IDP Fantasy Rankings Into Week 8

Uncategorized Posted on  —by Joseph Haggan
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Week 7 had fantasy players breaking out. Between week 6 and 7 there has been a shakeup in the top 10 Rankings at each position. See here who is new, who stays put, and players being bumped from the top.

Key: Stock up    Stock Down    No Change

Linebacker

Rankings

  1. Darius Leonard- 79 Tackles (54 solo), 7 tackles for a loss, 2 pass deflections, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries. 6 games (Last week at #1)
  2. Kiko Alonso- 66 Tackles (46 solo), 4 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week at #2)
  3. Corey Littleton- 58 Tackles (39 solo), 4 tackles for a loss, 8 pass deflections, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 1 safety, 1 blocked kick. (Last week at #8)
  4. Luke Kuechly- 55 Tackles (44 solo), 9 tackles for a loss, 1 pass deflection, 2 sacks, 1interception. 6 games(Last week not in top 10)
  5. Tremaine Edmunds- 54 Tackles (39 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, 6 pass deflections, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles. (Last week at #7)
  6. Jaylon Smith- 57 Tackles (37 solo), 5 tackles for a loss, 1 pass deflection, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble. (Last week not in top 10)
  7. Avery Williamson- 48 Tackles (35 solo), 4 tackles for a loss, 4 pass deflections, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week at #6)
  8. Jordan Hicks- 57 Tackles (41 solo), 4 tackles for a loss, 4 pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week at #4)
  9. Blake Martinez- 51 Tackles (34 solo), 6 tackles for a loss, 2 pass deflections, 3 sacks (Last week at #3)
  10. Zach Cunningham- 61 Tackles (44 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, 3 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble. (Last week not in top 10)

Steady at the Top

The only spots not to change in my top 10 were #1 and #2. Kiko Alonso did not have a crazy game last week, 5 tackles (4 solo) to go with a pass deflection. Because of his play though in previous weeks, this weaker game did not change his ranking.

Leonard on the other hand had another monster game. He finished the game with 17 tackles (12 solo) to go with a fumble recovery. Leonard has put separation between him and the rest of the top 10 and I believe it will take a major injury to drop him out of #1.

Newcomers

There were three newcomers to this weeks Linebacker top 10. Those three include Luke Kuechly, Jaylon Smith and Zach Cunningham.  Strong performances, players returning from injuries, and just coming off byes all played major factors in the additions of these players.

Luke Kuechly should be no surprise to see in the top of anybody's Linebacker top 10. Kuechly was actually the final pick of mine in my very first IDP draft back in 2012. That year he finished with 164 tackles (103 solo), 1 sack, 8 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions.....I nailed it! Kuechly finished last week with 14 tackles (12 solo), 4 tackles for a loss, and 1 sack. He definitely deserves to be on the list.

Jaylon Smith joins the list this week after just missing out last week, beating out teammate Leighton Vander Esch. Smith had a decent game with 6 tackles (5 solo) and 1 tackles for a loss. Even though his game doesn't jump out per say, his teammates snap count was cut. All-Pro Sean Lee was inserted back into the lineup and cut into Vander Esch's production bumping him off the list and allowing his teammate Smith to join.

If there is one thing Zach Cunningham does well, it's tackle. He won't jump out and wow you with sacks or forced turnovers. Because of his tackle prowess and nose for the football he joins the list. He actually has the 3rd most tackles of all Linebackers. If Cunningham can start forcing some turnovers you will see him climb high up this top 10.

Those Rising and Falling

Corey Littleton made quite a rise on the top 10 list jumping from 8th to 3rd with a huge game. Last week he racked up 10 tackles (8 solo), 3 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 1 safety, and a blocked kick. The 49ers got beat up last week by Littleton and another man from the Rams who made his list debut that you will read about later. Littleton has been known to show great ability in coverage with 8 pass deflections on the year but it was his pass rushing Sunday that jumped him up the list.

Tremaine Edmunds had another rock solid game. Most importantly his tackling, which he had 8 (7 solo) to go along with a pass deflection. My last top 10 highlighted Edmunds consistency as a major reason why he is on the list and now also a reason why he is climbing the list. On a defense that sees the field a lot, expect his tackle numbers to stay high.

Blake Martinez gets a pass this week on his dropping on the list. His team was on a bye this week. His falling was purely due to not actually playing. See you next week Blake.

Jordan Hicks dropped because he could not get to the ball carrier quite quick enough last week. He did finish with 7 tackles but only 4 were solo with 1 for a loss. That was not really a terrible game but there were many in the middle of the list who were much more consistent or flat out balled last week. His lack of turnovers and lackluster game have him as the largest fall this week.

Avery Williamson is our final Linebacker to fall having the worst Fantasy day of all on the list. With a performance like he had last week, 4 tackles (3 solo) with 1 for a loss, you can't expect him to hold his spot. Luckily for Williamson, his performance earlier on in the season has his numbers padded enough to stay on this list.

Defensive Back

Rankings

  1. Budda Baker- 67 Tackles (50 solo), 6 tackles for a loss, 1 pass deflection, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery for a TD. (Last week at #1)
  2. Derwin James- 44 Tackles (33 solo), 4 tackles for a loss, 6 pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception. (Last week at #3)
  3. Jamal Adams- 50 Tackles (36 solo), 6 tackles for a loss, 6 pass deflections, 1 sack, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles. (Last week at #6)
  4. Damarius Randall- 46 Tackles (41 solo), 1 tackle for a loss, 6 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week not on the list)
  5. Harrison Smith- 36 Tackles (28 solo), 4 tackles for a loss, 4 pass deflections, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week at #10)
  6. Tre Boston- 40 Tackles (33 solo), 7 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week at #2)
  7. John Johnson III- 43 Tackles (27 solo), 1 tackle for a loss, 7 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, 1 forced fumble. (Last week at #7)
  8. Kareem Jackson- 38 Tackles (30 solo), 3 tackles for a loss, 8 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles. (Last week at #5)
  9. Denzel Ward- 32 Tackles (23 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, 8 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, 1 blocked kick, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week not on the list)
  10. Tyrann Mathieu-39 Tackles (32 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, 8 pass deflections, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries. (Last week not on the list)

Budda is Best

Budda Baker remains at the top of my DB top 10 because of his ability to come up with tackles. He is 2nd in the league with 67 total tackles. Dating back to the end of last season, when you watch the Cardinals play he is a bullet all over the field. If he can come up with some turnovers I don't see him losing his #1 spot.

Newcomers

There are a couple of newcomers on this list. Although new they were on the cusp of making it last week and many could argue that they should have been on. Of those three Damrious Randall jumps out the most but also joining him was Tyrann Mathieu and rookie Denzel Ward.

Damarious Randall is a Fantasy Football stud this year proving that his move to Safety was a great idea by the Browns. Because of his ball skills he had as a corner, Randall has been able to come up with multiple interceptions and pass deflections. Last week though, he showed his tackling skills. In that game he finished with a whopping 12 tackles (11 solo). That is amazing for a safety and made his Fantasy owners quite happy.

Tyrann Mathieu had a great game scoring in all facets against Jacksonville. He had 5 tackles (4 solo), 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack, 1 pass deflection, and 1 interception. That was a fantasy owner's dream how he played, coming up with multiple turnovers as well as a handful of tackles. Mathieu has always been on the cusp of the top 10, with more of these performances he can cement himself there.

Denzel Ward was a 1st round pick for the Browns who some thought they may have reached for. Many thought they should have drafted Bradley Chubb (see in next list) but instead went Cornerback. Because of this they have received great production from Ward who has supplanted himself as one of the top Cornerbacks in the league. His speed and ball skills are amazing as he is tied for the league lead in interceptions, keep your eyes on this guy.

Those Rising and Falling

Of the risers on the list we have Derwin James up one spot, Jamal Adams up 3 spots, and with the biggest rise Harrison Smith up 5 spots. James and Adams both had solid games but Smith really showed up.

Smith showed great ball hawking from the Safety position this week. He finished with 4 tackles (3solo), 2 pass deflections and an interception. His continual knack for finding the ball makes him a mainstay on this list.

Those who dropped were Tre Boston and Kareem Jackson. Tre Boston only dropped because he did not play due to injury. His early season numbers were plenty good though to keep him on the list. Kareem Jackson on the other hand didn't do to much to keep his spot higher on the list.

Kareem Jackson finished with only 3 solo tackles and a fumble recovery. Considering all the other great games this week, plus that he faced an erratic Blake Bortles (all be it for one half) and did not produce, drops him on this list.

Defensive Line

Rankings

  1. Danielle Hunter- 31 Tackles (23 solo), 9 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks. (Last week at #2)
  2. Aaron Donald- 26 Tackles (17 solo), 10 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week not on the list)
  3. J.J. Watt- 26 Tackles (20 solo), 8 tackles for a loss, 1 pass deflection, 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles. (Last week at #1)
  4. Myles Garrett- 24 Tackles (19 solo), 5 tackles for a loss, 3 pass deflections, 7 sacks, 3 forced fumbles. (Last week at #5)
  5. Chandler Jones- 25 Tackles (19 solo), 6 tackles for a loss, 4 pass deflections, 6.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week at #4)
  6. Demarcus Lawrence- 30 Tackles (20 solo), 11 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week not on the list)
  7. Khalil Mack- 20 Tackles (16 solo), 3 tackles for a loss, 2 pass deflections, 5 sacks, 1 interception returned for a TD, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery. (Last week at #3)
  8. Bradley Chubb- 20 Tackles (15 solo), 5 tackles for a loss, 1 pass deflection, 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble. (Last week not on the list)
  9. Carlos Dunlap- 21 Tackles (16 solo), 3 tackles for a loss, 5 pass deflections, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles. (Last week at #9)
  10. Jason Pierre-Paul- 22 Tackles (21 solo), 7 tackles for a loss, 6 sacks, 1 forced fumble. (Last week at #10)

Man on the Hunt

Danielle Hunter made the leap this week to #1. He did not have one of his signature disruptive days but did come up with 0.5 sack. With Watt not doing much of anything on Sunday it allowed Hunter to overtake him for the top position.

Newcomers

There were three newcomers to the list this week, most notably Aaron Donald who is also the only Defensive Tackle on the list. To join him as newcomers was Demarcus Lawrence, who we did speak of last week needing to be consistent, as well as rookie Bradley Chubb.

Demarcus Lawrence must have heard me talking last week because he came back on Sunday with a vengeance. He finished with 7 tackles (4 solo) with 3 of those tackles going for a loss. Lawrence makes a living behind the line of scrimmage already racking up 11 tackles for a loss this season. This week he is on a bye so there is a chance he drops again but if he comes back and produces like this he will rejoin this group in no time.

Bradley Chubb has been great recently. He started off the season solid but in his last two games he has 8 tackles (7 solo), 4 tackles for a loss, 5 sacks and a forced fumble. With Von Miller getting so much attention on the opposite side, Chubb has been able to reek havoc on opposing QB's.

Now to Aaron Donald, maybe he was just out of game shape because of his holdout. After a very slow start he has come alive. His last four games he managed 19 tackles (14 solo), 10 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1054117849592033280

Of those games his last was off the chart. Unfortunately that game came against my 49ers. Donald made light work of the Offensive Line coming up with 9 tackles (8 solo), 6 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. I guess you can say Donald was worth the money.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1054115349526798336

Those Rising and Falling

Hunter jumped one spot to overtake #1 due to a rough week for J.J. Watt who dropped to #3. Chandler Jones and Myles Garrett swip swapped #4 and #5 which will probably happen all season. The biggest riser was Aaron Donald who went from off the list to #2. Unfortunately the only other drastic change was Khalil Mack.

Mack dropped from #3 to #7 in my Rankings. He has been battling an ankle injury the past two weeks and it has shown in his production. In those two weeks he only has 2 solo tackles and on assisted tackle. Mack is obviously not the same disruptive Mack we know and hopefully he gets over this ailment soon.

There is my Rankings at each position after Week 7. Keep your eye on Aaron Donald and Darius Leonard, I feel that they will be running away with their respective lists. All that being said, we aren't even half way through the season, a lot can happen.

Join me every week for my top 10 IDP Rankings. Follow me on twitter @josephhaggan and make sure to listen to the podcast on a weekly basis. @IDPguys have a ton of knowledge, let all of us help you win.

Joseph Haggan

I am the proud father to an amazing young girl and husband to an unbelievable wife. Senior writer for IDPGuys, as well as projections creator and co-founder of our elite IDP Scoring Tool.
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