Eyes of the Guru IDP Info: Week 7

There are many moving parts as we close in on the halfway point of the fantasy regular season. Several more players were added to the casualty list, but at least we are starting to see a trickle of players getting back to practice after being out for a while. Whether you lost players or not, there are some opportunities this week.

Guru's IDP Notes: Arizona Cardinals

If Krys Barnes is available in your league, grab him. Kyzir White lasted 21 plays before leaving Sunday's game with a knee injury. As of Wednesday afternoon, we are still awaiting updates from the Cardinals on their injured players, but the fact that White was unable to return indicates that he will likely miss some time.

As usual, Barnes stepped right into the lead role and was highly productive. He led the team in tackles, going 8-1 on 74% of the snaps. With the Chargers coming to town this week, Barnes has a great matchup and is in line for a strong game. Don't hesitate to plug him in if White misses time.

Sean Murphy-Bunting made an early exit with a neck injury. That put rookie Max Melton in the game for his biggest share of playing time to date. Melton totaled a season-best of four solo stops on about 65% of the action. We are still awaiting an update on Murphy-Bunting's status for this week and beyond. The Chargers are a poor matchup for corners but if Murphy Bunting misses more time, Melton could become a decent addition.

Guru's IDP Notes: Atlanta Falcons

With Troy Andersen on the shelf for week six, Nate Landman returned from injury and was right back in the starting lineup. A quality outing that saw him post eight combined stops with a pair of forced fumbles on just under 80% of the snaps, will have some managers looking hard. Be aware that Andersen has a shot at playing this week. It's been a while since Landman and Andersen were available at the same time, so it's unclear how or if playing time would be divided. The only thing we do know is that Andersen will have a significant role if he's available.

Matthew Judon's snap count was back up to 74% in week six but it did nothing for his production. Early on it looked as if he might break the spell of Atlanta's struggling pass rush. Judon has done next to nothing since week two though. The time has probably come to move on.

The Falcons have grand expectations for rookie tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, who is starting to see some action. He played 12 snaps in week 5 and jumped to 22 in week six. His playing time has, so far, come mostly at the expense of David Onyemata. Orhorhoro has the tools and skill set to become a productive option for us down the road.   

Guru's IDP Notes: Baltimore Ravens

We saw a different Washington offense in week six. This version handed the ball to a running back 9 times and threw 35 passes in a strongly contested loss. Thus, what we had expected to be a great matchup for Roquan Smith turned out to be a dud. Fortunately, his high floor kept Smith from being a bust. With the emergence of Sean Tucker and Bucky Irving, the Buccaneers look like a strong matchup this week.  

Guru's IDP Notes: Buffalo Bills

The Bills' defense was as healthy in week six as they had been since week one. Terrell Bernard returned in week five, and the secondary got Taylor Rapp and Taron Johnson back for Monday's game. All eyes are on Ed Oliver this week. The stud defensive tackle has not practiced since coming up lame with a hamstring during the Thursday practice before week five.

Buffalo's linebackers are good starts against a Titans offense that allows an average of 19.4 tackles and a splash play to the position. They are currently the second-best matchup in the game for linebackers.

Likewise, if you have Oliver, watch the practice reports later in the week and play him in this one if he suits up. The interior line positions are averaging 10.8 tackles and just shy of a sack against Tennessee, making them the fifth-best matchup for the position.  

Guru's IDP Notes: Carolina Panthers

Xavier Woods was 7-2 with a pass breakup in week six and is putting some games together lately. He is 19-7 with a pick and a pair of pass breakups over the last three outings. I'm not sure what to think about this. On one hand, Woods is in year eight and has one good fantasy season on his resume (2021). On the other hand, Woods has that one good season to his credit and is on a bad team playing backups at the linebacker positions. With a string of quality matchups over the next month, he could prove a solid addition. 

Trevin Wallace had another highly productive game in his second as a starter. This time he included good tackle totals (6-3) with a forced fumble and a recovery. The dip into the splash play columns is a good sign and he looked better on the field in general this time around. I like his chances of a big game versus the Commanders this week.  

Injuries have the Panthers thin at the edge position. DJ Johnson covered 90% of the snaps last week, and Charles Harris 76%. These guys will never be household names, even in households of IDP managers, but they are getting plenty of volume. With injuries and the looming bye-mageddons on the schedule, volume might be enough to get them in our lineups as spot start fliers.  

Guru's IDP Notes: Chicago Bears

Kyler Gordon was 5-2 and well on the way to a big game before going to the locker room with a hamstring about halfway through the game. Josh Blackwell took over for the second half and had an interception, but he was not as involved as Gordon. Coach Eberflus said that Gordon went for an MRI on Monday but the results have not yet come back.

Jaylon Jones stood in for Tyrique Stevenson and had a big statistical day at 9-1. Stevenson was limited in practice last week before being inactive, so he should make it back after this week's bye.

Guru's IDP Notes: Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals looked like a different defense with all their linemen back. With Zach Carter's release last week, Cincinnati turned to a three-man rotation at tackle with B.J. Hill seeing 70% of the action and the rest divided almost equally between Sheldon Rankins and Kris Jenkins Jr.. Hill went 3-4-0 and knocked down 2 passes against the Giants. Cleveland is a mediocre matchup in general, but Hill's fresh legs and high snap count could turn into a productive game.

Having the interior line back is a big deal for Cincinnati's linebackers. It will go a long way toward keeping the second-level players clean. This is a particularly good thing this week as the Bengals face the division rival Browns, who are giving up the most fantasy points to linebackers.    

Vonn Bell has been quiet, including a two-tackle game versus the Giants last week. Interestingly, he is beginning to lose snaps to second-year man Jordan Battle. Nothing is imminent here, but it is a situation to monitor. Battle produced four combined tackles on 14 plays.

Guru's IDP Notes: Cleveland Browns

The Browns are a disaster yet again. The fire sale has already started with Amani Cooper shipped to Buffalo. Will they sell off the good components of the defense next? Or will they try to stay competitive on that side of the ball as they work their way through Deshawn Watson purgatory?  

Jordan Hicks missed week six. We're not sure if the elbow, rib, or triceps injury or the combination of the three is keeping him off the field. We will watch for a return to practice this week, but don't count on it.

Meanwhile, Devin Bush started week five and put up good numbers at 8-2, while playing every snap. Fantasy managers were happy with that production but apparently, the coaching staff was not so impressed. Bush made another start versus the Eagles but this time around he went 1-3 on 55% while Mohamoud Diabate was 5-2 on 74% of the snaps.

Injuries to the starters left Cleveland with Rodney McLeod Jr. and D'Anthony Bell as the safeties. McLeod has at least twelve fantasy points in three straight games and a strong matchup with the Bengals this week.

Guru's IDP Notes: Dallas Cowboys

Eric Kendricks did not practice last week and was inactive on Sunday. We are in wait-and-see mode when it comes to his availability when the team returns from their bye. With Kendricks sidelined, Damone Clark made the start and put up respectable numbers at 4-5-.5 and a pass breakup on an 85% play share. 

Guru's IDP Notes: Denver Broncos

Brandon Jones turned a poor matchup on paper into the best tackle total of his career at 11-1. It was his third game in the last four with double-digit fantasy points. It was also the first time he managed more than four solo stops this season. We will see some big games from him the rest of the way, but there will likely be consistency issues.

Cody Barton and Justin Strnad put up respectable numbers with a strong matchup last week. On paper, the Saints are an even better matchup. Don't hesitate to plug either of these guys into your lineup.

Nik Bonitto has a sack in four consecutive games but his streak could end soon. Not so much because of the opponents in the next two or three weeks, but because Baron Browning returned to practice as his 21-day window for activation was opened.

Guru's IDP Notes: Detroit Lions 

By now, everyone knows that Aiden Hutchinson suffered a gruesome broken leg. We all wish him the best as he embarks on the road to recovery. Meanwhile, the Lions have a problem. Josh Paschal is the sole survivor of the team's top four edge guys heading into the season. Unless Detroit can make a deal or find a reclamation project on the street, Isaac Ukwu and Trevor Nowaske are in line for a lot of playing time. On a positive note, Nowaske contributed a sack against Dallas.

Carlton Davis was indeed following CeeDee Lamb on a fair number of plays before leaving with a concussion. The good news is that he cleared protocol on Monday and will be in uniform to (potentially) face off with Justin Jefferson in week seven.

Guru's IDP Notes: Green Bay Packers

The pendulum has swung at the Packers linebacker position. Isaiah McDuffie made another start, but for the first time, Edgerrin Cooper spent more time on the field. Cooper totaled a solid 6-2 on 66% of the action, while McDuffie was 2-1 on 44%. Now we must see if the trend continues until Cooper plays full-time.  

I'm not sure what is going on with the Packers' rookie safeties. Javon Bullard has seen at least 73% of the action in every game. In week five, he was the third safety at 73% while Evan Williams held the full-time job. Last week, their roles reversed again, with Bullard going 7-1 and getting 54 of 58 snaps while Williams went 4-0 with a forced fumble on 38. Green Bay seems to like the big nickel as a base defense.

Guru's IDP Notes: Houston Texans 

Azeez Al-Shaair left the week six game with a knee injury and Henry To'oto'o followed later with a concussion. The fact that Al-Shaair returned for a few plays after the injury is a good sign that it is not serious. He was, however, seen limping around the locker room after the game. He has not been ruled out for week seven, but it is not looking good. Neville Hewitt stepped in at the position and had a good game, going 7-2 on 39 snaps. Hewitt is a quality backup who has been highly productive when called upon in the past. He is not Al-Shaair on the field but will put up similar numbers if he starts.

Jake Hansen took over when To'oto'o left in the fourth quarter. Hansen was 3-0 on 11 snaps, suggesting he would also be productive if To'oto'o misses time.

Guru's IDP Notes: Indianapolis Colts

I have not yet had time to watch the Colts game from week six, but recent production from Nick Cross and Julian Blackmon, along with the bits and pieces I've seen while flipping back and forth between games, leads me to wonder if Cross is getting more work as a box safety by design or if it is simply the game scripts over the last two or three weeks. This is on the week seven watch list.

Guru's IDP Notes: Jacksonville Jaguars

Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen were major disappointments in week six. They were 0-2-.5 between them, despite facing a Bears team that has been a plus matchup for edge defenders. In their defense, Chicago is not the same team they were in September. They have done a far better job of protecting Caleb Williams over the last couple of games. It's hard to trust a player after being burnt, but the Patriots are an even better matchup this week. New England is allowing almost four sacks and two turnovers per game.  

Not only is Ventrell Miller playing well as he holds down the fort while Foye Oluohun recovers, he leads the team in tackles despite starting just three games. Oluokun is eligible to come off of IR after the week seven game but so far, there is no reason to believe he will be ready at that point.

Guru's IDP Notes: Las Vegas Raiders

Tre'von Moehrig is indeed seeing significant time at the strong safety position, while Isaiah Pola-Mao is seeing most of the action in the center field role. As a result, Moehrig has at least nine fantasy points in four consecutive games. The week six game against Pittsburgh was his first with double-digit tackles. This week's matchup with the Rams could be his second. Los Angeles has given up the third most points to safeties to date.  

Guru's IDP Notes: Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers got Junior Colson back for week six. None of their linebackers were productive with the poor matchup against Denver, but the breakdown in snaps tells an important story. Daiyan Henley led the way with 76% participation, with Colson second at 58% and Denzel Perryman third at 40%. The Cardinals are a poor matchup, so we should not expect much from any of these guys in week seven. However, there are several good matchups in the coming weeks. The question is, will Perryman be phased out further so the young guys can flourish, or will we continue to see all three guys get just enough snaps to be productive but inconsistent?  

Guru's IDP Notes: Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are coming out of the bye week, but it may not have been enough to get their safeties healthy. Jordan Poyer (shin) and Jevon Holland (hand) have not yet returned to practice. Poyer likely has a better chance of returning this week. If either of them sit, Marcus Maye would get the call.

Guru's IDP Notes: Minnesota Vikings

Start your Vikings linebackers and safeties this week. They are rested, coming off the bye, and have a great matchup with the Lions. Detroit is stingy when it comes to giving up splash plays so the splash-play upside may be limited. The linebacker position averages 19.2 tackles and the safeties 18 against them.

For all those managers still rostering Ivan Pace Jr., your patience is about to pay off. Starting back in July, I've been saying that Blake Cashman is a good NFL starter who has struggled with injuries throughout his career. Here we go again. Cashman is doubtful for week seven with a toe injury. That puts Pace in the lead role for at least this week and possibly beyond.

Kamu Grugier-Hill is the next man up at linebacker, but we have already seen the Vikings turn back to the big nickel instead of just plugging him in. Look for Joshua Metellus to get a boost in snaps and production while Cashman is out.   

Guru's IDP Notes: New England Patriots

Last week, I speculated that Jabrill Peppers might not face discipline from the team until after his legal situation is resolved. The Patriots were having none of that, placing him on the exempt list. With Peppers and Kyle Dugger out in week five, Marte Mapu assumed an every-down role. His tackle totals were not impressive at 2-5, but he added a turnover for a solid point total. With Dugger back in week six, Mapu was still heavily involved, logging 88% of the snaps. His numbers were unimpressive again, but at least he is getting the playing time. Marte shows up on the injury report this week as questionable with a sore neck.  

Guru's IDP Notes: New Orleans Saints

When a player leaves with a forearm injury and does not return, we often learn later that it is a broken bone that keeps him out for several weeks. This is not the case with Tyrann Mathieu. He played a few snaps against Tampa Bay before exiting but returned to practice on Tuesday and is good to go for Thursday.

After turning to Johnathan Abram in week five, the Saints started Jordan Howden on Sunday. Abram got in the game when Mathieu left and made the most of his opportunity with seven combined stops and a pick. With Mathieu and Howden available for week seven, Abram probably heads back to the bench.

Safety J.T. Gray also showed up on the stat sheet with five tackles and a forced fumble. There is nothing to see here as Gray played 15 snaps.

Guru's IDP Notes: New York Giants

Kayvon Thibodeaux landed on IR with a wrist injury last week. That moved Azeez Ojulari into the starting job with Carlos Basham Jr working as the third man. The Giants went into the game with the most sacks in the league. They came out of week six with a four-sack lead over the second-place Broncos.

Ojulari stepped in and made an immediate impact, playing 77% of the snaps en route to a four-tackle and two-sack day. This is a talented player who had 49 tackles and 8 sacks as a rookie in 2021. Since that time, his career has been sidetracked by injuries. If he can stay off the injury report, Ojulari can be an impact player for us while Thibodeau is on the mend.

Guru's IDP Notes: New York Jets 

Every now and then, a team sticks it to us. It happened to many managers, myself included, when C.J. Mosley was active for the Monday night game but played just nine snaps, seeing action only in three linebacker packages. The limited role was probably a case of him being eased back in. On the other hand, Jamien Sherwood is playing well. The Steelers are a solid matchup so one of these guys will put up good numbers. Hopefully, the Jets will give us some idea of the plan before this week's game, but don't count on it.

Chuck Clark landed on IR Wednesday with a high ankle sprain. That makes Ashtyn Davis the starter for at least the next four contests.

D.J. Reed came up lame with a groin injury on Monday night. He has not been ruled out yet but we should have a backup plan. Brandon Echols took over for Reed in week seven.

Guru's IDP Notes: Philadelphia Eagles

Did the Eagles find their pass rush, or was it just a matchup with the Browns that led to a season-best five sacks? One game will not answer that question, but a matchup with the Giants in week seven will help. New York was the worst in the league by far, allowing 85 sacks a year ago. This is not that team. This unit ranks in the top half of the league with 14 allowed thus far.

Zack Baun came out of the gate with his hair on fire, racking up 27 tackles, 10 assists, and 2 sacks over the first three games. In the last two, he is a combined 6-8. Meanwhile, Nakobe Dean started with twelve tackles and seven assists over the first three weeks. He has since recorded the same numbers in the last two games. The sample size is not big enough to call this a trend. It is enough to get our attention though.  

The Eagles could find themselves very young in the secondary going forwardDarius Slay Jr..

Guru's IDP Notes: Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks have injury problems at the corner position. Riq Wollen was inactive last week with an ankle. The next man up was Tre Brown, who left in the second half with an ankle as well. If neither starter is available, look for Nehemiah Pritchett to get the start, with safety K'Von Wallace seeing most of the playing time as the nickel back.

Guru's IDP Notes: San Francisco 49ers

When the 49ers put Talanoa Hufanga on IR last week, the starting job fell to rookie Malik Mustapha. He started fast, with a couple of tackles and a pick in the first quarter before leaving with an ankle injury. There is optimism surrounding Mustapha's long-term fantasy potential, but the injury and a poor matchup with the Chiefs are not good signs for his value this week. Mustapha has been limited at practice this week. If he is not available, George Odum will get the start.

Guru's IDP Notes: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Calijah Kancey made his season debut against the Saints. He was 2-0-1 on the stat sheet, but his impact on the game was much bigger. With Kancey, Vita Vea, and Logan Hall all healthy, the Buccaneers have one heck of an interior line trio.

K.J. Britt did his best vanishing act last week. His footprint on the stat sheet was three assists and half a sack. The good news is that he is not injured and played every snap. Chalk this one up as a fluke, and have no fear if you need to start Britt against the Ravens this week. Surely, he wouldn't waste two strong matchups in a row…

Guru's IDP Notes: Washington Commanders

Dante Fowler Jr showed up big against the Ravens with four tackles and a pair of sacks. That gives him three and a half sacks in the last four games. Maybe he is heading for a breakout season, but I am pessimistic about that possibility. The norm for Fowler is to have three or four highly productive games each season while doing next to nothing in many of the others. That said, he has a strong matchup this week against the Panthers.

Washington's defensive line took a couple of injury hits against Baltimore. The lesser was a hamstring issue that could keep Dorance Armstrong on the sideline for a minute. The more serious was a season-ending pectoral tear suffered by Jonathan Allen. Clelin Ferrell would inherit the starting role on the edge if Armstrong is unavailable. Look for Phidarian Mathis and rookie Jer'Zhan Newton to share time in place of Allen. Both of these guys have some upside, but the timeshare will likely hold down any potential fantasy value.

There is still hope that Jeremy Chinn can be the strong contributor I projected entering the season. He has seven solo stops in two of the last three games with an average of eleven fantasy points over the last three. That and the always-juicy matchup with a former employer make Chinn my DB sleeper pick of the week.  

Frankie Luvu was a major bust for us in week six, but there is nothing to see here. He was in his usual role on the outside and was on the field for every defensive play. The game script simply didn't include him. He should bounce back nicely with, like Chinn, the added incentive of facing his former team.

That does it for the week seven edition. Best of luck to everyone. 

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