Eyes of the Guru IDP Info, Week 7

Arizona Cardinals

Zaven Collins is still not putting up a lot of solo totals, but there is some reason for optimism. He has double-digit fantasy points and eight or more combined tackles in three of the last five games. The coaching staff is turning him lose to blitz more often of late, resulting in a pair of sacks against Seattle, and he is playing virtually every snap. Collins is still fighting a sore shoulder. Once he is fully healthy, we might get the kind of numbers we were expecting.

It was a slow day for Isaiah Simmons, who was back down to 63% of the snaps in Week 6.

Atlanta Falcons

Troy Andersen was all over the field in his first start. He played every snap and finished at 5-7 against San Francisco. Mykal Walker is still not practicing, so Andersen might have an opportunity to build on his strong start. The next big question might be who sits when Andersen, Walker, and Rashaan Evans are all available. All three have looked like NFL starters.

A.J. Terrell left Sunday’s game holding his hamstring. It was later reported as a thigh injury. Either way, he could be sidelined for Week 7. Darren Hall would likely get the start if Terrell misses time.

Baltimore Ravens

Marcus Williams landed on injured reserve last week, but even with time to prepare, Kyle Hamilton did not get the start. Hamilton did see a bump in playing time, however. The starting gig went to Geno Stone, who played 75% of the snaps, going 6-0. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s snap count and play share doubled.

Buffalo Bills

Jordan Poyer is hard to figure out so far this season. He has been in and out of the lineup with injuries, missing two games altogether. He has no more than four solo stops in any game but is averaging better than 13.5 points due to four interceptions. To make things even less clear, it looked like he was working as the deep safety more often versus the Chiefs in more of a Micah Hyde role, while Damar Hamlin worked the run support role we usually see Poyer playing. This might have been the coaching staff trying to keep Poyer from taking hits in his sore ribs. It is something to keep an eye on. Meanwhile, pick up Hamlin, who had at least six solo stops in all three of his starts to date.

Carolina Panthers

With the coaching change last week, changes on defense were expected. The first thing that stood out in Week 6 was the Panthers playing three safeties on 92% of the snaps, with Justin Burris as the slot defender much of the time.

I believe Cory Littleton played every snap before leaving with a groin injury in the second half. While he was playing, Littleton looked a little like the player that was an IDP star with the Rams a few years ago. He put up six tackles, four assists, and half a sack on 45 snaps. Damien Wilson did not see much action until Littleton left the game but played nearly every snap afterward.

Shaq Thompson also played full-time and had a respectable day with five tackles and a pair of pass breakups.

Donte Jackson recorded a pick-six before leaving with an ankle injury. With both Jackson and Jaycee Horn in question for Week 7, the Panthers might be starting C.J. Henderson and Keith Taylor versus Tampa Bay.

Derrick Brown is quietly putting up good numbers. With double-digit points in three of the last four games, he has become a solid starting option in tackle-required leagues.

Cincinnati Bengals

D.J. Reader is not ready to return from IR, and his backup, Josh Tupou, will miss time with a calf injury. That makes Jay Tufele the starting nose tackle for the Bengals this week. He managed a strong 3-3 on 23 plays in relief on Sunday but is probably not someone to consider for our rosters. Zach Carter is not a one-technique tackle, but his play was up as well.

The big news for this defense is the shoulder injury suffered by Logan Wilson. The early word is he could be out for several weeks, making injured reserve an option. Jermaine Pratt is the immediate beneficiary and should slide into the every-down role. Akeem Davis-Gaither moves into the starting lineup as the second linebacker. He excels in coverage and could be on the field enough to have an impact.

Cleveland Browns

Myles Garrett went into Week 6 with a sore shoulder from his auto accident. He looked great, going 3-2-2 with a forced fumble but left the game in the fourth quarter after taking a hit on the shoulder. Garrett says he expects to play in Week 7.

Did the Browns give us a clue about their intentions for Deion Jones? Jacob Phillips had another good outing versus the Patriots. He played every snap again, going 5-5 on the day. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, however, was limited to less than half of the playing time. Jones was a middle backer in Atlanta, but his skill set would also seem a good fit on the weak side.

Greedy Williams returned to action in Week 6. With Denzel Ward on the shelf, Williams worked as the nickel defender while Martin Emerson and Greg Newsome were starters.

Start John Johnson and Grant Delpit this week. Over the last month, seven of the eight starting safeties that have faced Baltimore had at least five solo tackles. The eighth guy was 4-2.

Dallas Cowboys

Malik Hooker led Dallas in tackles with ten solos and a pair of assists, but there is probably nothing to see here. Hooker, Donovan Wilson (3-2-1), and Jayron Kearse (2-3) worked in an even timeshare, with all three players seeing 80% of the snaps. Wilson is still the guy to have from this group though his numbers are destined to be hit-or-miss as long as all three guys are in the rotation.

Leighton Vander Esch has seen his playing time slip as he no longer works in some of the sub-packages he was playing early on. That said, the Lions have been an excellent matchup for linebackers, so 76% of the action might be enough for Vander Esch to put up good numbers this week. but has a great matchup with Detroit

Denver Broncos

Sure, Alex Singleton’s stats were padded by the overtime period, but he was 11-1 in regulation before finishing 19-2 with a pass breakup. It is hard to say why NFL teams view this guy as no more than a backup. When he is on the field, he makes a lot of plays. The Josey Jewell watch is on. As long as he is out, Singleton is a starter for us.

Baron Browning continues to impress. He is 5-3-2.5 with an interception in two games as a starter. Randy Gregory might be a backup when he is healthy.

Green Bay Packers

The Jets ran 26 times, so there was no lack of opportunity for Quay Walker and DeVondre Campbell. Yet they managed just 3-4 and 4-4, respectively. Campbell should be just fine, and a great matchup with the Commanders might drum up visions of last season’s production. For Walker, there is a red flag. After averaging roughly 84% of the snaps over the previous four games, Walker was below 70% against the Jets. The Packers were in nickel for more than 70% of the Week 6 game. They could use a lot more base looks against Washington, but it is hard to be comfortable with Walker in your lineup right now.

Houston Texans

The Raiders have been an excellent matchup for corners and inside linebackers. Do the Texans put star rookie Derek Stingley on Davonte Adams, or do they double him with Steven Nelson and Desmond King and put Stingley on Hunter Renfro? Either way, the rookie is going to be busy.

When last we saw the Texans in action, none of their linebackers played full-time, leading to speculation they could look different coming out of the bye. Kristian Kirksey and/or Kamu Grugier-Hill are looking at a strong matchup if they get back to playing full-time.

Indianapolis Colts

Kenny Moore is not putting up the kind of numbers we have seen in years past. It is not hard to figure out why. The defensive coordinator that put him position to make all those plays is now working for the Bears. After working over the slot much of the time under Matt Eberflus, Moore is seeing more time as an outside corner.

Dayo Odeyingbo has a ton of potential and may eventually become a factor in the NFL, but the Colts seem determined to make sure it does not happen this year. Tyquan Lewis returned to action, keeping Odeyingbo in the same limited role.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Reyshawn Jenkins was 7-5 in Week 5 and 7-1 with a pass breakup against the Colts. Two in a row could be the beginning of a trend, but it will take more than that when it comes to Jenkins. This guy has always been a tease. He is 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds playing strong safety, but instead of being a physical presence every week, he shows up out of the blue once in a while. Jenkins posted double-digit points in four games last season but had four or fewer solo stops in each of the other eight he played. That is about where he is this year as well.

Kansas City Chiefs

Joshua Williams showed up big on the stat sheet, going 6-3 with a pass breakup against the Bills. With Reshad Fenton out, L’Jarius Sneed shifted outside more, with Williams filling Sneed’s role on some/much of his 75% snap share. Unless Fenton misses more time, Williams is a one-week wonder.

This is your last chance to snag Willie Gay Jr before he reminds everyone how productive he can be. He had 11 tackles and 2 passes defended in his last game (Week 2) before the suspension. Gay’s replacement, Darius Harris, was shut out in Week 4, but in the other three games he started, Harris was 18-11-1 with a fumble recovery, a pass breakup, and an average of 15 points per game.

Las Vegas Raiders

Blake Martinez signed with the Raiders and, less than a week later, played seven snaps in the Week 5 game. With a bye week to get caught up, will his role expand against the Texans? Will Denzel Perryman take back his every-down role? Or is Divine Deablo locked into the lead role here? Playing any of these guys this week is a major risk from a playing time perspective, but the matchup is a good one if you have to roll the dice.

Nate Hobbs suffered a thumb injury late in the Week 5 game. He returned to finish the contest but landed on injured reserve this week. That makes Rock Ya-Sin and Amik Robertson the starting corners against Houston.

Los Angeles Rams

It was a slow day at the office for Bobby Wagner (4-3), but all is well. Both he and Ernest Jones (5-2) had their normal roles and snap totals. If you read last week’s column, you were not surprised, as the Panthers are a horrible matchup fur just about every position.

The Rams should get some reinforcements after this week's bye. Troy Hill could be ready after missing four games with a groin injury, and tackle Bobby Brown III will be back from suspension. Getting Hill back could be big for Jalen Ramsey, as it would free him up to move around again.

Miami Dolphins

Brandon Jones did not rack up big numbers against the Vikings, going 3-3 with a pass defended, but there was good news for those of us with him on our rosters. Two weeks in a row, with everyone healthy, Jones has seen more than 90% of the playing time. It should be safe to put him back in our lineups this week, even though the Steelers are not a great matchup for safeties. Eric Rowe played 21% of the snaps versus Minnesota.

Miami could be without a pair of starters this week. Nik Needham landed on IR this week with an ankle injury, and Emmanuel Ogbah left Sunday’s game with a back issue. Noah Igbinoghene and Keion Crossen will move up the depth chart at corner. With Trey Flowers also injured in Week 6 (foot) the Dolphins are rather thin on the defensive line.

Jerome Baker is still playing virtually every snap but is just too hit-or-miss to trust in your lineup.

New England Patriots

Kyle Dugger was back in his regular role, more or less. His numbers were back at 6-2 with an interception, but he was third in the safety pecking order in terms of playing time. That said, Dugger’s 85% play share is plenty to get him into our lineups. Adrain Phillips saw 92% of the actions, and Devin McCourty played every snap as usual.

Christian Barmore left Sunday’s game with a knee injury. As is usual with the Patriots, there have been no updates on his status for Week 7. With Lawrence Guy already on the shelf, Daniel Ekuale is in line to start if Barmore misses time.

Every once in a while, a veteran player that has been mediocre for his entire career gets on a roll. That seems to be the case with Deatrich Wise, who had another big game at 3-0-1 with a forced fumble in Week 6. This is a player that entering his sixth year, had never totaled more than five sacks or 28 solo stops in a season. He is currently sitting at 16-9-5 with a batted pass and two forced fumbles on the season.

New Orleans Saints

Marcus Maye was so-so in his first game back with four solo tackles. The good news is he played every snap and came through without a setback. Maye knocked the rust off just in time to face the Cardinals, who have been a great matchup for safeties. The position is averaging 12 solos, 3 assists, and 1 splash play against Arizona.

New York Giants

What is going on at inside linebacker with the Giants? The simple answer is they don’t have one. I have not yet had a chance to watch this game entirely, but the numbers tell us all we need to know here. Tae Crowder played 40 of a possible 59 snaps, and Jaylon Smith played 32. Both players finished the game with two tackles and an assist. From what I did get to see, it looked as if New York had Crowder and Smith sharing time as the lone off-ball linebacker much of the time while playing three safeties on 71% of the snaps. Safety Dane Belton may be the best inside linebacker on the current roster, yet somehow, they keep winning games. d for the safeties.

New York Jets

No worries for those of us with Quincy Williams. He was back in action, back to an 81% play share, and back to big tackle totals at 8-6. Kwon Alexander logged 20 snaps.

Philadelphia Eagles

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson started slowly, going 15-2 with a pass breakup over his first four games with the Eagles. In the last two games, he is 13-1 with three interceptions and back-to-back 20+ point outings. It would be nice to get more consistent tackle production, but I like his chances of being a significant factor going forward.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers looked like the Bad News Bears in Week 5. In Week 6 they beat Tom Brady and the Buccaneers despite being without three of their four starters in the secondary. This was a stellar job by Mike Tomlin and company.

In IDP terms, Pittsburgh is a mess. Tre Norwood went 5-0 as the replacement for Minkah Fitzpatrick, Terrell Edmunds had his best game of the year by far at 6-4, and none of their inside linebackers played more than 75% of the snaps. Robert Spillane was very involved, seeing two fewer plays than Myles Jack. In short, this roster is a moving target that is best avoided for now.

Seattle Seahawks

If it is not too late, grab safety, Ryan Neal. I talked about him last week, pointing out his short but productive stint as a starter in 2020. In his two starts this year, Neal has 14 combined tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and two passes defended. This is not a fluke.

Cody Barton came out of the gate on fire but has begun to sputter. After playing virtually every snap over the first three games, his playing time was reduced in weeks four and five and slashed in Week 6, all the way down to 28 of a possible 71 snaps. This week’s drop could have a lot to do with the matchup against a pass-happy opponent. Seattle deployed five defensive backs on nearly every play and six of them often against Arizona. Barton may not be cut material just yet, but he is no longer someone we can trust as more than a matchup-based play.

Seattle totaled six sacks against Arizona, with five credited to the defensive line. Darrell Taylor accounted for one of them before exiting late in the game. There has been no update or suggestion that the injury was serious, but if he is your guy, keep an eye on the practice participation reports.

The more we see of rookie Tariq Woolen, the more he looks like another Richard Sherman. All the guy has done over the last four games is put up 15 tackles, 3 assists, 6 turnovers (4 picks), and score. He even looks like Sherman in speed, stature, and mannerism.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers were without Nick Bosa in Week 6. Charles Omenihu (2-2-1) and rookie Drake Jackson (3-0-1) stepped up nicely. Omenihu has not turned in a big game yet but quietly has a sack in three straight games, while Jackson has three sacks in the last four games. Neither of these guys is not doing much in the tackle columns, but if you need a player to get you through the bye weeks, these guys are worth consideration.

A matchup with the Chiefs is not a good time to be without two starters in the secondary, but that is a possibility for San Francisco this week. Charvarius Ward left Sunday’s game with a groin injury and standout safety Talanoa Hufanga is in concussion protocol. Samuel Womack would get the call if Ward is out while George Odum is next up at safety.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Logan Ryan is heading to IR with a foot injury, and Mike Edwards missed Week 6 with an elbow injury. That made Keanu Neal the every-down starter opposite Antoine Winfield at safety. Neal posted modest numbers against the Steelers, going 3-1 on 100% of the snaps. Carolina is a horrible matchup for safeties, so Neal is not a stream target. But he is worth keeping an eye on beyond Week 7.

Antoine Winfield, Lavonte David, and Devin White are players we just can’t bench, no matter how bad the matchup. Temper expectations for those guys, though. If there is a position that the Panthers are a positive matchup for, it is edge defenders. Carolina has allowed an average of 3.2 sacks over the last four games.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans are coming off a bye, so they hope to get some banged-up guys back. Ola Adeniyi landed on IR this week, but Bud Dupree, Zach Cunningham, Amani Hooker, and Ugo Amadi are all guys that might be close to returning. Of course, we get no updates from teams while they are on bye, so check out the practice reports later in the week.

Washington Commanders

Jonathan Allen limped off in the second quarter on Thursday night. He was in and out for the rest of the game. There has been no update on his injury or status, which might be a good sign. If he is your guy, keep an eye on his status.

The interior guys got it started a few weeks back. Now Washington’s edge defenders are contributing to the pass rush as well. Montez Sweat is 8-4-3 over the last two games and Efe Obada has a sack in three of the last four games.

Jamin Davis is coming off the field in most nickel situations over the last two games. He played 48 of 72 snaps in week 6 (67%). At this point, there is no reason to expect his role to expand. Managers in redraft leagues can probably make better use of the roster spot.

That does it for Week 7. Best of luck as we close in on the halfway point.

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