Here are players to consider starting and sitting this week, along with analysis to help you make your IDP roster decisions.
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Start
Akiem Hicks (DL – CHI)
The Jets are not only the team who’s allowing the third-most points to defensive lineman, but they’re specifically the team who allows the most points to defensive tackles. After getting off to a hot start where he tallied three sacks in the first four games, he’s now been sack-less the last two. That likely gets rectified against the Jets, who have allowed at least two sacks in 6-of-7 games.
Jabaal Sheard (DL – IND)
Once upon a time, the Raiders offensive line was great. That’s not the case anymore, as they’ve now allowed the second-most fantasy points to defensive lineman, as Derek Carr has now been sacked 15 times in their last four games. Sheard has now totaled at least half of a sack in five of the last six games.
Geno Atkins (DL – CIN)
He hasn’t done anything the last two weeks, which will leave some skittish starting him, but don’t forget that he went against the Steelers and Chiefs, two teams that rank in the bottom-five for fantasy points allowed to defensive tackles. The Bucs aren’t an easy matchup, but they aren’t top-10. Look for Atkins to find his way into the backfield this week.
Cameron Wake (DL – MIA)
It’s no secret that Wake has just one sack on the season, but he seems to be fully recovered from his knee injury and has the matchup to get back on track this week. The Texans offensive line has allowed Deshaun Watson to take 26 sacks through seven games, the most in the NFL. There’s been two different occasions over the last four weeks where he’s been sacked seven times. If there’s a week to start Wake, it’s this one.
Cory Littleton (LB – LAR)
Littleton has quietly become one of the premier linebackers in IDP, as he’s currently the No. 5 linebacker, yet he’s owned in just 35 percent of Yahoo leagues. The Packers haven’t allowed a massive amount of points to linebackers, but they also haven’t played from behind very often. They should be expected to run plenty of plays against the Rams, which will lead to plenty of opportunities for Littleton, who has eight pass deflections while no other linebacker has more than six of them. He should be considered an every-week option until he gives you a reason not to.
Josh Bynes (LB – ARI)
You really want to start whatever IDP players you can against the 49ers, as they’ve allowed an NFL-high 151.6 fantasy points per game, including 53.0 per game to linebackers, which is second to only the Bills. Bynes has been the one constant force of the Cardinals linebacker corps, so he makes plenty of sense as a start this week.
Jessie Bates III (DB – CIN)
He may not offer the ceiling of some other defensive backs, but Bates has continually been delivering a rock-solid floor, as he’s scored at least 6.0 fantasy points in each game, including 7.0 or more in 6-of-7 games. The Bucs go to the air quite a bit and Jameis Winston is quite prone to turnovers. Bates already has two interceptions on the year and should continue to rack up the tackles as Nick Vigil is out and Vontaze Burfict hasn’t played up to expectations.
Ron Parker (DB – KC)
Parker isn’t high on many IDP leaguers lists, but he’s leading their secondary in points and will be going against a Broncos team that’s allowed a massive 58.5 points per game to defensive backs. He finished with five solo tackles in their first matchup, which was a closer battle than this game’s expected to be, meaning he should have some opportunities to pick off Keenum, as he’s already got two interceptions on the year, including last week when he returned one for a touchdown.
Sit
Fletcher Cox (DL – PHI)
Cox has been struggling as of late, totaling just one sack and seven tackles over the last four weeks, and will now be without Derek Barnett alongside of him, as he was sent to injured reserve. The Jaguars offensive line isn’t good, but they’ve also been a tough matchup for defensive tackles, allowing an average of just 9.5 points per game to them, which ranks as eighth-lowest in the league. There are likely better options available for your team this week.
Damon Harrison (DT – DET)
The move to his new team (Lions) is beneficial for all parties, but when a player is traded on a Wednesday, it’s probably not wise to count on too much production from him that Sunday. Even while playing half the snaps in New York, he had still yet to tally a sack or more than three solo tackles in a game. The Redskins are a good matchup for tackles, but I don’t expect him to be on the field very much in this game. It’s best to play it safe and avoid him.
Avery Williamson (LB – NYJ)
An interception in Week 6 has kept Williamson from looking too bad over the last two weeks, as he’s totaled just nine total tackles in those two games and he’s failed to tally a sack since back in Week 3. The Bears have allowed the fifth-fewest points per game to linebackers and they’ll likely have no reason to run a hurry-up offense in this game.
Anthony Hitchens (LB – KC)
Not only is he coming off of one of his worst performances of the year, but he’s heading into a brutal matchup against the Broncos who’ve allowed just 31.5 points per game to linebackers, and just 57.2 points per game to entire front-sevens. Both of those numbers rank bottom-five in the NFL, and Hitchens has already shown his floor against them when he tallied just one solo tackle and two assists back in Week 4.
Roquan Smith (LB – CHI)
Not only has Smith been a disappointment early in his IDP career, but the Jets have allowed just 30.0 points per game to linebackers, which ranks as the fourth-fewest in the league. The reason is that they’re allowing much of the production to defensive front-fours as they’ve allowed 14.0 more points per game to defensive lineman than linebackers, while not other team has more than an 8.5-point advantage to the defensive line. As a gauge, the average for NFL teams is that they allow 5.6 more points to linebackers, so feel free to bench Smith this week.
Todd Davis (LB – DEN)
Yes, Davis is coming off a massive performance where he totaled 10 tackles, including one for a loss, two pass deflections, and an interception returned for a touchdown. That’s all fine and dandy, but against the Chiefs, it’s very unlikely. In fact, the points he scored in Week 7 alone is close to what the Chiefs offer to entire teams of linebackers. They’ve allowed just 27.7 points per game to linebackers, which is the lowest in the league, with the closest team 1.4 points per game behind. He totaled just four solo tackles against them back in Week 4.
Tony Jefferson (DB – BAL)
Production has really been spread out on this Ravens defense, and though Jefferson leads their secondary, he’s tallied more than six tackles just twice all season. The Panthers aren’t a great matchup to expect much different, as they’ve allowed the 5th-fewest fantasy points to safeties this year. On a whole, the Panthers have allowed just the 4th-fewest fantasy points to opposing teams, which is not a great recipe for success.
Justin Simmons (DB – DEN)
There hasn’t been much that should attract you to Simmons, as even Chris Harris Jr. has more fantasy points than him. He’s yet to score more than 8.5 points in a game and he’s about to go up against a Chiefs defense that’s allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. It’s not that they limit one position’s output, but rather limit everyone’s.
Here are my full IDP rankings for the week.
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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.
