IDP Upgrades: Week 7

This article immediately highlights defensive players whose production was significantly better or worse than normally expected for the prior week of games. Note there is sometimes limited information available when this article is written, but I will try to give everyone an early look at players who are moving up or down in value among IDP circles. It isn't easy to give waiver advice for IDPs since there is such a wide variety of lineups and scoring systems, but hopefully, the information provided can help inform your waiver, trade, and upcoming lineup decisions. I'm also going to try and group edge rushers together with the understanding that classification as a defensive end or linebacker will often depend on your league setup/host. If you have any questions about specific players or situations, please email me or reach out via Twitter.

Email: rudnicki@footballguys.com
Twitter/X: @a_rudnicki

Upgrades

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN/EDGE RUSHERS

DE Danielle Hunter, MIN (6 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QH, 1 PD on 85% of snaps)
Through 6 weeks of the season, Hunter is the highest-scoring defensive end in the league. Despite playing for one of the weakest defenses in the league, he’s already up to 8 sacks on the season and is on pace for 60+ solo tackles.

DE Haason Reddick, PHI (4 solos, 1 asst, 2.5 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 QH on 72% of snaps)
The slow start is certainly behind him now. With 2.5 sacks this week, Reddick is now up to 5.5 over his last 3 games and close to averaging 1 per game.

DE Byron Young, LAR (3 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 2 QH, 1 FF on 86% of snaps)
Young continues to be one of the most productive rookie IDPs in the league. In addition to handling a heavy workload each week, he’s been able to take advantage of the attention that Aaron Donald draws and now has at least a partial sack in 4 out of 6 games.

DE Sam Hubbard, CIN (4 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 5 QH on 88% of snaps)
The Bengals defense has played lights out of late and continued that trend against a high-powered Seattle offense this week. Hubbard led the way with 7 tackles, a sack, and 5 quarterback hits.

DE Bradley Chubb, MIA (4 solos, 2 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 71% of snaps)
While Chubb has had an up-and-down start to the season, he’s been more consistent of late. Over his last two games, he has combined for 9 solos, 4 assists, and a sack.

DE Carl Granderson, NO (3 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QH on 79% of snaps)
Cameron Jordan is showing signs of slowing down this year with just 1 sack through 6 games, but Granderson is helping to pick up the slack. He’s collected a sack in 4 of 6 games and is also averaging a solid 4 combined tackles per game.

DE Bryce Huff, NYJ (2 solos, 1 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, 2 QH on 50% of snaps)
Huff is likely one of the most underrated pass rushers in the league. Per NextGen Stats, he ranks first in the league with a 26% pressure rate since 2022. He was also credited with 9 pressures on just 28 pass rushers against the Eagles this week. He now has 2.5 sacks over his last two games and also saw a season-high workload with 50% of the snaps this week.

DE Anfernee Jennings, NE (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 TFL on 81% of snaps)
Since Matthew Judon went down with a season-ending injury in week 4, Jennings has seen his playing time increase each week. He led all Patriots defensive linemen with 81% of the defensive snaps this week and has 11 combined tackles over the past two games.

DE Randy Gregory, SF (3 solos, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 3 QH on 34% of snaps)
The Broncos decided to give up on Gregory and shipped him to the Broncos for a limited return. Despite joining the team just a week ago, he quickly made an impact with a sack and 3 quarterback hits on just 26 snaps. If he can earn a bigger role here, there is some upside, given the strength of the defense.

DT Justin Madubuike, BAL (4 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 4 QH on 78% of snaps)
The Ravens interior pass rusher added two more sacks this week to give him 4.5 on the year. He’s in the last year of his contract so a big season will likely lead to a big contract next offseason.

DT Sheldon Rankins, HOU (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QH on 59% of snaps)
Rankins was once a highly-regarded prospect, but he’s never come close to matching his career-high of 8 sacks from back in 2018. He’s had a relatively quiet start for the scrappy Texans this year but came up with a big game against his former team this week.

LINEBACKERS

LB Jordan Hicks, MIN (5 solos, 5 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FR, 1 TD on 100% of snaps)
Although he’s 31 years old, Hicks is well on his way to a career season. With Eric Kendricks no longer around, Hicks has emerged as the focal point in the middle of the Vikings defense. Over the past 5 games, he has averaged 6 solo tackles and 4 assists to go along with some big plays like his interception and fumble recovery touchdown this week.

LB Azeez Al-Shaair, TEN (9 solos, 6 asst on 100% of snaps)
Al-Shaair was credited with 15 combined tackles for the second game in a row and now has 62 combined tackles on the year. The Titans defense is struggling to limit opportunities in most weeks, and the injury to Ryan Tannehill likely will shift things even further in that direction.

LB Blake Cashman, HOU (9 solos, 6 asst, 2 TFL, 1 QH, 2 PD on 100% of snaps)
Denzel Perryman was expected to carry a heavy workload for the Texans this year but was a healthy scratch this week. That opened the way for Cashman to start at inside linebacker while Christian Harris returned from the concussion protocol but only played 9 snaps. Cashman has mostly been a reserve throughout his career, but he’s been very productive of late, with 14 solos and 10 assists over the past two games.

LB Lavonte David, TB (9 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QH, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
The veteran linebacker has been a strong fantasy option for more than a decade and continues to play at a high level. He’s had a couple of disappointing games this year, but the highs have been great, with 9 solos and a sack in 2 of his past 3 starts.

LB Bobby Okereke, NYG (8 solos, 3 asst, 2 TFL, 1 FF, 2 PD on 100% of snaps)
LB Micah McFadden, NYG (3 solos, 4 asst, 1 QH, 1 FR, 1 INT, 1 PD on 79% of snaps)
On Sunday night football, both Giants linebackers had excellent games to help keep the game close and nearly give their team a chance to pull off a huge upset. Okereke was all over the field and probably played even better than his numbers indicated. McFadden sat out week 5 but was back to his normal role with just under 80% of the snaps, while Antonio Simmons played a season-low 11 snaps.

LB Patrick Queen, BAL (7 solos, 2 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 100% of snaps)
Queen doesn’t get nearly as much attention or praise as Roquan Smith, but the two linebackers have played a nearly identical number of snaps (404 vs 402) and have remarkably similar production so far. Smith has more tackles (63 vs 53), while Queen has more sacks (3.5 vs 1.5).

LB Devin Lloyd, JAX (7 solos, 2 asst, 2 PD on 97% of snaps)
Lloyd sat out the two games played in London but returned to a full workload this week despite coming into the game with a questionable tag. He had a productive game with 9 tackles and 2 pass deflections as the Colts offense relied heavily on their short passing game with 33 completions.

LB Dorian Williams, BUF (6 solos, 4 asst, 1 QH on 84% of snaps)
Williams got the chance to replace Matt Milano at weakside linebacker and had a solid showing with 10 tackles on a full workload. Tyrel Dodson was the other option but saw just 4 snaps, so it looks like the Bills will give the rookie a chance to learn on the job.

LB Nick Bolton, KC (3 solos, 1 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD on 88% of snaps)
After sitting out the past 3 games, Bolton returned to the lineup this week and handled a full workload with 88% of the snaps. This reduced Drue Tranquill to a part-time role with 37% of the snaps behind both Bolton and Willie Gay Jr.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

S Kamren Curl, WAS (8 solos, 3 asst, 3 PD on 100% of snaps)
Curl continues to produce like an elite fantasy option and now has 21 solo tackles with 9 assists over his last 3 games. With matchups looming against the Giants and Patriots in the next few weeks, he could also add more big plays to his excellent tackle numbers.

S Josh Metellus, MIN (5 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 2 TDL, 3 QH, 1 FF on 89% of snaps)
Despite being the #3 safety in Minnesota, Metellus is producing like a reliable fantasy starter. He has regularly played more than 80% of the defensive snaps as a core part of the Vikings defense. It was Metellus who produced a strip-sack that was recovered by Jordan Hicks for a touchdown to help pull away in the second half this week.

S Justin Reid, KC (4 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH, 1 INT, 1 PD on 98% of snaps)
Reid didn’t make much of an impact earlier in the season, but he’s started to show up of late. The Chiefs defense looks like it can more than hold its own with strong pieces throughout, and Reid is making plays in the secondary with a sack, interception, and forced fumble over the past two games combined.

S Tony Adams, NYJ (5 solos, 2 asst, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
Adams returned to the lineup last week and pushed Adrian Amos back to the bench. While his numbers haven’t stood out to this point, he’s been a steady source of production with 4 or more solo tackles in every start, and he came up with one of three interceptions of Jalen Hurts this week.

S Andre Cisco, JAX (5 solos, 1 INT, 1 PD on 94% of snaps)
The Jaguars continue to get big plays from their secondary nearly every week, as Cisco came up with his third interception of the season. The young safety also added a forced fumble in week 1 and has been an early season standout for his playmaking.

S Jabrill Peppers, NE (7 solos, 2 PD on 93% of snaps)
Peppers was a distant 4th on the safety depth chart for New England last year, but he’s moved into a full-time role this year alongside Kyle Dugger. Although there haven’t been many big plays, he’s been a steady source of tackles and likely has a high floor most weeks.

S Quandre Diggs, SEA (8 solos on 100% of snaps)
Jamal Adams returned to the starting lineup this week and played 85% of the snaps, but Diggs retained his role as a full-time player. Despite primarily playing the free safety role, he wound up leading Seattle in tackles with 8 solo stops, while Adams only had 4.

CB Taron Johnson, BUF (9 solos, 6 asst, 1 PD on 95% of snaps)
Johnson got off to a slow start this season due in part to the play of the Bills defense overall. As injuries have started to take their toll on this unit, however, he could see an uptick. He was very active on Sunday against the Giants and finished the game with a remarkable 15 tackles, as the Giants offense surprised with 61 tackle opportunities in a game that went down to the last second.

CB Cam Taylor-Britt, CIN (7 solos, 1 INT, 3 PD on 100% of snaps)
Last year’s 2nd round pick is paying off for the Bengals, as their defense is doing everything it can to keep their season afloat. Taylor-Britt had a pick-six last week and then added another interception this week. The bye should help Joe Burrow get healthier, and then they will have tough matchups with the 49ers and Bills coming up.

CB Steven Nelson, HOU (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
Nelson doesn’t get a lot of publicity, but the 30-year-old veteran has been quietly one of the more consistent fantasy cornerbacks in the league. He picked off his third pass of the season this week and provides some stability as they rotate other options at the other cornerback spot while waiting for Derek Stingley Jr to return.

CB Kendall Fuller, WAS (9 solos, 1 INT, 2 PD on 98% of snaps)
Fuller has had some seasons as a #1 fantasy cornerback in the past but has been inconsistent like most players at the position. He’s mostly been a dud this year as well but deserves an upgrade after this huge game against the Falcons.

Downgrades

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN/EDGE RUSHERS

DE Montez Sweat, WAS (1 solo on 40% of snaps)
Sweat has gotten off to a great start this season with 4.5 sacks in his first 5 games, but he was a non-factor this week before leaving early with a thumb injury. Fortunately, the x-rays came back negative, so it looks like he avoided a major injury and could return without missing much time. Casey Toohill helped fill in for him at times and picked up a pair of sacks on just 18 snaps.

DE Marcus Davenport, MIN (0 tackles on 26% of snaps)
Davenport had sacks in each of the past two games but was carted off the field this week with a high ankle sprain that’s likely to keep him out for a while. D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones II figure to see an uptick in playing time as a result.

DE Dennis Gardeck, ARI (2 solos, 1 TFL on 46% of snaps)
Gardeck had a remarkable start to the season with 4 sacks in his first 3 games despite never playing more than 50% of the snaps in a game. That was not sustainable, however, and he has cooled off with just 4 tackles and no sacks over the last two games combined.

DE Josh Uche, NE (0 tackles 27% of snaps)
With Matthew Judon out of the lineup, Uche is finding it much tougher to get to the quarterback this year. He picked up 11.5 sacks a year ago but has just 2 through the first 6 games and only 6 combined tackles. Unfortunately, he also left the game early this week with a foot injury after coming into it with a knee issue, so he may not be able to help much against the Bills next weekend.

DE Yetur Gross-Matos, CAR (3 asst on 45% of snaps)
Although he had just started to show signs of becoming a more reliable fantasy option in recent weeks, Gross-Matos was forced to leave the game early with a hamstring injury. He’ll get a chance to rest up over the bye and hope to be ready in two weeks vs the Titans.

DT Bryan Bresee, NO (0 tackles on 46% of snaps)
The rookie had some flashes earlier this year and still has long-term potential as an interior pass rusher, but he’s now put up 0 points in consecutive weeks. Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders both saw more playing time than him this week, and his production is likely too sparse to be of use in anything but deeper DT-required dynasty leagues.

LINEBACKERS

LB Frankie Luvu, CAR (5 solos, 4 asst, 1 TFL on 76% of snaps)
Luvu was on his way to another productive day with 9 tackles on 51 snaps before being forced to leave the game with a hip injury. This appears to be the same injury that knocked him out of the game in week 3 as well.

LB Drue Tranquill, KC (3 solos, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 37% of snaps)
With Nick Bolton back in the lineup this week, Tranquill returned to a part-time role. He still had a productive game thanks to a sack but likely needs an injury to return to fantasy relevance in the short term.

LB Nicholas Morrow, PHI (3 solos, 3 asst on 55% of snaps)
Nakobe Dean returned from IR this week and played 49% of the snaps. Morrow was in the starting lineup and led the team in tackles with 6 stops, but he also saw the biggest drop in playing time. Zach Cunningham was starting ahead of Morrow early on this season, so it stands to reason that Dean will likely push Morrow back to a limited role at some point.

LB Anthony Walker Jr., CLE (1 solo on 37% of snaps)
Walker hasn’t been all that productive due in part to how well the Browns defense has played around him, but he appeared to have a great matchup this week against the 49ers. Unfortunately, he was knocked out of the game early with a concussion, and that leaves his status for next week against the Colts in doubt.

LB Ivan Pace Jr. MIN (1 QH, 1 PD on 18% of snaps)
Pace looked impressive earlier this season after winning a starting linebacker job, but he has seen a clear dropoff in playing time the past couple of weeks before dropping all the way to just 18% of the snaps this week. The emergence of 3rd safety Josh Metellus as a core player has left the LB2 with a much less important role here.

LB Denzel Perryman, HOU (DNP)
Perryman was expected to reclaim his role in the middle of the Texans defense once healthy, but he was a healthy scratch this week. The team is playing well with Blake Cashman and also has Christian Harris available, so it looks like Perryman has fallen down the depth chart.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

S Reed Blankenship, PHI (4 solos, 1 asst, 1 TFL, 1 PD on 65% of snaps)
Blankenship has made a strong impression during the season so far, with 39 combined tackles in 5 games played. Unfortunately, he was forced to leave the game early this week with a rib injury. The x-rays were negative, so it looks like he avoided a major injury though. With Justin Evans also injured, the Eagles are down to one healthy safety in Terrell Edmunds.

S Eddie Jackson, CHI (1 solo on 25% of snaps)
This is starting to feel like a lost season for the veteran safety. He made his return to the starting lineup after missing the prior 3 games but only lasted 14 snaps before leaving with a foot injury.

S Marcus Epps, LV (2 asst on 100% of snaps)
Epps signed a 2-year, $12 million contract with the Raiders that suggested he would become a key piece in their defense. Through 6 games, however, he’s yet to make an impact. He’s averaging about 2 solos and 1 assist per game with no contributions in the big play columns.

S Jeremy Chinn, CAR (0 tackles on 39% of snaps)
The Panthers were without both starting safeties this week, but it was Mathias Farley who filled in for Vonn Bell. Chinn remained in a limited role and was shut out on the stat sheet, further indicating he likely needs a trade to reclaim any of his previous fantasy value.

S Isaiah Simmons, NYG (0 tackles on 18% of snaps)
One week after posting 9 tackles against Miami, Simmons returned to a limited role against the Bills. He could still hold onto a role in some sub-packages but has been outplayed by Micah McFadden so far.

S Marcus Williams, BAL (1 solo, 1 PD on 67% of snaps)
S Kyle Hamilton, BAL (1 solo on 58% of snaps)
Both starting safeties for the Ravens exited the game early this week. Williams recently returned from a pectoral injury suffered in week 1 but left with a hamstring injury. Hamilton was ejected from the game after a helmet-to-helmet hit on a receiver.

S Julian Love, SEA (2 solos, 1 asst on 44% of snaps)
Love had played nearly every snap for Seattle over the first 4 games of the year and was highly productive with 27 solo tackles and 9 assists. Unfortunately, Jamal Adams reclaimed his starting role this week and played 85% of the snaps, which pushed Love down to a part-time role with just 24 snaps.

CB Tyson Campbell, JAX (1 solo, 2 asst on 31% of snaps)
Campbell has been a reliable fantasy option in most weeks this year, but he left the game early with a hamstring injury. Reports on Monday indicated he was unlikely to be able to play in week 7 against the Saints, and Montaric Brown is the likely replacement.

CB Xavien Howard, MIA (4 solos, 1 asst on 81% of snaps)
Howard hasn’t produced up to his normal levels this year, with just 1 interception in the first 6 games, but he also left the game early this week with a groin injury and is considered day-to-day. That might leave him vulnerable for next week’s matchup against the Eagles.