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Week 7 of the 2023 fantasy football season kicks off with a Thursday Night Football showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The first third of the NFL season has officially been completed as every team has played either five or six games, depending on their bye weeks.
This is important for fantasy football because enough data now exists for this season to have a much better idea about every player's offensive roles for their teams.
These roles can still significantly change as other factors come into play, such as player development, trades, and significant injuries, among others.
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Injuries will play a crucial role in this particular matchup between the Jaguars and Saints. Several fantasy staples are dealing with injuries, so in addition to the usual analysis before finalizing lineups, managers will need to pay close attention to the injury report prior to the start of this Week 7 game.
Thursday Night Football Week 7 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em fantasy football
Even if Lawrence does play, the injury could affect his mobility, one of his biggest weapons. If he's ruled out and Beathard starts, it will presumably reduce the value of the Jaguars' wide receivers, as he's a significant downgrade as a passer.
For the Saints, tight end Juwan Johnson will be out again, but Jamaal Williams is expected to make his return from an injury.
In addition to closely monitoring all of these injury situations, managers will also need to do their usual analysis of all of the various factors before finalizing their lineups.
This includes direct weekly matchups and recent individual performances, among many others that directly impact fantasy value.
The Start/Sit Optimizer can help managers make these crucial lineup decisions a bit easier. This valuable tool takes every possible factor into careful consideration before generating fantasy projections and lineup advice for any player in a given week.
It was used to help generate the following list of players to target, and others to avoid, for Thursday Night Football in Week 7 of the 2023 fantasy football season.
TNF Week 7 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Picks
Derek Carr
Derek Carr is a great example of a player who isn't a weekly starter in fantasy football, but circumstances will make him a solid option this week. With six teams on their bye weeks, and other quarterbacks dealing with injuries, many usual starting quarterbacks are unavailable this week.
This makes Carr a decent option, especially against a Jaguars defense that is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
Alvin Kamara
While Jamaal Williams is expected to make his return this week, that shouldn't change the fact that Alvin Kamara must be started in fantasy lineups.
Williams could be limited if he does play and Kamara is expected to be the featured back anyway. In his absence, Kamara has three consecutive top-ten finishes among running backs in PPR leagues.
Travis Etienne
Travis Etienne is on a hot streak right now, finishing among the top two running backs in each of the past two weeks, giving him four top-ten finishes this season. Despite a tough matchup with the Saints' defense, he must be started in fantasy football, regardless of league format.
Chris Olave
Following two disappointing games in a row prior to last week, Chris Olave has bounced back strong. He was targeted ten times in his most recent game, the fourth time he has done so this year. He has a strong matchup against the Jaguars, who currently rank in the bottom five in the NFL in passing defense.
Michael Thomas
Michael Thomas will have the same favorable matchup as Olave in Week 7 against a weak Jaguars passing defense. While he has been a bit disappointing in fantasy football this year, he has recorded at least six targets in each of his six games this season.
Christian Kirk
After a slow start to the 2023 fantasy football season, Christian Kirk has bounced back in a big way. This includes five consecutive finishes among the top 30 wide receivers in PPR formats. His reliable volume gives him a safe weekly floor, despite playing in a difficult matchup against the Saints' defense.
Also Read: Christian Kirk fantasy outlook
Calvin Ridley
Despite his quarterback situation being in limbo this week, fantasy managers still shouldn't fade Calvin Ridley in their lineups. He still serves as the WR1 in a strong offensive system and has finished among the top ten wide receivers twice this year already.
Evan Engram
Evan Engram recorded a breakout fantasy football season last year, finishing among the top 12 tight ends for the first time in his career. He has been even better this year, finishing among the top seven tight ends in five of his six games. He has quickly elevated himself to a weekly must-start.
Managers looking to acquire any of these Week 6 targets should consult the fantasy football trade analyzer first.
TNF Week 7 Fantasy Football Sit 'Em Picks
Trevor Lawrence
Managers with another quarterback option this week may want to consider benching Trevor Lawrence. The Saints are currently allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to the position, and paired with his knee injury, he is in a challenging situation.
He has also failed to record a top-ten finish this season, though his outlook for the remainder of the year is still extremely bright.
Jamaal Williams
Despite making his return from injury after missing the past four weeks, Jamaal Williams should remain on the bench this week.
He's likely to have his playing time limited in his first game back, especially with Kamara still expected to be featured. The Jaguars also allow the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs, making Williams a clear fade.
Also Read: Jamaal Williams Fantasy Outlook
Rashid Shaheed
Rashid Shaheed exploded last week for an impressive WR5 finish in standard leagues, marking his second week ranking among the top ten this year.
He's still too risky to trust in fantasy lineups as he has also finished outside of the top 50 wide receivers in his other four games. He's a bench stash for now.
Taysom Hill
Despite Juwan Jonson being expected to miss another game, and Taysom Hill ranking TE6 last week, he can still be left on the bench, or the waiver wire, in Week 7 against the Jaguars.
He has been far too inconsistent to trust in lineups, recording four finishes outside of the top 30 tight ends.
Jaguars Fans! Check out the latest Jacksonville Jaguars Schedule and dive into the Jaguars Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.
