The NFL season storms on into Week 7, the midway point of most fantasy football regular seasons, and with the bye weeks in full swing, it's getting tougher to fill out your starting lineup with reliable options. Our Week 7 fantasy defense rankings will help you distinguish the D/ST studs from the duds and give you a leg up on your opponents at this crucial stage of the fantasy year.
With the Bills, Eagles, Rams, and Vikings all on bye in Week 7, that's at least three D/STs that likely need to be replaced in lineups. It's also one top D/ST matchup (Rams) off the board.
One of the defensive storylines of the first half of the fantasy season is that Bill Belichick and the Pats once again have a weekly stud of a D/ST (vs. Bears in Week 7). One week after shutting out the Lions 29-0, New England smashed the Browns 38-15. The Pats forced four turnovers and recorded four sacks in the effort. They take the top spot this week over the Buccaneers (@ Panthers), who should bounce back against a dysfunctional Panthers team despite disappointing in a favorable Week 6 matchup in Pittsburgh.
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
The Cowboys (vs. Lions) are a must-start every week, and they should fare well against a banged-up Lions offense. After a slow start to the season, the Dallas D finished with double-digit (and top-10) fantasy performances in three consecutive weeks leading up to its divisional tilt with Philly in Week 6. The Packers (@ Commanders) face a Washington squad that looked horrendous against Chicago last Thursday and have an ailing, mistake-prone QB. The turnover possibilities are endless in these games. The same is true for the Broncos (vs. Jets) at home against an upstart-but-inexperienced Jets offense.
WEEK 7 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
A handful of Week 7 games that looked like great matchups last week suddenly give us a slight pause. Will the Colts (@ Titans) strong pass defense make a difference against a well-rested, run-heavy Titans attack? On the other side, will the Titans (vs. Colts) be able to survive their awful secondary with Matt Ryan and Indy's receivers actually on the same page? We've moved the Jets (@ Broncos) up past these two squads because Russell Wilson and his offensive line have been gifts that keep on giving to D/STs (10th-most fantasy points allowed to D/STs entering Week 6). New York also showed last week that it has the playmakers to put up points against anyone. Overall, all three of these D/STs are still solid plays.
WEEK 7 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
Now for the tighter calls. Don't sleep on the Jaguars (vs. Giants), who have been pretty good and face a sack-prone Giants offense. Consider bumping up the big-play Cardinals (vs. Saints) in a home game against a New Orleans offense that's more banged up every Sunday. The Ravens (vs. Browns) have been sloppy in the secondary but decent against the run — and rushing defense is critical to beating Cleveland and NFL rushing leader Nick Chubb. More important, the Ravens just have a knack for creating takeaways, leading the league in that department ahead of Week 6.
WEEK 7 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Going a little deeper, the Bears (@ Patriots) have been solid and should be able to make a couple of big plays against whoever New England starts under center. Bailey Zappe hour can't last forever...right? The Dolphins (vs. Steelers) should be able to rebound from a rough stretch with a home date against Mitchell Trubisky. Don't overthink things because Pittsburgh beat Tampa last week — the offense still looked very poor (4-of-14 on third down), and Miami will be ready to take a bite out of the 'Bisky. The Bengals (vs. Falcons) should be considered a strong play, too, even though Atlanta somehow trounced the Niners 28-14. We're still talking about Marcus Mariota and a lot of young skill players.
WEEK 7 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
Plenty of volatility exists in the lower tiers of our Week 7 rankings. Kansas City (@ 49ers) looked pretty good against the Bills last week, but playing in San Francisco will be more difficult than at Arrowhead. The disappointing Chargers (vs. Seahawks) face off against a Geno Smith-led Seattle offense that has been surprisingly efficient this year, and the Giants (@ Jaguars) travel to Florida to try slowing down the remarkably competent Jaguars. Perhaps most notable, the banged-up 49ers (vs. Chiefs), usually a weekly set-it-and-forget-it D/ST, are a fade against Patrick Mahomes.
Let's get to our complete rankings and prime you for what should be another wild ride of a weekend. Good luck, and come back throughout the week for the latest updates and player movement.
