RADIO
To begin this week’s article, I’d like to break from tradition and offer a non-IDP question that may seem outlandish considering Sunday’s outcome. That said, I have to ask… how do fans of teams like the Atlanta Falcons feel right now? Obviously, they are coming off an impressive win after a string of nail-biters against several big names. Yet, these Falcons have scrounged up a .500 record against opponents with a 44% win rate. They haven't faced a team with a winning record, and the 49ers were down 11 starters on Sunday.
Of course, our skepticism isn’t meant to take away from Atlanta’s impressive play. However, I’m honestly curious how happy fans of a team like this are when they scratch their way to a 7-10 record, leaving them with a mid-tier draft pick and questions at QB. You also have to wonder whether Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot is on the same page with his coach since the GM has exclusively aimed his high draft picks (first three rounds) at the pass, while Arthur Smith calls one of the most run-heavy schemes in the NFL.
All of our worrying may be for nothing since Atlanta looks good so far. But teams following the Colts/Titans blueprint are often stuck in mediocrity, especially when they underutilize two of their three best players (Kyle Pitts & Drake London). Some fans are okay with this, knowing they always have a chance, as the Ravens did with Trent Dilfer. Many fans would sacrifice a dozen Wild Card appearances for a chance at the next Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, though. How do you feel?... With that, let’s get to our IDP rankings!
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Top Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent |
| 1 | Micah Parsons | Cowboys | Lions |
| 2 | Alex Highsmith | Steelers | Dolphins |
| 3 | Myles Garrett (Q) | Browns | Ravens |
| 4 | Matthew Judon | Patriots | Bears |
| 5 | Rashan Gary | Packers | Commanders |
| 6 | Nick Bosa (Q) | 49ers | Chiefs |
| 7 | Maxx Crosby | Raiders | Texans |
| 8 | Khalil Mack | Chargers | Seahawks |
| 9 | Josh Allen | Jaguars | Giants |
| 10 | Montez Sweat | Commanders | Packers |
| 11 | Deatrich Wise Jr. | Patriots | Bears |
| 12 | Bradley Chubb | Broncos | Jets |
| 13 | Kwity Paye (Q) | Colts | Titans |
| 14 | Shaquil Barrett | Buccaneers | Panthers |
| 15 | Trey Hendrickson | Bengals | Falcons |
| 16 | Cameron Jordan | Saints | Cardinals |
| 17 | Brian Burns | Panthers | Buccaneers |
| 18 | Cameron Heyward | Steelers | Dolphins |
| 19 | Deforest Buckner | Colts | Titans |
| 20 | Jerry Hughes | Texans | Raiders |
| 21 | Demarcus Lawrence | Cowboys | Lions |
| 22 | Rashad Weaver | Titans | Colts |
| 23 | Preston Smith | Packers | Commanders |
| 24 | Jaelan Phillips | Dolphins | Steelers |
| 25 | Sam Hubbard | Bengals | Falcons |
| 26 | Denico Autry | Titans | Colts |
| 27 | Quinnen Williams | Jets | Broncos |
| 28 | Baron Browning | Broncos | Jets |
| 29 | Zach Allen | Cardinals | Saints |
| 30 | Aidan Hutchinson | Lions | Cowboys |
| 31 | Chris Jones | Chiefs | 49ers |
| 32 | Kayvon Thibodeaux | Giants | Jaguars |
| 33 | Jeffery Simmons | Titans | Colts |
| 34 | Dexter Lawrence | Giants | Jaguars |
| 35 | Dorance Armstrong | Cowboys | Lions |
| 36 | Samson Ebukam | 49ers | Chiefs |
| 37 | Grady Jarrett | Falcons | Bengals |
| 38 | Azeez Ojulari (Q) | Giants | Jaguars |
| 39 | Charles Omenihu | 49ers | Chiefs |
| 40 | Vita Vea | Buccaneers | Panthers |
| 41 | Daron Payne | Commanders | Packers |
| 42 | Yannick Ngakoue | Colts | Titans |
| 43 | Carl Lawson | Jets | Broncos |
| 44 | Uchena Nwosu | Seahawks | Chargers |
| 45 | Rasheem Green | Texans | Raiders |
| 46 | Charles Harris | Lions | Cowboys |
| 47 | Jonathan Allen | Commanders | Packers |
| 48 | Leonard Williams | Giants | Jaguars |
| 49 | Drake Jackson | 49ers | Chiefs |
| 50 | Travon Walker | Jaguars | Giants |
DL Gamble(s) of the Week: Preston Smith, Green Bay Packers
Smith is tied for 24th in sacks this year and sits 37th amongst edge rushers in total tackles. He’s predominantly been a sack-dependent fantasy asset for his career, with just one double-digit sack performance in seven seasons. However, he has a plus matchup this week against a Washington line with the third-worst sack rate in the NFL and a replacement QB who took a sack once every 13 dropbacks in 2021. Taylor Heinicke projects to take four sacks in this game, and Smith should get one.
DL Fold(s) of the Week: Leonard Williams, New York Giants
This former Trojan had two productive fantasy seasons leading into this season before nagging injuries hampered this year’s campaign. So, it's understandable if some would expect Leonard Williams to rebound now that he's reportedly healthy and bound to return to a much more talented defensive line. We are managing expectations for Williams, however.
One concern we have is the presence of Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari, assuming the latter is healthy, and how it will impact Williams’ snap rate. Williams has received ample playing time on the edge in recent years, but the presence of Thibs and Ojulari could force Williams inside more often, where the Jaguars give up fewer than five pressures per game. The Jaguars' line is surrendering just 1.7 sacks per game too, which could be a problem for a DL sharing snaps.
Top Fantasy Linebackers of the Week
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent |
| 1 | Roquan Smith | Bears | Patriots |
| 2 | Devin White | Buccaneers | Panthers |
| 3 | Jordyn Brooks | Seahawks | Chargers |
| 4 | Zaire Franklin | Colts | Titans |
| 5 | Foyesade Oluokun | Jaguars | Giants |
| 6 | C.J. Mosley | Jets | Broncos |
| 7 | Nick Bolton | Chiefs | 49ers |
| 8 | Devin Lloyd | Jaguars | Giants |
| 9 | Micah Parsons | Cowboys | Lions |
| 10 | De’Vondre Campbell | Packers | Commanders |
| 11 | Logan Wilson (Q) | Bengals | Falcons |
| 12 | Mykal Walker (Q) | Falcons | Bengals |
| 13 | Cole Holcomb | Commanders | Packers |
| 14 | Bobby Okereke | Colts | Titans |
| 15 | Denzel Perryman | Raiders | Texans |
| 16 | Myles Jack | Steelers | Dolphins |
| 17 | Dre Greenlaw | 49ers | Chiefs |
| 18 | Demario Davis | Saints | Cardinals |
| 19 | Fred Warner | 49ers | Chiefs |
| 20 | Divine Deablo | Raiders | Texans |
| 21 | Josey Jewell (Q) | Broncos | Jets |
| 22 | Pete Werner | Saints | Cardinals |
| 23 | Drue Tranquill | Chargers | Seahawks |
| 24 | Lavonte David | Buccaneers | Panthers |
| 25 | David Long Jr. | Titans | Colts |
| 26 | Rashaan Evans | Falcons | Bengals |
| 27 | Frankie Luvu (Q) | Panthers | Buccaneers |
| 28 | Zaven Collins | Cardinals | Saints |
| 29 | Christian Kirksey | Texans | Raiders |
| 30 | Patrick Queen | Ravens | Browns |
| 31 | Malcolm Rodriguez | Lions | Cowboys |
| 32 | Germaine Pratt | Bengals | Falcons |
| 33 | Alex Singleton | Broncos | Jets |
| 34 | Cody Barton | Seahawks | Chargers |
| 35 | Shaq Thompson | Panthers | Buccaneers |
| 36 | Jerome Baker | Dolphins | Steelers |
| 37 | Kamu Grugier-Hill | Texans | Raiders |
| 38 | Josh Bynes | Ravens | Browns |
| 39 | Quincy Williams | Jets | Broncos |
| 40 | Quay Walker | Packers | Commanders |
| 41 | Jacob Phillips | Browns | Ravens |
| 42 | Leighton Vander Esch | Cowboys | Lions |
| 43 | Ja’Whaun Bentley | Patriots | Bears |
| 44 | Alex Anzalone | Lions | Cowboys |
| 45 | Isaiah Simmons | Cardinals | Saints |
| 46 | Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoa | Browns | Ravens |
| 47 | Jamin Davis | Commanders | Packers |
| 48 | Nicholas Morrow | Bears | Patriots |
| 49 | Alex Highsmith | Steelers | Dolphins |
| 50 | Devin Bush | Steelers | Dolphins |
LB Gamble(s) of the Week: Josh Bynes, Baltimore Ravens
As we saw this past weekend, the Patriots and Browns have nearly identical offensive philosophies. They want to run the ball over 50% of the time, involve their slot/tight end position regularly, and pepper the intermediate area of the field when passing. Bynes racked up double-digit tackles against New England two weeks ago, and he can do something similar against Cleveland. He’s a worthwhile gamble in tackle-premium formats.
LB Fold(s) of the Week: Isaiah Simmons, Arizona Cardinals
Consider this our weekly update on Clemson’s mercurial but infinitely talented product. Last week, we marveled at how Simmons could quickly return to the good graces of the Cardinals coaching staff after he was benched unceremoniously in Week 2. We also warned that you couldn't trust his Week 5 re-birth, and he proved us right with a weak two-tackle performance against a run-heavy Seattle team last weekend.
While you can never count Simmons out, and he is the definition of a high upside "gamble" every week, the floor here is astoundingly low, even in good matchups. Last week, the Seahawks afforded the Cardinals an ideal situation to move Simmons around and involve him more, yet Kliff Kingsbury cut the linebacker's snaps by 30% from the past two weeks. The former Tiger again has a great matchup against the Saints this week, but you can't trust him in your lineup.
Roll the dice with Simmons if you absolutely need a huge boom from your LB spot but know he could deliver a donut despite a favorable matchup. There’s even an outside chance Simmons returns to playing less than 50% of his team's snaps. The unknowns are simply too much for us to feel good playing this hand in Week 7.
Top Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent |
| 1 | Derwin James Jr. | Chargers | Seahawks |
| 2 | Minkah Fitzpatrick (Q) | Steelers | Dolphins |
| 3 | Talanoa Hufanga | 49ers | Chiefs |
| 4 | Jonathan Owens | Texans | Raiders |
| 5 | L’Jarius Sneed | Chiefs | 49ers |
| 6 | Eddie Jackson | Bears | Patriots |
| 7 | Jalen Thompson | Cardinals | Saints |
| 8 | Jevon Holland | Dolphins | Steelers |
| 9 | Budda Baker | Cardinals | Saints |
| 10 | Antoine Winfield Jr. | Buccaneers | Panthers |
| 11 | Richie Grant | Falcons | Bengals |
| 12 | Grant Delpit | Browns | Ravens |
| 13 | DeShon Elliott | Lions | Cowboys |
| 14 | Justin Simmons | Broncos | Jets |
| 15 | Jalen Pitre | Texans | Raiders |
| 16 | Vonn Bell | Bengals | Falcons |
| 17 | Brandon Jones | Dolphins | Steelers |
| 18 | Kevin Byard | Titans | Colts |
| 19 | Jaquan Brisker | Bears | Patriots |
| 20 | Donovan Wilson | Cowboys | Lions |
| 21 | Julian Love | Giants | Jaguars |
| 22 | Jayron Kearse | Cowboys | Lions |
| 23 | Kyle Dugger | Patriots | Bears |
| 24 | Rayshawn Jenkins | Jaguars | Giants |
| 25 | A.J. Terrell (Q) | Falcons | Bengals |
| 26 | Derek Stingley | Texans | Raiders |
| 27 | Marlon Humphrey | Ravens | Browns |
| 28 | Xavier Woods | Panthers | Buccaneers |
| 29 | Mike Edwards (Q) | Buccaneers | Panthers |
| 30 | Johnathan Abram | Raiders | Texans |
| 31 | Andre Cisco | Jaguars | Giants |
| 32 | Carlton Davis | Buccaneers | Panthers |
| 33 | Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner | Jets | Broncos |
| 34 | Jaylinn Hawkins | Falcons | Bengals |
| 35 | Kamren Curl | Commanders | Packers |
| 36 | Kenny Moore II | Colts | Titans |
| 37 | Chuck Clark | Ravens | Browns |
| 38 | Devin McCourty | Patriots | Bears |
| 39 | Trevon Diggs | Cowboys | Lions |
| 40 | Geno Stone | Ravens | Browns |
| 41 | Jordan Whitehead | Jets | Broncos |
| 42 | Xavier McKinney | Giants | Jaguars |
| 43 | Jessie Bates III | Bengals | Falcons |
| 44 | Roger McCreary | Titans | Colts |
| 45 | John Johnson III | Browns | Ravens |
| 46 | Tariq Woolen | Seahawks | Chargers |
| 47 | Jeff Okudah | Lions | Cowboys |
| 48 | Patrick Surtain II | Broncos | Jets |
| 49 | Desmond King | Texans | Raiders |
| 50 | Charvarius Ward (Q) | 49ers | Chiefs |
DB Gamble(s) of the Week: Jaylinn Hawkins, Atlanta Falcons
Hawkins has been on a hot streak the past two weeks, notching a double-digit tackle game two weeks ago and securing an INT against San Francisco. Now he has a solid matchup with the Bengals, who baited the Saints with plenty of underneath throws and allowed Ja'Marr Chase to create his own yards after the catch. Cincy remains a high-volume pass attack that could feed both Hawkins and Richie Grant if the Bengals continue targeting the intermediate area.
DB Fold(s) of the Week: Anyone in the Bengals Secondary Not Named Vonn Bell
Last week, we told you Charvarius Ward was an outside-the-box CB play with an upside against Atlanta. While Ward leaving in the second quarter clouded the results of that call, there is no questioning just how low-volume the Falcons passing attack is. Over the past three weeks, Atlanta has been the most run-heavy offense in the NFL, which is a concern for Cincy corners.
Marcus Mariota has averaged a minuscule 19.5 pass attempts in his past four games. Dating back to 2003, zero NFL teams have averaged fewer than 20 attempts per game. The Falcons seem intent on breaking that glass floor, though. That doesn't bode well for any member of the Bengals' secondary. However, if you’ve been rolling with Vonn Bell so far, odds are you will continue to do so in hopes he secures a turnover and several solos.
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