(Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire)
Week 7 Bye Weeks
Green Bay
Players to replace:
DL – Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels
LB – Blake Martinez, Nick Perry, Clay Matthews
DB – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Kentrell Brice
Oakland
Players to replace:
DL – Bruce Irvin, Arden Key
LB – Tahir Whitehead
DB – Rashann Melvin, Marcus Gilchrist
Pittsburgh
Players to replace:
DL – Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt
LB – Vince Williams, T.J. Watt
DB – Terrell Edmunds, Sean Davis, Artie Burns
Seattle
Players to replace:
DL – Frank Clark
LB – Bobby Wagner, Barkevious Mingo
BD – Bradley McDougald, Shaquill Griffin
Positive / Negative Home Stat Crews
Here is a new feature covering tackles per opportunity. We will break down the top and bottom three matchups where home stat crews either hand out tackles and assists or are stingy with them. We can use these games to break ties for our lineups.
Top 3 TPO Games at Home this week = Rams @ 49ers, BIlls @ Colts, Browns @ Buccaneers
Bottom 3 TPO Games at Home this week = Titans @ Chargers, Bengals @ Chiefs, Vikings @ Jets
Week 7 Notes
In New York, we saw Olivier Vernon return to action and play in the majority of the teams’ snaps. He is lining up as a LB this season, so be sure to check your leagues’ roster eligibility. He may not have much value as a LB but if he qualifies for a DE he is a player we will want to keep an eye on moving forward.
Cleveland LB Jamie Collins is back on the field due to an injury to LB Joe Schobert and with the increased playing time, he is worth a bye week look in you need help at LB.
Veteran LB Thomas Davis in Carolina returned from his 4-game suspension and was inserted into his traditional role as an every-down player, pushing out Shaq Thompson who has been unproductive. Davis is worth an add as he is likely available on the wire.
Jacksonville DE Yannick Ngakoue has his groove back. In the last 3 weeks, he’s had 4 sacks, including a dominant effort against Dallas. If someone was frustrated and drop his, run to the wire to pick up.
Be careful with Baltimore LB Za’Darius Smith and his big performance. We can not have consistent fantasy value without consistent snaps. Smith blew up Week 6 with the sacks but he only played on 50% of the snaps, and against one of the worst offensive lines in the game. The Bills gave up 11 sacks this past Sunday and Smith was just a lucky bystander. Don’t expect another game like this.
Likewise in Denver, DE Bradley Chubb exploded for three sacks of his own on Sunday against the LA Rams. I find the Chubb situation to be one worth taking a chance on. Chubb has played in nearly 75% of the teams’ snaps and is obviously a big part of the teams’ plans. Edge linebackers are always a risky proposition but if you are playing in a big-play league, you will be hard pressed to find a better option on waivers.
Jets LB Darron Lee contiues his up and down season, frustrating fantasy owners everywhere. With 8 total tackles and an interception, Lee had his third big game in six weeks but he’s also had three stinkers. He’s a boom or bust player that cannot be trusted but can be used as a shot in the dark. However he draws a rough stat crew this week, so Week 7 might not be the time to plug him in.
Minnesota Vikings DE Danielle Hunter continues his strong start to the season with his six straight games with a sack. He looks unblockable at times, even when he is attracting plenty of double teams with Emerson Griffen out early in the year. Hunter is a must-start and may live up to the big contract he signed this off-season.
In Kansas City, DE Chris Jones has always oozed with potential but never really put it all together. That may be changing as he has produced sacks in back to back weeks. He’s not a pickup yet but keep an eye on the third year player. Just 24 years old, he should see plenty of opportunities to rush the passer on this terrible Chiefs defense.
Below are the full IDP rankings for Week 7 thanks to this widget from FantasyPros: