This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
Here's a look at IDPs who have favorable Week 7 matchups. IDP formats can be quite different, so we'll list players of varying levels. Some will be players found on the waiver wire while in other leagues players will be automatic starters.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Sheldon Richardson, Seahawks at Giants - Richardson made his first big splash with his new team by intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble in Week 5. Coming off the bye, he faces a Giants offense that played out of its mind against the Broncos last week. Expect the G-men to come crashing back to earth this week, and their weak O-line will have absolutely no answer for the Seattle front seven. Richardson has a great chance to break into this sack column this week while posting strong numbers.
Yannick Ngakoue, Jaguars at Colts - The Colts are in trouble this week against the excellent pass rush of the Jaguars. Although each of the team's primary pass rushers look good this week, Ngakoue has already posted a pair of multi-sack performances while adding three forced fumbles. While the Colts are worrying about Dante Fowler and Calais Campbell, Ngakoue has a reasonable chance to post another big game against an offense that allows 3.5 sacks per contest.
Michael Brockers, Rams vs. Cardinals - Here's a case of the perfect storm. The Rams will bring their aggressive pass rush to face an offense that continues to attack downfield despite significant protection issues. The Cardinals
Here's a look at IDPs who have favorable Week 7 matchups. IDP formats can be quite different, so we'll list players of varying levels. Some will be players found on the waiver wire while in other leagues players will be automatic starters.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Sheldon Richardson, Seahawks at Giants - Richardson made his first big splash with his new team by intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble in Week 5. Coming off the bye, he faces a Giants offense that played out of its mind against the Broncos last week. Expect the G-men to come crashing back to earth this week, and their weak O-line will have absolutely no answer for the Seattle front seven. Richardson has a great chance to break into this sack column this week while posting strong numbers.
Yannick Ngakoue, Jaguars at Colts - The Colts are in trouble this week against the excellent pass rush of the Jaguars. Although each of the team's primary pass rushers look good this week, Ngakoue has already posted a pair of multi-sack performances while adding three forced fumbles. While the Colts are worrying about Dante Fowler and Calais Campbell, Ngakoue has a reasonable chance to post another big game against an offense that allows 3.5 sacks per contest.
Michael Brockers, Rams vs. Cardinals - Here's a case of the perfect storm. The Rams will bring their aggressive pass rush to face an offense that continues to attack downfield despite significant protection issues. The Cardinals have allowed the third-most sacks in the league, and Brockers comes into this game hot. He's recorded a sack in two of the last three games. Along with a floor of 4-6 tackles, he'll have a great chance of notching another sack.
Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers at Bills - Even though they're not a high-volume passing attack, the Bills have had little success in getting into manageable down and distance situations. As a result, Tyrod Taylor has been sacked 3.5 times per game. Not only should McCoy pile up a fair number of tackles on early downs, as he's posted four stops in three of his last four games, but he should be in position to add a sack as well. After a slow start to the season, he's recorded a sack in each of his last two games, so he's on a roll as he travels to Buffalo.
LINEBACKER
Thomas Davis, Panthers at Bears - The Bears are certainly doing a great job of protecting their rookie QB as they try to impose their will by running the football. It's just that type of philosophy that should help Davis post one of his better fantasy games of the year. He's had at least six tackles in four games and notched his first sack of the year last week. This matchup gives him the potential for double-digit tackles.
Joe Schobert, Browns vs. Titans - Although he's been inconsistent this season, Schobert has some serious IDP upside. He's mainly a one-category contributor, but after posting at least 12 tackles in two of his last three games, he's proven to be a fantastic IDP option. With Marcus Mariota unlikely to be at full health, this projects to be a game in which the Titans will lean on their rushing attack, and that's exactly the type of game script that should allow the Cleveland linebacker to have another big outing.
Hayes Pullard, Chargers vs. Broncos - It's no secret the best way to attack the Chargers is on the ground. Don't expect the Broncos to approach this game any differently, especially after Emmanuel Sanders suffered an injury last week. With Denver likely to run the ball often, Pullard, who's averaged 8.5 tackles over his last four games, can be counted upon to continue his solid play as he lends run support to a shaky front-seven.
Kiko Alonso, Dolphins vs. Jets - Assuming this is a low-scoring game, there likely won't be an aggressive gameplan by the Jets' offense, and there should be plenty of running and short passing. That's exactly the type of game script that should allow Alonso to be quite productive. He averages 6.5 tackles per game, and it's possible he could reach double-digits this week. In addition, he picked up his first sack of the year last week, and should the Jets fall behind, he could have success rushing the passer as well.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Brian Poole, Falcons at Patriots - Through six games, Poole has been an inconsistent IDP option. He posted just two tackles in each of his last two games, though he averaged seven stops in the first three games of the season. It won't surprise anyone if the Patriots stick to their staple of a short-passing attack, and that fits perfectly with Poole's ability to be a sure tackler. Flirting with double-digit tackles is a definite possibility this week.
Sean Davis, Steelers vs. Bengals - Davis has been a solid IDP option, especially in the two games in which he posted eight tackles. This week he faces the Bengals, who certainly will be trying to get the ball out of Andy Dalton's hands quickly to account for their weak offensive line. As a result, Davis should find himself in position to post one of his highest tackle outputs of the season.
Kenny Vaccaro, Saints at Packers - Fantasy managers have gotten a fairly safe floor from Vaccaro this season, as he posted at least four tackles in each game to start the season. Fortunately, he's gotten hot lately by picking off passes in two of his last three games. He'll have a great chance to stay hot against the Packers, who are without Aaron Rodgers. Look for Green Bay to get the ball out of Brett Hundley's hands quickly to offset their line issues, but regardless of the gameplan, Vaccaro could find himself in position to take advantage of the inexperienced QB, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he was able to intercept another pass as well.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Packers vs. Saints - With Drew Brees and company coming to Lambeau Field, don't expect the Saints to play with the same speed that they have on their home field. Couple that with the fact that they are a pass-heavy offense, and it makes sense to project Clinton-Dix to have a strong performance. He's been playing well lately, averaging six tackles in the last three games, but he could be in position to improve upon that number this week.
