With six weeks of data under our belts we’ve got plenty to work with, so make sure you’ve checked out Jeff Ratcliffe’s latest pieces if you want to stay in front of your opposition. The work on tackles per opportunity (tPOP) helps identify the most favorable stat crews when it comes to awarding tackles, while the IDP Matchup Chart lets us key in on some of the best matchups on a positional basis. Jeff also records an IDP podcast each week, keeping an eye on all the major news you’ll need to know to plug in the right guys on Sunday. Keep tabs on all our IDP content to make sure you’re up to date.
On that note, lets get stuck into some start/sit advice for this week.
Pass Rushers
In his Week 5 return after a long suspension, Greg Hardy wrought havoc and destroyed the Patriots offensive line to the tune of two sacks and three hits on Tom Brady. That’s foreboding for a Giants team coming off a poor Monday Night display against the Eagles, which included three sacks, two of which came from the right-hand side of the defense (one from the RE Fletcher Cox, one from ROLB Brandon Graham). I make Hardy a top-five defensive lineman this week.
Stop me of this sounds like a broken record, but the Chiefs O-Line isn’t that great. The Vikings only managed two sacks last week, but that was down their star edge-threat, Everson Griffen missing the game due to a last minute illness. Both of the Steelers duo of Stephon Tuitt and Cam Heyward are healthy, and playing well, particularly when rushing the passer, so I’m nudging both up to being top-end DL2s this week.
Browns LT Joe Thomas hasn’t allowed more than two sacks in a season since 2012 (when he allowed just three), and is annually considered among the league’s elite offensive tackles. Week 7 pits him against Robert Quinn (four sacks, one hit, eight hurries and three forced fumbles). It should be an excellent battle between two of the league’s top players at their respective positions, but my takeaway is that owners need to lower their expectations for Quinn this week, who is typically a top-three defensive lineman.
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Ross Miles is a Lead Writer for Pro Football Focus Fantasy. Follow him on Twitter – @RossMilesNFL
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