Last week was a bounce back week for me. We got 6 of 10 start/sits correct. This week we bring some new faces that I have not talked about yet this year. Plus, somebody that has been a start for me before is now a sit this week. The NFL continues to bring some excitement every week. So let us dive into my week 7 Starts & Sits for IDP. Of course, before we do that let us look at what we got right last week.
*Side note- a sit to me is somebody that will get 10 or less fantasy points for you.*
Week 6 Starts (3 Pass, 2 Fail)
Chris Jones– 14pts – Pass; A.J. Epenesa– 8pt – Fail; Cody Barton– 20pts – Pass; Mekhi Blackmon– 0pts – Fail; Jalen Pitre– 12pts – Pass
Week 6 Sits (3 Pass, 1 Fail, 1 Push)
Kayvon Thibodeaux– 2pts – Pass; Nik Bonitto– 8pts – Pass; Kamu Grugier-Hill– 9pts – Pass; Sauce Gardner– RULED OUT – Push; Talanoa Hufanga– 13pts – Fail
Now that we see that let’s get into my week 7 Starts & Sits for the IDP!
START
DL- Vita Vea (TAMPA) vs Atlanta Falcons (START)
Vea has 3.5 sacks plus 2 forced fumbles on the season. The Falcons like to run the ball. This means they will possibly be running it right into Vea. He is a brick wall in the center of this defensive line. If that does not do it for you then consider this, the Falcons have allowed 19 sacks on Desmond Ridder this season. That leaves plenty of opportunity for Vea to add onto his sacks for the season.
DL- Jonathan Allen (WAS) @ New York Giants (START)
Defensive End Montez Sweat may be out with a sprained thumb. If that causes him to be sidelined, then a member from this defensive front will need to step up. The Giants have allowed the 2nd most sacks this season. Even if Sweat is healthy, I would still start Allen, it would only take pressure off Allen. If Sweat does not play, then Allen will likely be leader up front. A defensive front that on paper is a powerhouse four-man team!
LB- Divine Deablo (LV) @ Chicago Bears (START)
Many, including myself, thought Deablo was going to take that next step going into this season. He has had some great games and some games we want to forget about. Nonetheless, this is a game he can showcase the talent he is. Justin Fields is currently doubtful to play in this matchup. This means undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent will get a chance to lead the Bears to victory. Is it impossible? No, definitely not. The Bears do not have a strong run game meaning the focus could be on Bagent. This leaves plenty of opportunity on the table for Deablo to get double digit tackles. Maybe, just maybe, he even gets a sack. His only sack of the season came in week two.
DB- Pat Surtain (DEN) vs Green Bay Packers (START)
Surtain has looked mediocre at best this season. Maybe it is the stink of the Broncos defense that just surrounds him. He has plenty of time to turn it around this season. The Broncos secondary is dead last in terms of coverage grade on PFF. The Packers do have some nice running backs. Aaron Jones is banged-up though. AJ Dillon just has not lived up to what I thought he would be. Dillon is meh this season. Knowing that there is a chance the Packers try to take advantage of this weak secondary. They trust Jordan Love. Love trusts his receivers. Surtain is on the field for 100% of the defensive snaps this season. He will have plenty of opportunity to make Love second guess his decisions this week.
S- Justin Reid (KC) vs Los Angeles Chargers (START)
Reid has been hot and cold this season. He has only seen less than 90% of snaps once this season. He is the guy in the back of their secondary. We know the Chargers love to pass the ball. Why not? They have one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Reid is not unbeatable. He has allowed 59.1% completion to opposing quarterbacks. On the other hand, he only has a 7.1% miss tackle rate. He connects. The Chargers will air it out in what could be a high-scoring game. Reid should be able to capitalize on a game like this, assuming both quarterbacks have a showdown! The over/under for total points is currently set at 48 points for this matchup.
SIT
DL- Jonathon Cooper (DEN) vs Green Bay Packers (SIT)
I mentioned earlier that the Broncos defense is horrible right now. Cooper will face one of the best pass blocking lines in the league. This worries me for a guy like Cooper. A defensive lineman that only comes through when he gets a sack. On games with no sacks, he only averages four tackles per game. I think this is one of those games. The Packers know how to protect Love. I am keeping Cooper on my bench.
DL- Chris Jones (KC) vs Los Angeles Chargers (SIT)
One of my starts last week becomes a sit this week. Since Justin Herbert has been in the league (2020), Jones has only gotten to him 4 times. All 4 sacks came last season when he got 2 in each game against the Chargers. This season the Chargers have allowed only 10 sacks to Herbert. They are protecting their quarterback. Jones is on a 5-game sack streak recording at least one in each game. This week he is not playing a one-off team he plays once every year. This team knows he is threat. Watch the double teams take place on Jones, which could discontinue his sack streak. For that reason, I am benching him this week.
LB- Kaden Elliss (ATL) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (SIT)
Elliss is the best tackler on the team. He was off to a hot start averaging 8 tackles per game through the first three weeks. Since then, he has averaged 4.3 tackles through the last three weeks. He is playing 100% of snaps so he is on the field. He fails in coverage right now allowing 94.4% of passes to be caught. Plus, the Bucs have only allowed 5 sacks on the season. I say this because if the tackles are not there, Elliss is unlikely to connect for a sack to boost his stats. He has only one sack on the season so far. This will be an interesting game for me as I am uncertain how good these teams really are. Elliss is a presence on the defense, but I think this game is more about the defensive backs for the Falcons rather than the linebackers.
DB- James Bradberry (PHI) vs Miami Dolphins (SIT)
The Eagles secondary is banged-up. Bradberry is one of their healthy ones. The thing is this could be both good and bad for him. Good because he has the chance to shine and showcase his talent. This week it is bad because he goes against one of the fastest teams in the league. If Darius Slay misses another week it is possible we see Bradberry match up against Cheetah. Excuse me, I mean Tyreek Hill, but he might as well be a cheetah. Bradberry does not miss his tackles and that is a good thing. I just think this offense will be too fast for him to keep up. If he ends up locking down Hill, then we will just see the team pivot towards Waddle. Either way I am not a fan of this match up for him this week even if he continues to play 100% of the defensive snaps.
S- Quandre Diggs (SEA) vs Arizona Cardinals (SIT)
Diggs has one of the first overall defensive grades for the team. He just has not delivered as the Seahawks have hoped yet. The Cardinals can throw it deep, but they rather keep it short and sweet. This could hurt Diggs as the ball might not be in his area to make the play. It should also be noted that Diggs has a 22.2% missed tackle rate. It is possible he can get an interception on a deep pass. I think it is more likely for one the Seahawks cornerbacks to find success this week. For that reason, I am sitting him this week.
That is my week 7 start/sits for the IDP positions.
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