IDP Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 7

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

DL Gamble(s) of the Week: Preston Smith, Green Bay Packers

Smith is tied for 24^th in sacks this year and sits 37^th 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

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

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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