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Generally speaking, injury news is bad news, but there are a few reasons to be optimistic heading into Week 7, so we'll start today with that. You know Dak Prescott (thumb) is expected to return to the Cowboys this week, but we also learned Tuesday that Keenan Allen (hamstring) has a chance to play against the Seahawks -- coach Brandon Staley told reporters he expects Allen to practice in full this week.

 Of course, not all of the news is good news, because it never is. We'll have a full rundown on all of the injuries for Week 7 you need to know about in tomorrow's newsletter, but just know that it doesn't look like Michael Thomas (foot), Jarvis Landry (ankle), or James Conner (ribs) are likely to play Thursday. None of them have practiced yet, although Chris Olave (concussion) has been fully cleared in continuing with the good news theme. 

There's no such good news for the Broncos, as we also learned that Russell Wilson has a hamstring injury that could cause him to miss some time. Wilson has been terrible this season, but I'd bet on Brett Rypien being worse, so we'll have to keep an eye on that one -- the Broncos might be an offense to avoid entirely if Wilson has to miss time. 

We'll have more  tomorrow -- plus, Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls later tonight -- but for now let's get to today's newsletter, where we're previewing each position for Week 7 and talking trade targets. Make sure you check out Dave Richard's Trade Values Chart if you're looking to make a trade this week, of course. And, to get your questions included in the newsletter moving forward, send them to Chris.Towers@ViacomCBS.com with "#AskFFT" as the subject line. 

And now, here's Wednesday's newsletter:

🔍Week 7 Position Previews

Every Tuesday, Heath Cummings previews each position, providing injury insights, key stats to know, the best waiver-wire adds, DFS targets, and more for quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. Here's a brief rundown of each position, along with some key details you need to know about and our expert consensus rankings before you go read Heath's full breakdowns:  

QB Preview

"Every year we dub one week of byes the Bye-nado, and with the Bills, Vikings, Rams, and Eagles on a bye in Week 7, this feels like as good as any. We're missing two of the top four quarterbacks in Fantasy in Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts, and a pair of guys we expected to be borderline starters in Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins. Thankfully, we're also getting back a pair of must-start options."

  • On a bye: Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins and Jalen Hurts
  • Injuries: Dak Prescott (thumb), Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), Russell Wilson (hamstring), Carson Wentz (finger), Jameis Winston (back), Justin Fields (shoulder), Kenny Pickett (concussion), Mac Jones (ankle), Baker Mayfield (ankle), Andy Dalton (back), Sklyer Thompson (thumbe) and P.J. Walker (neck).
  • Number to know: 37 -- Matt Ryan has thrown at least 37 passes in every game but one this year.
  • Matchup that matters: Dak Prescott vs. DET (24th vs. QB)
  • Waiver add/streamer: "Matt Ryan. Ryan is second in the NFL in pass attempts and faces a Titans defense that allows the third-most Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. The return of Jonathan Taylor could impact Ryan's pass volume, but he's still the top bye-week replacement."
  • Stash: "Kenny Pickett. I still have some hope this Steelers offense could show more explosiveness with Pickett under center. They play the Panthers, Raiders, and Ravens in the Fantasy playoffs, all matchups that provide big upside."  

Consensus Expert Top 12

  1. Patrick Mahomes, KC
  2. Lamar Jackson, BAL
  3. Joe Burrow, CIN
  4. Kyler Murray, ARI
  5. Justin Herbert, LAC
  6. Tom Brady, TB
  7. Dak Prescott, DAL
  8. Geno Smith, SEA
  9. Matt Ryan, IND
  10. Derek Carr, LV
  11. Tua Tagovailoa, MIA
  12. Aaron Rodgers, GB

*My QB Rankings

RB Preview

"Ezekiel Elliott has scored exactly 10 Fantasy points per game and enters Week 7 as the No. 38 running back in Fantasy Football on a per-game basis. That's one spot higher than his teammate Tony Pollard. As someone who called Elliott a bust in the preseason, even I didn't expect the results to be quite this bad. I also expect them to start getting better in Week 7."

Consensus Expert Top 24

  1. Austin Ekeler, LAC
  2. Christian McCaffrey, CAR
  3. Saquon Barkley, NYG
  4. Leonard Fournette, TB
  5. Derrick Henry, TEN
  6. Rhamondre Stevenson, NE
  7. Josh Jacobs, LV
  8. Alvin Kamara, NO
  9. Breece Hall, NYJ
  10. Jonathan Taylor, IND
  11. Joe Mixon, CIN
  12. Nick Chubb, CLE
  13. Dameon Pierce, HOU
  14. Kenneth Walker III, SEA
  15. Aaron Jones, GB
  16. Jamaal Williams, DET
  17. Ezekiel Elliott, DAL
  18. Eno Benjamin, ARI
  19. Travis Etienne, JAC
  20. Jeff Wilson, SF
  21. Najee Harris, PIT
  22. David Montgomery, CHI
  23. Tony Pollard, DAL
  24. Raheem Mostert, MIA

*My RB Rankings

WR Preview

"In Week 6 the Arizona Cardinals lost Marquise Brown for an extended period, possibly the rest of the season, due to a foot injury. In Week 7, they'll welcome back DeAndre Hopkins. In the same week, they're adding Robbie Anderson. Now is the time for us to make our best guesses what this passing game will look like.

"Without Brown, Hopkins should be the clear alpha wide receiver ..."

Consensus Expert Top 24

  1. Tyreek Hill, MIA
  2. Davante Adams, LV
  3. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN
  4. Michael Pittman, IND
  5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET
  6. Chris Godwin, TB
  7. CeeDee Lamb, DAL
  8. Deebo Samuel, SF
  9. Mike Evans, TB
  10. Tyler Lockett, SEA
  11. Mike Williams, LAC
  12. DK Metcalf, SEA
  13. Tee Higgins, CIN
  14. Jaylen Waddle, MIA
  15. DeAndre Hopkins, ARI
  16. Allen Lazard, GB
  17. Courtland Sutton, DEN
  18. Amari Cooper, CLE
  19. Chris Olave, NO
  20. Christian Kirk, JAC
  21. Brandin Cooks, HOU
  22. Josh Reynolds, DET
  23. Rondale Moore, ARI
  24. Diontae Johnson, PIT

*My WR Rankings

TE Preview

"A touchdown bailed out Fantasy owners who trusted Kyle Pitts in Week 6. It may have also provided one last off-ramp if you're looking to move him.

"While Pitts did score in Week 6 he also posted 19 yards for the third time this season. He was also out-targeted by both Drake London and Olamide Zaccheaus. Pitts is clearly not the No. 1 option in this offense like he was in the second half of 2021, and the pie has shrunk considerably."

Consensus Expert Top 12

  1. Travis Kelce, KC
  2. Mark Andrews, BAL
  3. George Kittle, SF
  4. Zach Ertz, ARI
  5. David Njoku, CLE
  6. Darren Waller, LV
  7. T.J. Hockenson, DET
  8. Robert Tonyan, GB
  9. Evan Engram, JAC
  10. Kyle Pitts, ATL
  11. Gerald Everett, LAC
  12. Taysom Hill, NO

*My TE Rankings

Week 7 Trade Talk

Last week, I advocated for Marquise Brown as a buy-high candidate. Hopefully you weren't able to successfully pull off any moves for him, because he's going to miss a significant amount of time with a foot injury. That's bad news for him, obviously, but also for Kyler Murray and this entire Cardinals offense that was just about to get DeAndre Hopkins back from his suspension. I had Murray as a buy-low candidate last week, so that one stings doubly. 

Of course, nobody can see the future, especially when it comes to injuries. That was just bad luck, but it's the kind of bad luck that may have left your team in a hole. Let's see if we can't help out there. Let's look for some more trade candidates heading into Week 7 -- and if you're looking to make your own trades, make sure you check out Dave Richard's Trade Values Chart so you know how to make the right offers. 

Three to buy-low

  • Ezekiel Elliott – I don't think we're ever going to see Elliott be an elite Fantasy option again, but Prescott's return can only mean good things for him. Prescott throws to his running backs a bit more than we've seen from Cooper Rush so far, which will help, but the bigger thing is just that Elliott is going to have a lot more scoring opportunities with the offense moving the ball better. He had 10 touchdowns in 17 games last season, but has just two in seven games so far this season. The Cowboys have shown no inclination to go away from Elliott -- he has played at least 61% of the snaps in each of the past five games -- and this role is about to get a lot more valuable. He's probably an RB2 moving forward. 
  • Joe Mixon – Mixon has played at least 66% of the snaps in every game this season and at least 70% in all but one game, something he only did in half his games last season. That is mostly manifesting in more opportunities for pass-catching, which is a great thing, as Mixon is already more than halfway to a career-high in catches. He's got a league-high 16 touches inside of the 10-yard line with just two touchdowns to show for it. Mixon is getting the usage to be an elite Fantasy option, and if the touchdown luck regresses in the right direction, he's going to be a top-five back. 
  • George Kittle – Kittle got a much-needed 16.3 PPR points in Week 6, which should assuage some of the concerns people have about him. However, his overall production still looks pretty middling, with 45.5 yards per game representing his lowest mark since he was a rookie. However, Kittle is still averaging 4.8 receptions per game, just below last season's 5.1 mark, so the biggest issue here is that Kittle just isn't getting many downfield targets -- his ADoT is down to a career-low 4.1 yards, less than half last season's mark. I think that's partially a reflection of the absence of left tackle Trent Williams, whose absence has hampered the offense as a whole. Williams is expected back this week, and I think Kittle is going to take off and return to his rightful place as a top-five tight end. 

One to buy-high

  • Kenneth Walker – I'm not sure Walker is going to be a top-12 running back the rest of the way, but I think he has that kind of upside. It'll depend on whether Seattle gets him involved in the passing game. He ran a route on 40% of the team's dropbacks in his first start, which is a decent mark, but not a great one. He'll probably never be a high target guy, but if he can settle in around 3-4 per game, top-12 upside is within his reach, because I do expect him to continue to be very good as a runner. He's got explosive big-play ability and is going to get a lot of carries. Walker is someone you want on your team, even if he costs you. 

Three to sell-high

  • Zach Ertz – Ertz currently ranks third among all tight ends in expected Fantasy points per game at 15.7, while he's averaging a relatively paltry 12.8 PPR points per game. That's still good for third-best at the position, but given that he's underperforming his role, shouldn't that make him a buy-low? Nah. Expected stats exist to try to identify what an average player would produce in a given situation, but at this point, I don't think Ertz is an average player, even at the tight end position. He's benefited from a massive role in the Cardinals offense but they're leaving points on the field every time they target him. Ertz has turned 11 red zone targets -- tied with Mark Andrews for the fifth-most of any player this season -- into just four catches, 20 yards, and two touchdowns. Ertz is still going to get enough targets to be worth starting, in all likelihood, but with DeAndre Hopkins back from his suspension, I'm going to guess Ertz is no longer going to be the go-to option in the red zone. That's going to be good for the Cardinals offense and bad for Ertz. There's nothing wrong with having a tight end who can give you 10-12 points per game, but I don't think Ertz is anything more than that. 
  • JuJu Smith-Schuster – Smith-Schuster's box score line looked better than he actually played in Week 6, I thought. That's not to say Smith-Schuster played bad, I just don't think the 113-yard-and-a-touchdown performance was necessarily the breakout you've been waiting on. He still had just five of the Chiefs 40 targets and only 35 air yards, the latter of which is actually his lowest total in a game since Week 2. Most of his production came on a catch 7 yards past the line of scrimmage where three Bills defenders converged and somehow managed to not bring him down, turning a short gain into a 42-yard touchdown. Take advantage of a kind-of-fluke-y big game from a guy whose role still doesn't look valuable -- and who just might not be a particularly good playmaker at this stage in his career -- to sell. 
  • Brian Robinson – Robinson is a fantastic story, which is why I hate to argue against him, even for Fantasy. I'm rooting for him, I just don't think he's going to be much more than a low-end Fantasy option, and he might be valued as something more than that right now. Robinson had 5 yards over expected in Week 6, per NFL Next Gen Stats, which says that he basically got what was blocked for him and not much else. He's a big back but not necessarily a dynamic athlete, and I think more often than not, he's going to get what is blocked for him -- in this Washington offense, that won't lead to huge chunks of yards, more often than not. Add in that he's unlikely to usurp either Antonio Gibson or J.D. McKissic for passing downs, and I think you're looking at a touchdown-or-bust RB3 -- like a lower-upside version of Damien Harris. If anyone values him as an RB2, move him now. 

One to sell-low

  • D'Andre Swift – I legitimately think Swift might be one of the five most talented running backs in football. If not, he certainly has one of the Fantasy friendliest skill sets of any running back, thanks to his prowess as a pass-catcher and his knack for big plays. The problem is, he's struggled to stay healthy, having now missed multiple games in each of his three NFL seasons. Injuries happen, especially to running backs, but Dan Campbell talked about needing to keep Swift healthy in training camp, and Swift couldn't even make it through two games before getting hurt -- he suffered an ankle injury before missing the past two games with a shoulder injury. Will the Lions trust him for 15 touches per game? Can he handle that? Or is he fated to be an incredibly explosive role player? The latter is my concern, and it's why I'm ranking him as more of an RB2 for Week 7 -- and why I'd be looking to sell if someone views him as a top-12 guy.