Week 7 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

You cannot overstate the impact of Aidan Hutchinson's injury. Through six games, Hutchinson was fantasy's DL3 in fantasy points per game, but his on-field impact was even greater. He was the hands-down Defensive Player of the Year through six weeks. The former Wolverine leads the NFL in sacks and pass rush win rate, and he has 28.5% more QB pressures than the next closest defender.

Beyond the loss of Hutchinson, there are a few other noteworthy injuries this week that are traveling under the radar. One such injury is that of All-Pro Andrew Thomas, who is currently undergoing an MRI and could miss time. This is noteworthy because Thomas has allowed just eight pressures in the five games he hasn’t faced Myles Garrett every snap.

Thomas isn’t the only top-tier offensive tackle who could miss time, either. Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata and Laremy Tunsil are both listed as questionable. Both Tunsil and Mailata have allowed eight or fewer quarterback pressures this season and, combined, they've allowed just two sacks all season. Their absence could spell a huge boost to opposing pass-rusher values.

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IDP Scoring System for Rankings

6-points per Defensive Touchdown

4-points per Forced Turnover (FF/INT)

3-points per Sack

2- points per PD, FR, Safety

1-point Solo Tackle

0.5-points Assisted Tackle

Note: These rankings are also based on leagues that start one player at each defensive position (DL, LB, DB) and two DFLEX.

Top Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week

DL Riser of the Week

Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos

One of our preseason IDP Sleepers for two straight years, Bonitto is just the 116th-most rostered DL in fantasy. This is despite the former Sooner notching a sack in four straight games while seeing 60% or more of Denver’s defensive snaps in four of his past five contests.

Nik Bonitto and Jonah Elliss with some quality reps vs Wirfs yesterday pic.twitter.com/alPOpx3nev

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) September 23, 2024

While it's true that Bonitto is a sack-or-bust fantasy asset, plenty of defensive linemen fit that profile. He's also a gifted pass-rusher who tees off against a downward-trending Saints offense this week.

New Orleans' pass-blocking unit is on the decline. While the pass-blocking metrics were positive early, they've tanked since Week 2. The Saints now have the second-worst-graded pass-blocking unit in the NFL, plus rookie Spencer Rattler took five sacks and 13 pressures in his debut game.

DL Disappointment of the Week

Odafe Oweh, Baltimore Ravens

Oweh is having the best season of his NFL career, sitting near the top of the NFL in pass rush win rate and quarterback pressures. However, he lines up on the outside on 99% of his snaps and is over the left tackle on 65% of his plays. That could be a problem against Tampa Bay.

Oweh should face Tristan Wirfs on over half of his snaps this week. Wirfs is tied for the fewest quarterback pressures allowed amongst all offensive tackles this season and he’s allowed zero sacks. Worse, even when Oweh switches to the right side, he will face a tackle who's surrendered zero sacks in two games played.

Top Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

LB Riser of the Week

Ventrell Miller, Jacksonville Jaguars

While Chad Muma was expected to be the player who would eat up most of Foyesade Oluokun's vacated snaps, it's the rookie Miller who has taken advantage of Oluokun's absence. Miller has been a designated starter in his past three games, logging 70% or more of the defensive snaps in two of those contests.

LB Ventrell Miller making plays tonight. 1 PD and a run stop. Love how he keeps his eyes in the backfield and stays patient the shoots and makes the play pic.twitter.com/f7icAfGJRe

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) August 11, 2024

Miller is producing with those opportunities, too. He has collected at least six solo tackles in all three of his starts. He's totaled 27 standard IDP points in those games, giving him an average output of nine fantasy points per game. That rate ties for 13^th best amongst all fantasy LBs this season.

In other words, Miller looks like a strong streamer as long as Oluokun remains sidelined.

LB Disappointment of the Week

Jordan Hicks, Cleveland Browns

Hicks has missed two straight games with injury, though reports indicate there is a strong chance he will return this week. Even if he does return and play a full sleight of snaps, which is no inevitability, the former fantasy star is a risky play this week.

The Cincinnati Bengals are tied for the third-fewest offensive plays per game this season. Worse, they call run plays at the seventh-lowest rate, average the fourth-fewest rush attempts per game, and 43% of their throws are outside the hashes. Translation: this game could spell low volume for an inside linebacker like Hicks.

Top Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

DB Riser of the Week

Marte Mapu, New England Patriots

Mapu did not get a snap with the Patriots until he started two weeks ago. Since then, he has never played fewer than 88% of the defensive snaps. In his two starts, he has averaged a solid 8.5 standard IDP points per game, which is good for DB19 overall. It’s a small sample size, but the metrics and film indicate he is a viable NFL starter.

Marte Mapu helped prevent two big plays vs the Texans

First, he played Schultz's hands to tip a ball that was picked by Marcus Jones

Later, he met two defenders at the QB (including Keion White on an instant win around the edge) on a blitz after Diggs got open on a sluggo pic.twitter.com/j6UBwG4NBJ

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) October 14, 2024

One major reason Mapu has piqued our interest is the fact he’s a defensive back playing a majority of his snaps in the box. His profile fits that of Jeremy Chinn when Chinn kept DB eligibility in fantasy but was deployed primarily as a box LB in Carolina. Chinn finished as a top-5 fantasy DB in that role, and Mapu is being used similarly.

While the sample size is small and a neck injury has Mapu’s availability at risk, the potential and usage here are elite. He should be rostered in far more than 0.5% of IDP leagues.

DB Disappointment of the Week

Roger McCreary and L’Jarius Sneed, Tennessee Titans/Taron Johnson, Buffalo Bills

The Titans have attempted the seventh-fewest pass attempts per game this season. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills attempt the second-fewest pass attempts. Both teams are near the bottom of the league in total offensive plays as well, with Tennessee sitting sixth from the bottom and Buffalo in last place.

Now, for the good news. Amongst quarterbacks who have attempted at least 70 pass attempts this season, Josh Allen has the third-highest Turnover Worthy Throw rate in the NFL. Will Levis is seventh in that unflattering statistic. That means there is a definite chance for cornerbacks in this game to earn an interception …  if they can get a target.

Unfortunately, the opportunities for turnovers won’t alleviate the severe lack of volume facing all corners in this game. Both teams are run-first offenses that average fewer than 59 offensive snaps per game. The volume in this one is far too low to trust these cornerbacks unless you're desperate or are comfortable with a very low floor.

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