Welcome to the NFL and fantasy football Week 7 kickoff.
With growing data available, we will try to make the best start/sit decisions based on the early-season results. Pay attention to the injury reports, and keep your lineup flexible when setting to cover your risk and maximize results.
Every league is different — especially in the individual defensive player (IDP) world. These rankings are based on our fantasy scoring to help you adjust to your league while acknowledging that there will be some variations across different platforms. It doesn’t account for position requirements and is best thought of as IDP Flex rankings for Week 7!
Which IDP Players Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
1) Bobby Wagner, LB | WAS (vs. CAR)
2) Logan Wilson, LB | CIN (at CLE)
3) Fred Warner, LB | SF (vs. KC)
4) Roquan Smith, LB | BAL (at TB)
5) Ernest Jones IV, LB | TEN (at BUF)
6) Terrel Bernard, LB | BUF (vs. TEN)
7) Tyrel Dodson, LB | SEA (at ATL)
8) Robert Spillane, LB | LV (at LAR)
9) Ivan Pace Jr., LB | MIN (vs. DET)
10) Zack Baun, LB | PHI (at NYG)
11) Nick Bolton, LB | KC (at SF)
12) E.J. Speed, LB | IND (vs. MIA)
13) Brian Branch, S | DET (at MIN)
14) Derwin James Jr., S | LAC (at ARI)
15) Nick Cross, S | IND (vs. MIA)
16) Devin Lloyd, LB | JAC (vs. NE)
17) Trevin Wallace, LB | CAR (at WAS)
18) Frankie Luvu, LB | WAS (vs. CAR)
19) Zaire Franklin, LB | IND (vs. MIA)
20) Kyle Hamilton, S | BAL (at TB)
21) Myles Garrett, DE | CLE (vs. CIN)
22) Grant Delpit, S | CLE (vs. CIN)
23) Tyler Nubin, S | NYG (vs. PHI)
24) Quincy Williams, LB | NYJ (at PIT)
25) Kyzir White, LB | ARI (vs. LAC)
26) Lavonte David, LB | TB (vs. BAL)
27) Jalen Thompson, S | ARI (vs. LAC)
28) Germaine Pratt, LB | CIN (at CLE)
29) Jamien Sherwood, LB | NYJ (at PIT)
30) Maxx Crosby, DE | LV (at LAR)
31) Joshua Metellus, S | MIN (vs. DET)
32) Quay Walker, LB | GB (vs. HOU)
33) Kyle Dugger, S | NE (at JAC)
34) Dorian Williams, LB | BUF (vs. TEN)
35) Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB | CLE (vs. CIN)
36) Nick Bosa, DE | SF (vs. KC)
37) Antoine Winfield Jr., S | TB (vs. BAL)
38) Patrick Queen, LB | PIT (vs. NYJ)
39) Bobby Okereke, LB | NYG (vs. PHI)
40) Jalen Pitre, S | HOU (at GB)
41) Mack Wilson Sr., LB | ARI (vs. LAC)
42) Jessie Bates III, S | ATL (vs. SEA)
43) Demario Davis, LB | NO (vs. DEN)
44) Budda Baker, S | ARI (vs. LAC)
45) Julian Love, S | SEA (at ATL)
46) Alex Anzalone, LB | DET (at MIN)
47) Tre’von Moehrig, S | LV (at LAR)
48) Jordan Whitehead, S | TB (vs. BAL)
49) Devon Witherspoon, CB | SEA (at ATL)
50) Nakobe Dean, LB | PHI (at NYG)
51) Kenneth Murray Jr., LB | TEN (at BUF)
52) Neville Hewitt, LB | HOU (at GB)
53) T.J. Watt, LB | PIT (vs. NYJ)
54) DeShon Elliott, S | PIT (vs. NYJ)
55) Kaden Elliss, LB | ATL (vs. SEA)
56) Jordan Hicks, LB | CLE (vs. CIN)
57) Trey Hendrickson, DE | CIN (at CLE)
58) Jerome Baker, LB | SEA (at ATL)
59) Jordyn Brooks, LB | MIA (at IND)
60) Marte Mapu, LB | NE (at JAC)
61) Reed Blankenship, S | PHI (at NYG)
62) Drue Tranquill, LB | KC (at SF)
63) Javon Bullard, S | GB (vs. HOU)
64) Xavier McKinney, S | GB (vs. HOU)
65) Minkah Fitzpatrick, S | PIT (vs. NYJ)
66) Camryn Bynum, S | MIN (vs. DET)
67) Nate Landman, LB | ATL (vs. SEA)
68) Cody Barton, LB | DEN (at NO)
69) C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S | PHI (at NYG)
70) Payton Wilson, LB | PIT (vs. NYJ)
71) Damar Hamlin, S | BUF (vs. TEN)
72) Ventrell Miller, LB | JAC (vs. NE)
73) Tyrann Mathieu, S | NO (vs. DEN)
74) Paulson Adebo, CB | NO (vs. DEN)
75) Daiyan Henley, LB | LAC (at ARI)
76) Quentin Lake, S | LAR (vs. LV)
77) Will Anderson Jr., DE | HOU (at GB)
78) Divine Deablo, LB | LV (at LAR)
79) Jake Hansen, LB | HOU (at GB)
80) Josh Hines-Allen, DE | JAC (vs. NE)
81) Willie Gay Jr., LB | NO (vs. DEN)
82) Brandon Jones, S | DEN (at NO)
83) Jeremy Chinn, S | WAS (vs. CAR)
84) Danielle Hunter, DE | HOU (at GB)
85) Dexter Lawrence II, DT | NYG (vs. PHI)
86) David Long Jr., LB | MIA (at IND)
87) Julian Blackmon, S | IND (vs. MIA)
88) Tony Adams, S | NYJ (at PIT)
89) Xavier Woods, S | CAR (at WAS)
90) Boye Mafe, DE | SEA (at ATL)
91) Keion White, DE | NE (at JAC)
92) Micah McFadden, LB | NYG (vs. PHI)
93) Justin Strnad, LB | DEN (at NO)
94) Jason Pinnock, S | NYG (vs. PHI)
95) Taylor Rapp, S | BUF (vs. TEN)
96) Will McDonald IV, DE | NYJ (at PIT)
97) Devin Bush Jr., LB | CLE (vs. CIN)
98) Trenton Simpson, LB | BAL (at TB)
99) K.J. Britt, LB | TB (vs. BAL)
100) Brian Burns, DE | NYG (vs. PHI)
Best IDP Players To Start in Week 7
Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Minnesota Vikings
Blake Cashman is out for this game, which leads to the next man up, Ivan Pace Jr., taking on the full-time role for Week 7. This is fantastic for IDP gamers rostering Pace. So far in 2024, Pace has had three healthy games, averaging seven tackles. This is despite playing 113 of a possible 213 snaps in those games.
Ivan Pace played just 26 snaps in his return from injury, but made his presence felt in a big way with 6 total tackles, including a sack and a TFL.
Here are a number of those plays. He is just electric. Special mover. pic.twitter.com/y3m7szg39M
— Matt Fries (@FriesFootball) October 8, 2024
In 2023, Pace saw action in five games as a 100% snap share player (expected sans Cashman). He was consistently between nine and 13 tackles in those games. He also got two sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception. Pace is rightly a top 10 overall IDP player in Week 7 and a must-start for any IDP manager lucky enough to roster him.
Grant Delpit, S, Cleveland Browns
Grant Delpit is back in Week 7 and is now a locked-in top-five DB for the week. I’ll admit the ranking is likely a bit much based on how he’s performed to date in 2024, but the role he’s had has been fantastic. Delpit has averaged 5.5 tackles over four of his five games (the remaining being a 10-tackle performance).
His upside remains weekly, though, and he needs to stay in any lineup that requires a DB or S to start. Just 45 of his 300 total snaps have come aligned as a deep safety or outside CB, while the rest have been in the box or slot. Those alignments make him a pseudo-LB with DB eligibility and a locked-in top DB weekly.