New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener was probably not expecting to be on the field for Thursday's game against the Denver Broncos. Even with Derek Carr (oblique) needing more time to heal, Spencer Rattler (hip) was the expected starter and it was made clear by the team that the rookie would be given a long leash. As it so happened, Rattler himself was forced to the sidelines after falling awkwardly when he was sacked with just over four minutes left in the game. The play resulted in a fumble that the Broncos returned for a touchdown, putting Haener under center on short notice. The second-year quarterback from Fresno State looked better than he did when he relieved Carr in Week 5. Haener completed 3-of-4 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown, the first of his career. It is too soon to tell if Rattler's injury is enough to keep him out of action but if he is held out of Week 8 then Haener would be the next man up. Whoever draws the start won't have it easy as the Saints next face the Los Angeles Chargers, who have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game in 2024.

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New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was bottled up in Thursday's 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos, gaining just 10 yards on seven carries. Kamara's six catches were good for a share of the team lead but they resulted in only 14 receiving yards. With Chris Olave (concussion), Rashid Shaheed (knee), and Taysom Hill (ribs) all out the expectation was that the Saints would have no choice but to feed Kamara. Conversely, he finished the game with the fewest touches he has seen all season and his lowest snap share since the Saints' Week 1 blowout of the Carolina Panthers. When Kamara was on the field the Broncos seemed keyed in on him, shutting him down at the line of scrimmage on rushes and pouncing on him after each of his short-yardage receptions. Kamara gets another tough defensive matchup in Week 8 when the Saints travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers.

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New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller's 36 rushing yards was all it took to be the team's leading rusher in Thursday's 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos. He also had two catches on three targets that netted one receiving yard. Miller had an eight-yard carry in the first quarter but didn't touch the ball again until after halftime. Most of his yardage came on consecutive plays when he rushed for nine and then 16 yards to open up the Saints' final drive of the game. This was Miller's first action of 2024 after missing the first six weeks of the season recovering from a hamstring strain. Jamaal Williams has done little with the playing time afforded to him so there is the possibility that Miller may soon be the new RB2 on New Orleans' depth chart. Whether that happens or not Miller can't be expected to do much in Week 8 as the Saints draw another tough defensive matchup in the Los Angeles Chargers.

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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. had six catches for a team-high 57 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's loss to the Denver Broncos. Wilson, along with Bub Means and Mason Tipton saw more opportunities than usual as a result of Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) being inactive in Week 7. After making one eight-yard grab in the first quarter, Wilson was uninvolved until the second half rolled around and even then the majority of his targets came when the game was well out of hand. The touchdown, a 12-yard strike from quarterback Jake Haener, came on the Saints' final drive of the game. The Saints' offense started the season red-hot but is now in shambles. Aside from the injuries to his fellow receivers, Derek Carr (oblique) is expected to need more time to recover and stand-in Spencer Rattler (hip) might have been injured on a sack late in the fourth quarter. The garbage time production produced a handsome fantasy score but Wilson isn't a viable option in most leagues. His showing on Thursday brings his season-long numbers to nine catches for 88 yards and one touchdown.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (hip) went 25-for-35 for 172 passing yards and gained 35 rushing yards on five carries in Thursday's loss to the Denver Broncos. Similar to his Week 6 debut, Rattler faced heavy pressure behind a patchwork offensive line and was sacked six times. The rookie also lost two fumbles and it could have been three had it not been for a defensive penalty nullifying the play. Rattler left the game early after going down awkwardly on the play that resulted in his second fumble of the night. In postgame comments to the media head coach Dennis Allen labeled the injury as a hip pointer and added that he took Rattler out so as not to risk further injury. Jake Haener finished out the game, which only amounted to 12 more plays, and completed 3-of-4 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback situation in New Orleans is suddenly very muddled with Rattler potentially injured and Derek Carr (oblique) still ailing. Luckily, the Saints have a 10-day break to figure things out before facing the Chargers in Week 8.

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The Denver Broncos defense/special teams unit entered the Week 7 matchup on Thursday night with a juicy matchup against a New Orleans Saints offense that was missing most of their best players, and they did not disappoint in a 33-10 beatdown. Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler really had no chance against a swarming D that has been a top-five defense in the NFL this year. The Broncos' D finished with six sacks and two fumble recoveries, including one late in the game that linebacker Cody Barton returned for a touchdown to cap off the dominant victory on the road. Even more impressive is the fact that it was all done without top cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who was out with a concussion. The Broncos' D has proven they are legitimate, and they could have a similar dominant performance in a Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

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New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) exited during the third quarter of Thursday's game against the Denver Broncos and was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest. Lattimore finished Week 7 with four tackles, bringing his season total to 28. The Saints find themselves decimated by injuries all of a sudden, and the cornerback position is no exception. In addition to Lattimore potentially missing time, New Orleans is also expected to be without Paulson Adebo (broken femur) for the rest of the 2024 season. This is the second injury of the year for Lattimore, who missed Week 2 with a different hamstring issue.

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The Denver Broncos had their way with the hosting New Orleans Saints in Week 7 on Thursday night in a 33-10 win, which benefitted kicker Wil Lutz and any fantasy managers that streamed him in a plus matchup. Lutz made all four of his field-goal attempts (long of 52 yards) and all three of his extra-point attempts in what amounted to his best game of the 2024 season. It was a nice bounce-back performance after he made just one field goal and one extra point in the Week 6 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. The 30-year-old kicker has been money for the Broncos in seven games this year, missing just one of his 18 field-goal attempts while going 12-for-12 on extra points. In an offense that is improving slowly under rookie quarterback Bo Nix, Lutz will once again be on the streaming radar in a plus Week 8 tilt against the Carolina Panthers.

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After catching four passes for 53 yards and his second touchdown of the season in the Week 6 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton looked primed for another big week on Thursday night in primetime against the fading New Orleans Saints defense. That didn't end up being the case, as Sutton gave his fantasy managers a donut while not being targeted at all by rookie quarterback Bo Nix in the 33-10 blowout win. It was a very surprising performance by Denver's most targeted receiver, especially in a game in which Denver put up 30-plus points. Head coach Sean Payton explained at halftime that Sutton's lack of involvement was the product of the Saints D playing mostly zone coverage, forcing Nix to go elsewhere. It was a week-losing performance no doubt for Sutton's fantasy managers, but he should bounce back in Week 8 against the Panthers.

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The Buffalo Bills have signed kicker Lucas Havrisik to their practice squad. The move is intended to create some competition for Tyler Bass, who has gone just 9-for-12 on field goals and 18-for-20 on extra points this season. General manager Brandon Beane admitted the team wants Bass to be their kicker going forward, but his struggles have necessitated kicker workouts and the signing of Havrisik. Now 25, Havrisik is coming off a mediocre rookie campaign with the Los Angeles Rams in which he went 15-for-20 on field goals and 19-for-22 on extra points.

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Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin was rookie quarterback Bo Nix's favorite target on Thursday night in the team's 33-10 blowout win over the hosting New Orleans Saints. On a night where Courtland Sutton surprisingly was not targeted at all, Franklin led all Broncos pass-catchers in targets (six), catches (five) and receiving yards (50), although he was unable to find the end zone for the second straight week. The 21-year-old's longest reception of the game went for a 30-yard chunk gain. Franklin, the former college teammate of Nix at Oregon, now has seven catches for 81 yards and a score in two games with Josh Reynolds (finger) on Injured Reserve. It's clear that he'll continue to have a big role while Reynolds is out, making him worth a waiver-wire flier in deeper fantasy leagues heading into a great matchup in Week 8 versus the one-win Carolina Panthers.

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In just his third game this season, Denver Broncos tight end Lucas Krull was the team's second leading receiver in the 33-10 win over the hosting New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football. Krull caught three of his four targets for a season-high 41 receiving yards, which were second-most behind rookie wideout Troy Franklin's 50 receiving yards, in his third game in 2024. Meanwhile, fellow tight end Adam Trautman couldn't haul in any of his three targets on the night. It's becoming clear that Krull is the Broncos' preferred pass-catching TE over Trautman, Nate Adkins and Greg Dulcich, who was a healthy scratch yet again in Week 7. Coming into Thursday's game, Krull had only three catches on five targets for 16 yards and should remain on the waiver wire in the vast majority of fantasy leagues in Denver's low-volume passing attack.

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New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (leg) was diagnosed with a broken femur following Thursday's loss to the Denver Broncos. Adebo exited early in the second quarter after suffering a gruesome-looking leg injury. He was carted off the field in an air cast and taken to a nearby medical center for further evaluation. The Saints have suddenly become decimated with injuries on both sides of the ball, all while falling to 2-5 after their fifth consecutive loss. Alontae Taylor should handle more opportunities at cornerback with Adebo presumably done for the year.

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Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble (concussion) upgraded to a full participant in practice on Thursday. He had been limited on Wednesday, so this development should be considered a step in the right direction. One would have to imagine that Tremble will clear concussion protocol in time to suit up for Week 7 against the Washington Commanders. He'll presumably re-enter the Panthers' offense as their No. 2 tight end behind Ja'Tavion Sanders, keeping him off the fantasy radar in most leagues.

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In the Denver Broncos blowout victory over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night in Week 7, rookie running back Audric Estime out-carried Jaleel McLaughlin five to four, although McLaughlin out-gained the rookie 35 to 29 on the ground in the 33-10 victory. Estime also lost a fumble. Lead back Javonte Williams was the real winner on the night for Denver's offense with 14 carries for a season-high 88 yards and his first two touchdowns of the year. Estime's five carries were a season-high after seeing two totes apiece in his first two NFL games in Weeks 1 and 6. Although Estime could be in head coach Sean Payton's doghouse after losing a fumble against New Orleans, the rookie's presence in Denver's backfield moving forward is yet another reason why McLaughlin cannot be trusted in starting fantasy lineups. Neither RB was targeted in the passing game on Thursday.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (hamstring) was added to the injury report after logging a limited practice on Thursday. The rookie was inactive throughout the first five weeks of the season for a variety of reasons, including injury and being a healthy scratch, but he did make his NFL debut in Week 6. He finished last Sunday's game with zero targets on a seven percent snap share. Going forward, even if Wilson continues to suit up, he'll remain off the fantasy radar in redraft leagues.

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San Francisco 49ers kickers Jake Moody (right ankle) and Matthew Wright (shoulder, back) were absent from Thursday's practice. As the Niners prepare to battle the Kansas City Chiefs next weekend, they could be without both of the kickers on their roster. Moody was injured in Week 5, and now his replacement, Wright, is on the injury report after getting banged up while making a tackle in Week 6. It's starting to look like both Moody and Wright will miss Week 7, which would force the 49ers to use their third kicker in three weeks. Presumably, that replacement option would be Anders Carlson, who went 27-for-33 on field goals and 34-for-39 on extra points with the Green Bay Packers in 2023.

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Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams went off in the team's 33-10 blowout victory over the hosting New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football, carrying the ball 14 times for a season-high 88 yards and his first two touchdowns of the year. He also caught all three of his targets for 23 yards. His first score was an eight-yard scamper in which he went untouched to the end zone. The 24-year-old had just one game of double-digit fantasy points coming into this one, but after his first career two-touchdown game, it's clear he's still the unquestioned lead back in Denver. Williams and the Broncos took care of business against a Saints defense that played uninspired football, and after this big game, fantasy managers will surely consider Williams for a starting lineup spot in another plus-plus matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (chest) remained a full participant in practice on Thursday. The rookie is recovering from a gunshot wound he suffered less than two months ago during an armed robbery attempt. He missed the first six games of the year on the non-football list but appears to be on the verge of being activated and making his NFL debut. Pearsall has one more practice to showcase that he's healthy and ready to go before the 49ers release their final injury report. Presumably, if he logs one more full practice, he'd be activated on Saturday and good to go on Sunday. There's a chance Pearsall could immediately step in as the 49ers' No. 3 receiver with Jauan Jennings (hip) trending in the wrong direction for Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Robert Woods (foot) remained sidelined during practice on Thursday. The veteran pass-catcher is trending toward missing his second consecutive game, but Friday's practice will provide some additional context and confirmation surrounding his status. Regardless of whether Woods enters the weekend listed as out, doubtful, or questionable, he's a non-factor in fantasy football and can be left on waivers in all leagues.

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