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Arizona Cardinals
After leaving the field on a stretcher Sunday with a neck injury, Calais Campbell was a limited participant in practice on Tuesday and has a chance to play in week seven. That is great news for both the Cardinals and his fantasy owners, but we should be looking for a different option this week. Chances are that if he does suit up Campbell will be sore and limited. Even if he is not, the Seahawks have been a below average matchup for defensive linemen. Seattle has allowed 4.5 sacks to linemen and only J.J. Watt has been able to muster more than 3 solo tackles against them.
Rashad Johnson was back in action against the 49ers but his role was greatly reduced. Johnson saw just 13 snaps while Tyrann Mathieu logged 63 at free safety. It looks like the Honey Badger may be in for good.
Baltimore Ravens
Last week I suggested that Arthur Brown may have been a sneaky sleeper against the Packers. As it turned out, injuries to the Green Bay receivers limited their ability to spread the field. That resulted in the Ravens sticking with their base scheme much more than expected. This week's opponent is the Steelers who also like to spread the field a bit, but I do not see either Brown or Josh Bynes getting enough opportunity to make an impact.
Daryl Smith was a major disappointment in week six. His mark of 1 tackle and 9 assists however, was as much a product of the stats crew as it was his play on the field. He should have been at least 5-5. Smith has been a bit inconsistent but the guy has given us double digit points in four of six games with a season low of 8.25. Despite the struggles of their running game, the Steelers have been a fairly strong matchup for linebackers. Smith's chances of having a really big game are not great, but he should add another double digit score in this one.
Buffalo Bills
We knew that Jairus Byrd would be back in action against the Bengals but no one knew for certain what that would mean for fantasy standout Da'Norris Searcy. Apparently it meant 13-3-1 and 25+ fantasy points. Searcy seemed to be everywhere in that game. The Bills started Searcy at strong safety, Byrd at free and Aaron Williams at corner. Jim Leonhard was not on the field for the first snap but ended up playing more than any other safety. The Bills used three safeties a big percentage of the time, possibly due to the loss of Manny Lawson to a minor injury. There may still be a little concern about Searcy's potential loss of playing time, but the way he has produced I simply cannot see the coaching staff taking him off the field. I still have him in a few leagues and will be starting him this week in all of them.
Carolina Panthers
Michael Mitchell got the call at strong safety against the Vikings. He made the most of the opportunity with a monster game that included 6-1-1 with a pair of picks. All those ambulance chasers out there will have him at the top of their free agent list at the position this week. This time they might be right, but there are some things to consider. For starters there has to be a reason that Mitchell was not able to earn a starting role in any of his first four seasons. Secondly there is the Panthers safety situation. Mitchell only started because Robert Lester was not able to go with a hamstring. That forced the coaching staff to shift strong safety Quintin Mikell to free safety and plug Mitchell in. The question now becomes did Mitchell earn another start or will he go back to the bench this week if/when Lester returns? If you are hurting at the position or just have room, make the move on Mitchell and see what happens. It is sure looking like the Panthers strong safety position is going to give us good production be it from Mitchell or Mikell.
Chicago Bears
The Bears had a couple of linebackers go down in week six. James Anderson left the field with a back issue that is not thought to be serious. He has given us weak numbers in two of the last three games which will have a lot of owners dumping him. Anderson has not been the productive player I thought he would be entering the season, but he still has some value as a solid bye week filler or an LB3 in deeper leagues.
The other injury is much more serious as D.J. Williams will miss the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Williams was playing well in recent weeks and had established himself as solid depth with matchup based LB3 upside. His loss means that rookie Jon Bostic is back in the picture. Bostic was impressive during the preseason when Williams was out and many were surprised that he did not earn the starting job right out of the gate. If you are looking to replace Williams or just need to plug a hole, Bostic is your man. The Bears have Washington, Green Bay and Detroit as their next three matchups. All three teams have been above average matchups for linebacker.
Cincinnati Bengals
Wallace Gilberry has established himself as an important cog in the success of the Bengals defensive line. Over the past two games he is 7-2-2.5 with a forced fumble and 31+ fantasy points. He is not starting but there are plenty of snaps to go around for three quality defensive ends. Gilberry left Sunday's contest briefly with a forearm injury but was able to return. This week's matchup with the Lions is not a particularly strong one for pass rushers but he is certainly worth a roster spot in most 12 team leagues that start two linemen.
Dallas Cowboys
Bruce Carter regained his starting job in the second half of week five but he managed only a marginal mark of 5-1 against Washington on Sunday. Those numbers should get a healthy boost with this week's matchup. To date eight linebackers and five safeties have recorded at least 6 solo stops against the Eagles. Carter, Sean Lee and Barry Church are all must starts this week and even rookie safety J.J. Wilcox might be worthy as a sleeper play if you are hurting.
Denver Broncos
The 6-0 Broncos become even tougher this week with the return of Von Miller. Fresh legs and a hungry attitude will make him tough for the Colts offensive line to deal with. I expect a big game out of him this week. The rest of the story here is the ripple effect of Miller's return. Shaun Phillips had been seeing time in Miller's strong side linebacker position. It is likely that he will now shift to the defensive end spot the Broncos envisioned him in when they added Phillips. The week six explosion by second year man Malik Jackson also adds some intrigue to the situation. The fact that Jackson's 5-2-2 came against Jacksonville will have a lot of owner dismissing it. Keep in mind however, that he had a sack and a half in the three previous games as well, despite very limited playing time. It is hard to say what role the youngster will have this week but keep an eye on both his snap count and production.
Detroit Lions
I am trying to put my finger on what has changed with either the scheme in Detroit or the play of DeAndre Levy. Other than possibly some more aggressive play calling, nothing in the scheme jumps out. The only noticeable difference with Levy himself is that for the first time in his career he is consistently being used as a three down player. His strong start to the season was easy to blow off as coincidence, especially when the numbers slipped in weeks three and four. However, Levy's 18 solo stops, 3 assists and 2 picks over the past two games have me convinced. The guy is on pace to go 99-32 with over 10 picks and 16 passes defended. Obviously he will not keep up the pace in the big play columns but the Lions have a schedule that could very well push Levy over the 100 tackle mark. Both he and Stephen Tulloch are a must start this week against a Bengals team that has been an excellent matchup for linebackers over the past four weeks.
Green Bay Packers
For most of his career A.J. Hawk has been a two down inside linebacker with fantasy value that amounted to no more than a matchup based backup at best. With all the Packers injuries at both inside and outside linebacker, Hawk is going to be much more than that for a while. Clay Matthews and Nick Perry are both going to be out for several weeks and their backups are nothing special. The only way the Packers are going to generate a pass rush is by turning to the blitz. Hawk may be somewhat of a liability in coverage but he is pretty good as an inside pass rusher. We can hardly expect him to put up 3 sacks every week like he did against Baltimore, but it is a safe bet that he will lead the team in that category for at least the next month. Even when Brad Jones returns from his hamstring injury there is a high probability that Hawk will remain a three down guy. Pluck him off the waiver wire and stick him right into your lineup this week.
Indianapolis Colts
When Jerrell Freeman left the game against San Diego the initial report said he was getting stitches in his chin. A bit later we learned that he was diagnosed with a concussion as well. Surprisingly no one stepped up behind him. Pat Angerer continued to work in a part time role, Kelvin Sheppard was on and off the field several times and the Colts even gave Mario Harvey some playing time. The real shame here is that if Freeman is not cleared to play, the excellent matchup against Denver will go to waste (unless of course you have Antoine Bethea).
The Colts have left the door open for the possible return of LaRon Landry this week. Landry was off to a great start before missing the last four games with an ankle injury. When a player returns from such an injury there is always a risk/concern that he could aggravate it or play poorly, but Denver has been such a great matchup for safeties that it would be worth the risk. Bethea is a must play in this one if Landry is out and a strong play even if he is not.
Miami Dolphins
Miami should have Cameron Wake back this week which would be a big plus, but they may be without Dannell Ellerbe. Ellerbe suffered a shoulder injury against Baltimore in week five and despite having the bye week to rest, was not able to practice on Wednesday. Jelani Jenkins is listed as the backup at middle linebacker but OLB Jason Trusnik could be called upon to move inside. Whoever gets the call here is going to be a decent deep sleeper for the week. Keep an eye on the situation and see if we can get a clear read before Sunday. Regardless of who starts in the middle, weak side backer Phillip Wheeler is in line for a strong outing. To date we have seen Jerod Mayo go 12-3, Luke Kuechly 7-7, Thomas Davis 7-4, Terrell Suggs 9-8-1, D'Qwell Jackson 3-8 and Vontaze Burfict 8-3 with this matchup.
New England Patriots
Injuries are the theme this week it seems. The Patriots were hit with a big one when Jerod Mayo was lost for the season with a torn Pectoral. Dynasty owners will have him back in 2014 but the loss leaves New England in search of a new leader heading into their divisional matchup with a Jets team that has played far better than anyone expected. The only real options for the Patriots are middle backer Brandon Spikes and strong side starter Donte Hightower. Both players have been given an opportunity to play full time this year but neither was able to secure the every down role. Mayo's injury happened late in the game against New Orleans so we were given little to go on in that game. My guess here is that Spikes will be the guy to have going forward. He can be a liability in coverage at times but I still believe he is the better every down option of the two. The other strong sign is that Spikes saw significantly more playing time against the Saints spread offense than did Hightower. If you are taking a chance on one of them, go Spikes first. Rookie second round pick Jamie Collins is the favorite to replace Mayo at WLB in the base packages but I have a hard time believing Bill Belichick would turn over the leadership reigns and three down role to a rookie.
New York Giants
Jon Beason wasted little time putting his mark on the Giants defense. After being with the team for less than two full weeks, he was inserted as the team's every down middle linebacker against Chicago. Beason was the odd man out in Carolina and likely has a massive chip on his shoulder after the way that situation came about. He has something to prove, is clearly the best linebacker on the Giants roster and finds himself in a target rich environment. If you need more reason to move quickly on him, consider that the Giants have Minnesota, Philadelphia and a suddenly run heavy Green Bay squad among their next four opponents.
The Beason development left Spencer Paysinger owners on the outside looking in last week. Get him out of your lineup this week but have a little patience before shedding Paysinger. Despite the low numbers, he remained a three down player against Chicago. I expect his production to slip some but he may not be rendered completely useless. There is going to be plenty of opportunity for both of these guys.
Philadelphia Eagles
Anyone who is familiar with the injury history of Patrick Chung was not surprised that he lasted only twelve snaps on Sunday before aggravating his sore shoulder. He was limited in practice on Wednesday when it was reported that he has nerve damage in the shoulder. Look for Earl Wolff to get back in the starting lineup over the next few weeks and possibly for the remainder of the season. That said, If Wolff is on your roster hold off on starting him against Dallas. For that matter it might be a good idea to sit both DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks this week. The Cowboys are a well below average matchup for safeties and only two linebackers have put up more than 5 solo tackles against them.
San Diego Chargers
It was rather disappointing to see that despite the absence of Donald Butler, Manti Te'o continued to work in a part time role against the Colts on Monday night. In fact no San Diego inside linebacker was on the field for more than 32 snaps in week six. A matchup with the Jaguars this week is even more reason to sit every Chargers defender with the possible exception of Corey Liuget in deeper leagues or Eric Weddle if you are willing to gamble on him landing a big play.
Richard Mashall made a fantasy splash for a couple of weeks but returned to a minimal role with the return of Shareece Wright. If you picked Marshall up, it is safe to go ahead and make better use of the roster spot. Marshall played just 3 snaps in week six.
Seattle Seahawks
Bobby Wagner has already been ruled out for week seven so K.J. Wright will make the start at middle linebacker against Arizona. The Cardinals have actually been a slightly above average matchup for linebackers, making Wright a pretty good spot play candidate this week.
St. Louis Rams
After seeing Alec Ogletree go 7-3 with a forced fumble and a pick returned 98 yards for a score against the Texans, his owners have to be sky high this week. Ogletree has been a solid every week play for us, but all is not sunny when we take a little deeper look. The Rams defense was on the field for 77 total snaps against Houston. Ogletree was in the game for just 56 of them. Meanwhile recently reinstated Jo-Lonn Dunbar saw action on 60. Ogletree has posted solid numbers but his on field play has been far from perfect at times. As the team's weak side linebacker he is going to have more opportunity in the base packages than Dunbar on the strong side, but the veteran could muscle in on the sub package snaps and steal a few tackles going forward.
Tennessee Titans
Moise Fokou has already been ruled out for week seven so preseason favorite Colin McCarthy will make his first start in the middle. We have seen a glimpse or two of McCarthy this year and he has not looked all that good. Hopefully a full game of action will help him knock the rust off and get back to the pre-injury form made him a hot commodity during the second half of the 2011 season. It might be a good idea to make a preemptive waiver wire strike just in case.
That is going to do it for hump week of the fantasy regular season. Be sure to check out some of our other IDP features such as the IDP matchup tools and articles by the rest of our outstanding IDP staff. Best of luck to everyone this weekend and as always, be sure to Just Win Baby!