some risk here. If Waller is out, Foster Moreau is an intriguing streamer to replace him against the Texans. 
• Gerald Everett (illness) -- DNP.  An early-week illness isn't generally considered much of a concern, so we'll file this one under, "Keep an eye on it," and move on. 
• Dalton Schultz (knee) -- FP. Schultz was a full participant in last Friday's practice but ended up being a surprise inactive for Sunday's game, so we can't just assume he'll be out there in Week 7. I'm guessing he will be, but that curveball makes this worth watching. If he plays, I'm viewing Schultz as a borderline top-12 TE with Dak Prescott back. 

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

• Dak Prescott (thumb) -- FP. Prescott has received medical clearance and will return to the lineup for Week 7, barring a setback. 
• Jonathan Taylor (ankle) -- LP. Taylor is working his way back from his ankle injury, and he had the same practice designation he had last Thursday and Friday. I'm assuming that means he's on track to play, but obviously we'll keep an eye out. Nyheim Hines (concussion) and Deon Jackson (quad) were both full participants Wednesday, so if Taylor is out, expect them to split the load. I think I might actually prefer Jackson, though I wouldn't expect anything like a repeat of his 10 targets from Week 6 if Hines is active. 
• Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) -- FP. Coming off the bye, there's little surprise that St. Brown was out there without apparent issue. He's back in the top-10 at WR for Week 7. 
• Rashod Bateman (foot) -- LP. This is a good sign because Bateman hadn't practiced since suffering the injury in Week 4. It doesn't mean he'll be back, but this is a positive first step, the first we've had. 
• Jahan Dotson (hamstring) -- LP. This is an improvement for Dotson, though obviously doesn't mean he's guaranteed to come back this week. I dropped him in a few leagues this week, but I'll be keeping an eye out for how he plays once he's healthy. It's just hard to get excited about Taylor Heinicke's No. 3 wide receiver, you know? 
• Marvin Jones (hamstring) -- LP. Jones missed last week due to this injury, so this seems to bode well. He's just a boom-or-bust WR4 at this point. 
• Pat Freiermuth (concussion) -- FP. Freiermuth practiced on a limited basis last week but wasn't able to clear the concussion protocol. He's already received clearance for Week 7, however, so he'll be out there Sunday night, barring a setback. 

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

• Baker Mayfield (ankle) -- DNP. P.J. Walker was already announced as the starter for the Panthers for Week 7 against the Buccaneers. Mayfield is working his way back and Sam Darnold (ankle) was designated to return from IR, so they'll have a different quarterback at some point relatively soon, but it's just hard to get excited about anything with this offense except for Christian McCaffrey. 
• Christian Watson (hamstring) -- DNP. Watson continues to struggle with this injury, and while there's some upside with the second-rounder, he's not a must-roster player until he proves he can stay healthy and be productive. He hasn't done either yet. 
• D.J. Chark (ankle)/Josh Reynolds (knee) -- DNP. That neither was able to practice despite coming off a bye is an ominous sign. I wouldn't plan on using either at this point. 
• Julio Jones (knee) -- DNP. Jones continues to miss practice with this issue, and he's another player I dropped in a few spots where it just doesn't make sense to keep holding him. That's most 12-team leagues at this point. 
• Kadarius Toney (hamstring) -- DNP. Toney is another guy I'm fine dropping if you need the roster spot, though I would rather stash him over Jones or Dotson given the opportunity he could have if he's ever able to get healthy. I still believe in his talent, and he'd be the No. 1 option for the Giants if he could ever get on the field.