Welcome, IDP Nerds! This is your go-to guide for all things IDP Fantasy as we gear up for Week 7 of the NFL season! With the season nearing the halfway point, it’s crucial to make informed decisions that can make or break your fantasy lineup. This week, we’ll dive deep into the matchups, providing essential start and sit advice tailored to optimize your lineup. Let’s unlock your roster’s full potential and seize victory in Week 7!
QB | RB | WR | TE | IDP
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IDP Fantasy Start Candidates
Defensive Line (DL)
Rashan Gary | Green Bay Packers
The struggle is real for IDP fantasy managers of Rashan Gary this season. The former Michigan Wolverine has struggled this season recording only 14 tackles and 1 sack. Gary has failed to record double-digit fantasy points in 5 consecutive games. Rashan Gary has recorded at least 113 fantasy points or more in 3 straight seasons and averaged 7.3 sacks over that span.
The good news is that Gary has the top matchup for the DL position in Week 7. The Houston Texans allow the most tackles to the DL position and the 11th-most sacks per game. The Texans are allowing the 7th-most sacks per game on the road. Gary is in a solid spot to bounce back. He has played at least 63% of the defensive snaps in every game this season. IDP managers who have been patient should benefit, as Gary is poised to take advantage of this matchup.
Linebacker (LB)
Bobby Okereke | New York Giants
Bobby Okereke is another player off to a slow start in 2024. The New York Giants’ linebacker is the defense’s signal caller. He’s recorded 429 tackles, 6 forced fumbles, and 4 interceptions over the past 3 seasons. Okereke has played 100% of the defensive snaps this season and is a reliable option for fantasy managers. However, this season, the Stanford product is LB49 in fantasy points per game.
Bobby Okereke has the 6th-most favorable positional advantage for the LB position in Week 7. The Giants’ LB has averaged 5.8 tackles per game this season. The Philadelphia Eagles allow 17 tackles per game this season and have surrendered a top-12 finish to the LB position in their last 2 games. Bobby Okereke posted 18 tackles and 1 sack in two games against the Eagles in 2023. IDP managers should feel confident with him in their lineup this week.
Defensive Back (DB)
Jeremy Chinn | Washington Commanders
What IDP fantasy manager doesn’t love a good ‘Revenge Game’ scenario? Washington Commanders’ DB Jeremy Chinn will host the team that drafted him in Week 7. The former Southern Illinois was spectacular in his first 2 seasons in Carolina, including consecutive 100+ tackle and 200+ fantasy point seasons to start his career. Since then, he has struggled with inconsistent play.
Jeremy Chinn has been playing better lately; he’s been DB29 in FPPG since Week 3. Chinn has played 90% of the defensive snaps this season. The Commanders’ DB has 18 tackles and 1 forced fumble in his last 3 games.
Defensive Tackle (DT)
Grover Stewart | Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts defensive line has a favorable 16% positional advantage matchup, the 4th-best in Week 7. Grover Stewart has stepped up in the absence of All-Pro DeForest Buckner on the interior for the Colts. Stewart has a 59% defensive snap share and is DT24 in FPPG. The Colts’ defensive lineman has eclipsed double-digit fantasy points in four of his last five games.
IDP Fantasy Streaming Options
All the hype has been around rookie EDGE rusher Jared Verse this season, and rightfully so; he is DL17 over the first 6 games. This week, he and his former college teammate and now NFL teammate Braden Fiske are solid streaming options. Fiske has a 65% defensive snap share and has recorded 8 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble over his past 2 games. The Las Vegas Raiders have allowed a sack to an interior defensive lineman in back-to-back games.
Roy Lopez has become a familiar name this season. He leads the Arizona interior defenders in defensive snap share (52%). Lopez has averaged 3.5 tackles over the past month. The Cardinals’ defense has a Monday Night Football showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers, who allow the 3rd-most tackles to the DL position this season.
Cornerback (CB)
Marlon Humphrey | Baltimore Ravens
Marlon Humphrey had a huge Week 6, leading the Ravens’ defense in tackles (9). He’s been relying heavily on tackle volume this season, which has not been the case in his career. Humphrey has recorded at least 8 impact plays in 3 of his 7 NFL seasons. The Ravens defensive back has recorded 150 fantasy points or more in 3 of the last 5 seasons.
Marlon Humphrey was DB7 in Week 6. He draws a good matchup in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who allow the cornerback position to make the second most tackles per game. The Buccaneers’ offense allowed 10 tackles to both starting cornerbacks of the New Orleans Saints in Week 6. We can expect another solid fantasy performance from Marlon Humphrey in this matchup.
The Week 7 streaming options include Mike Hughes (DB12) and Nate Hobbs (DB54). Both players have favorable matchups facing opponents who rank in the top 10 in most tackles allowed to the CB position. These cornerbacks have been high-volume tacklers, and with solid matchups this week, they should continue that production.
IDP Sit Candidates
Defensive Line (DL)
Azeez Ojulari | New York Giants
Azeez Ojulari is coming off a 77% defensive snap share in Week 6, which is the highest of the season for him. Ojulari will continue to see an increase in playing time without Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was sent to IR. The former Georgia Bulldog posted his fourth multi-sack game in Week 6. He will likely avoid repeating that performance with a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ojulari will likely spend the afternoon across from Lane Johnson, who has not allowed a sack this season and has an 87.1 pass-block grade (Pro Football Focus). This is a matchup IDP managers can afford to fade in favor of a better one.
Linebacker (LB)
David Long | Miami Dolphins
There hasn’t been much to get excited about as an IDP fantasy manager with Miami Dolphins’ defenders on your roster. David Long has 25 tackles this season, with 19 coming in the first 2 games. The veteran LB suffered an injury that only kept him out one game, but his defensive snap share dropped to 50% upon his return. It’s unclear if Long and Anthony Walker will split snaps, with Jordyn Brooks playing 100% of the LB snaps. That uncertainty, paired with a bad matchup against the Indinapolis Colts, who allow the 5th-fewest tackles per game to the LB position, is enough to sit Long in Week 7.
Defensive Back (DB)
Damar Hamlin | Buffalo Bills
Damar Hamlin is having a solid season at the defensive back position for IDP managers. The former Pittsburgh Panther has scored 10 fantasy points or more in 66% of his games this season. He has played 98% of the defensive snaps this season.
The Buffalo Bills are starting to get healthier in the secondary, and it will be interesting to see how things play out. The return of Taylor Rapp and Taron Johnson has cut into the snaps for Cam Lewis (DB55) and 2024 2nd-round pick Cole Bishop. Hamlin has graded extremely poorly this season, particularly in coverage, with a 55.7 grade (PFF). The Tennessee Titans are an unfavorable 12% positional advantage matchup to opposing defensive backs. There should be better options to stream in Week 7.
IDP Fantasy Injury Updates
Azeez Al-Shaair | Houston Texans
This is the most significant injury to monitor this week; we covered it briefly in the waiver wire article. Azeez Al-Shaair is LB26 in FPPG this season with multiple 10-tackle games. The Texans’ LB room has been injured as Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o have not practiced all week. Linebacker Christian Harris has been working his way back but is not likely to play in Week 7.
This leaves veteran LB Neville Hewitt as the top option for the Houston defense. Hewitt has bounced around the league but has been a serviceable backup. He collected 6 tackles on 39 snaps after the injury to Al-Shaair in last week’s game. Hopefully, you added Hewitt, as recommended, and have another option to turn to this week.
IDP Fantasy Six Pack of Facts
- Will Anderson Career Week: DL1 overall Career High 8 Tackles and 3 Sacks.
- There were 9 LBs with 10 tackles or more. (Queen & Sherwood set career highs with 13 each.)
- The Cleveland Browns allow an insane 5.2 sacks per game. They have permitted top-20 DL fantasy performances in every game.
- The Colts Tackling Trio: Nick Cross, E.J. Speed, and Zaire Franklin all tied for 3rd in the NFL in tackles with 60.
- Maxx Crosby is on pace for the fewest tackles since 2021. Crosby has 177 total tackles over the past 2 seasons.
- Witness History: Bobby Wagner is on pace for his 13th consecutive 100-tackle season. (Only 2 players in NFL history have done this)
Weekly IDP Fantasy Roster Management
IDP Fantasy Tip of the Week
As expected, many IDP fantasy managers still mourn the Aidan Hutchinson injury. As much as injuries are a part of this game, losing a player of this magnitude is crushing. This week, we focus on what to do as a contender when you lose a player as impactful on your roster as Hutchinson.
Savvy fantasy managers look at these injuries as opportunities. As a rebuilding team with productive DL depth, it’s wise to send out feelers to the teams that have lost Aidan Hutchinson to see if they would be willing to sell below market value. More often than not, you will get a no, but you will get managers who want to engage, especially those who are competing. The idea is not to lowball these managers but to offer your best package for a player to help you obtain a more attractive draft pick
Conversely, being the fantasy manager who lost Aidan Hutchinson, you must find a return that could work for you. If you are a mediocre team benefiting greatly from his production, do a full team assessment. Realize where you stack up amongst your league-mates, and don’t make drastic decisions that could potentially set your team back in the long run. You don’t want to look back a year from now and regret selling low on an elite player.
IDP Fantasy Final Thoughts
As you finalize your lineup with our start and sit recommendations, remember that building a dynasty team is always a work in progress. Embrace the season’s ups and downs, and don’t hesitate to make strategic moves that will pay off in the long run. Keep pushing forward and remember that the goal is to improve your team from one week to the next. Good luck this week, IDP Nerds!
Also, check out the Positional Matchups with IDP matchups to focus on by staff writer Brad Custer (@MonCalFF):
All of my IDP Nerds, don’t forget to join the live #NerdHerds Discord channel for Sunday mornings. The team is looking forward to answering your IDP lineup questions.
