| |  | | Sunday, October 22, 2023 | The problem with Week 7 of the Fantasy Football season is, because there are six teams on bye, it's way more difficult to avoid the kind of situations we'd prefer to avoid this weekend. | The biggest question heading into Sunday's action is what to do with the Rams running backs, but that's not all, obviously. We've got a bunch of backup quarterbacks out there who might torpedo their offenses, plus Christian McCaffrey is looking like a true game-time decision – for Monday night, which is just the worst-case scenario for a game-time decision. | You'll get my thoughts on all of those situations and every injury you need to know about in today's newsletter, along with my updated rankings for each position. Of course, you might need more specific help with some of your decisions, and the FFT team is here for you. Go to Twitter and use the hashtag "#AskFFT", where our whole team will be answering questions all morning; and go to the FFT YouTube channel to chat with Adam and I starting at 11:30 a.m. ET . We'll be there right up until kickoff answering as many questions as we can, so make sure you're in the chat early to get your questions in. | | Now, here's everything you need to set your Week 7 lineup, plus the latest on injuries and more: | | | | | | Here's what we know – or what we think we know – as of around 11 am: | | Out or probably out | - Justin Fields, QB, Bears (thumb)
- Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Raiders (back)
- Daniel Jones, QB, Giants (neck)
- Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals (knee)
- David Montgomery, RB, Lions (ribs)
- Kyren Williams, RB, Rams (ankle; IR)
- Damien Harris, RB, Bills (concussion/neck; IR)
- Roschon Johnson, RB, Bears (concussion)
- Ronnie Rivers, RB, Rams (ankle; IR)
- Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seahawks (hamstring)
- Chris Brooks, RB, Dolphins (ankle; IR)
- Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers (shoulder)
- JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Patriots (concussion)
- Justin Watson, WR, Chiefs (elbow)
- Pat Freiermuth, TE, Steelers (hamstring)
- Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots (ankle)
- Kylen Granson, TE, Colts (concussion)
| Yeah, that's a lot of relevant names (and a few not-so-relevant names). On the QB front, I'd rank the replacement options like this: Tyrod Taylor > Brian Hoyer > Tyson Bagent , with Taylor still just a low-end QB2 even in a week with so many players out. The Giants offense didn't seem to struggle much with the transition from Jones to Taylor last week, but Taylor isn't the prolific runner he once was, with more than 30 yards in just one of his past seven starts dating back to 2021. You probably need him to get into the end zone as a runner to justify starting him. | For the RBs, the biggest question – maybe the biggest question at any position this week – is how to handle the Rams backfield. According to Adam Schefter, the Rams are expected to lean on Royce Freeman and Darrell Henderson ahead of rookie Zach Evans , though it's worth noting that Sean McVay played coy when asked about the RB rotation this week, saying all three plus Myles Gaskin could be involved. If the report is accurate, I would prioritize Henderson over Freeman, because we've seen him be a must-start option in this offense in the past; though I'll also add that we also saw him get cut by the Rams last season and then go unsigned all offseason, through training camp and the preseason, and into the season. Your best bet is to keep these guys stashed and hopefully have a starting option in Week 8 if one pops, but I would start Henderson ahead of, for instance, the Broncos running backs, because I think there's a path to upside if he is the lead back. | I've got Jahmyr Gibbs as a top-15 option in Montgomery's absence, while Craig Reynolds (who is expected to play despite a hamstring injury) is a desperation RB4 – and I will be starting him in one league where I'm truly desperate. I've also got D'onta Foreman as a top-24 option with Johnson out and Khalil Herbert still on IR. | | Still questionable | | | McCaffrey got up to a limited practice Saturday after missing the first two games, and he apparently has a real chance of playing. Or, you know, of not playing. Unfortunately, as of around 10 a.m. Sunday, we just haven't gotten any confirmation one way or the other, which means you might just need to stay away from him. If you have Jordan Mason or Elijah Mitchell , I prefer to trust Mitchell if McCaffrey is out, and I'd rank him as a top-20 RB if we knew McCaffrey was out; Mason would be more like an RB3 this week. If you have either, I'm OK waiting until Monday night and swapping one of them in for McCaffrey if he is ruled out. | Otherwise, you're in a much tougher spot. If you can, the best course of action is to put McCaffrey in a Flex spot in your lineup and turn to someone like KJ Osborn or Jordan Addison in his absence, but only Osborn is available in more than a handful of leagues, with 72% roster rate. So, go see if Osborn is available and go down that path. Otherwise, you probably need to avoid McCaffrey, though with so many players out this week, you might not have anyone with a guaranteed role to slot in ahead of him – I started Kendre Miller in one league this week – so it might still be worth rolling the dice on McCaffrey if you truly don't have another viable option. | Metcalf is the other significant one here, with multiple reports Sunday morning indicating he is a true game-time decision. That's less than ideal with a 4:05 kickoff, but if you have Jaxon Smith-Njigba on your bench in that same game or someone else from the later windows, you can wait it out. Otherwise, I'd lean toward sitting Metcalf, who could be limited due to his injuries. | | On track to play | - Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns (shoulder)
- Aaron Jones, RB, Packers (hamstring)
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions (hamstring)
- Jeff WIlson Jr., RB, Dolphins (ribs/finger)
- Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers (hamstring)
- Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills (concussion)
| | In a typical week, I'd suggest avoiding Watson coming back from this shoulder injury, especially because I'm really worried he won't be used as a runner. But, this week, he's still a top-15 QB for me. I'd prefer not to start him, but you might not have that choice. | Jones and GIbbs are both top-15 RBs for me, while Wilson is a top-30 back in his expected return. I don't think he'll turn this into a true committee with Raheem Mostert, but we saw him serve as the 1a option ahead of Mostert for much of the second half of last season, and the way this offense is running the ball on the ground, he could still be worth using as the No. 2. He won't be De'Von Achane , or anything, but I'd be fine using him ahead of any of the Rams options, and he's in the same range as the Broncos and Steelers running backs, among others. | | | | Week 7 rankings updates | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Flex top 125 rankings | | | | |  | |  | | | | | Saturday, a huge afternoon of college football on CBS kicks off at 12:00 PM ET with #22 Air Force taking on Navy. Then at 3:30 PM ET, the SEC on CBS features a rematch of one of last year's most memorable games when the #17 ranked Vols go on the road against #11 Alabama. Watch Live
| | Sunday, an NFL on CBS doubleheader features rivalries from coast to coast. Early action is highlighted by an AFC East matchup between the Bills and Patriots. Later, It's an AFC West showdown between the Chargers and the Chiefs. The day kicks off at 12:00 PM ET with The NFL Today. Tune In
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