Welcome to my 2025 IDP Plays & Fades for Week 7!
And now we are off, running down to the Ript-IDP! Let’s uncap our pens and discuss the fades and plays for Week 7! Week 6 has us one-third of the way through as we continue our ascent up fantasy mountain, and we will try to lead you to the top of Mount Olympus!
In this series, I will highlight some players who could surpass expectations or fall below them. We will hit three plays and three fades at each position (DL, LB, DB) from varying positions in weekly rankings. While they will not be forced, I will also try to add in a DT and a CB from their respective position groups. The goal for each group will be to have at least one high-level name and a lower-ranked player, ones who could rise tiers based on matchups or falter a bit due to “empty” statistics. Now it is time to saddle your mount (horse, pegasus, dragon, etc) and ride into the fires (seas?) of IDP week 7!
Some notes! I have built a “dummy league” that reflects FantasyPros scoring as closely as possible, but has “true positions.” When referencing rankings, they come from this league, hoping it mirrors FantasyPros rankings/statistics closely enough! As we head into bye weeks, note that matchup stats are PPG-based, not bulk!
The base statistics and metrics to be used come from the Pro Football Focus (PFF) database. Metrics include PRP (Pass Rush Productivity, essentially how effective an individual rusher is), PRWR (Pass Rush Win Rate), AVDT (Average Depth of Tackle – how far down the field run tackles are made), amongst some other snap counts. If any questions arise, please do not hesitate to ask!!
Defensive Lineman
Play: Derrick Brown, DT, Carolina Panthers @ New York Jets
- Brown has been somewhat underwhelming in his return from a massive injury in 2024, just outside of DT2 range thus far. Brown has maintained dominance in the run game, while adding a top-15 PFF pass rush grade. He has only totaled 19 tackles and one sack thus far, but the metrics give hope that those can turn for the better as he gets his legs back under him.
- This slow start may be turning around, starting now, though. The Jets are an absolute dumpster fire, who just gave up about a billion sacks last week. The Jets have not been a top-level matchup overall this season, but with a run-heavy approach and Justin Fields’ inability to let go of the ball, the ceiling is massive for a return to DT1 status.
- Last Week: Buckner had great metrics, with 5 QB pressures and 3 hits. However, that did not turn into fantasy production as he finished with only 3 total tackles.
Play: Harold Landry, EDGE, New England Patriots @ Tennessee Titans
Harold Landry is tied for the 7th-most quick pressures in the league, per NGS, where he's won with inside and outside moves and been impactful looping inside
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) October 15, 2025
Could be in for a big homecoming in Tennessee vs RT JC Latham https://t.co/NKUhx6bsbg pic.twitter.com/Li8bZAxrnd
- Revenge is a dish best served cold… or by knocking the opposing QB down… either way! This is a revenge game for both Landry and HC Mike Vrabel against a Titans team that just canned their HC (who replaced Vrabel). Their HOF-worthy OL coach followed his son out the door, leaving the Titans OL even more vulnerable. Tennessee is a matchup to hunt, and this may get ugly quickly.
- Landry has been excellent this season, with 5 tackles or a sack in 5 of 6 games. He has been a top-15 EDGE for fantasy and in pressures, though the deeper metrics have him more like a top-25 EDGE. Either way, 82% of snaps and a good pass-rush make him a high-end play against this Titans roster. Landry has shown prowess against the run and pass enough to be a Week 7 play for an EDGE1.
- Last week: Houston was fine, but did not cash in on a hopeful sack, leaving him outside of EDGE2 territory this week.
Play: Jonathan Cooper, EDGE, Denver Broncos vs New York Giants
- It is tough to call a team’s secondary rusher a play, but sometimes the matchups and metrics align to make it viable. This is one of those weeks, with Cooper hoping to continue a heater against yet another New York team. He has 3 tackles/game this season to go with 4.5 sacks, leading to a low-end EDGE2 status so far.
- The Giants have been revitalized behind the meathead rookie duo of Dart and Skat, but they are still prone to a plethora of mistakes and allowing IDP points. Dart has taken 8 sacks through 3 games as the Giants have been a top-8 matchup since he has taken over. The Broncos’ rush has manhandled good OLs if the QB is not incredibly decisive (Dart is not), leading to high pressure and sack rates. Cooper and the Broncos have a chance to take off yet again.
- Last Week: Phillips’ metrics were elite, but he was unable to get home against Justin Herbert and the Chargers, leaving his week disappointing.
Fade: Justin Eboigbe, DT, Los Angeles Chargers vs Indianapolis Colts
- Eboigbe has shockingly been a top-8 DT over the past 3 weeks. He has totalled 12 tackles and 2 sacks over that span. He has seemingly taken over as the top DT in the room; however, he is still in a heavy timeshare with 3 other solid players in the rotation.
- Eboigbe has been very good against the run, grading as a top-25 DT per PFF. However, he is outside of the top-100 DTs as a pass rusher, which severely limits his ceiling. Indy has a strong interior offensive line, which will make this a tougher matchup for Eboigbe. His hot stretch has come against some strong matchups, which the Colts are not. They have been a bottom-5 DT matchup so far, with the Raiders’ Jonah Laulu having the best game, while finishing as a DT3 (and a correct call as that week’s DT fade).
- Last Week: Murphy has continued his breakout season, delivering an *incredible* game against a bad matchup and achieving a top-5 DT week with 2 sacks. A loss for today, but overall we love to see a great talent (who we brought up on RoD a few weeks back) ascend!
Fade: Joshua Hines-Allen, EDGE, Jacksonville Jaguars vs Los Angeles Rams (London)
- Hines-Allen has been disappointing for IDP managers so far, with only 15 total tackles and 0.5 sacks. He has seen some rough competition, to be fair, but that only gets worse this week. The Rams have been the 2nd-worst matchup for EDGEs this season, including a near-shutout of the entire Ravens room last week (4 total tackles).
- His metrics have not been at his elite level, but still more than good enough to expect a future turnaround. Coming out of their bye next week, JHA has a great schedule. However, this is not the week to expect him to get back on track for IDP leagues.
- Last Week: McDonald was all but shut out by the Broncos, with only 2 total tackles. Keep him on your rosters as his schedule finally turns for the better!
Fade: Alex Wright, EDGE, Cleveland Browns vs Miami Dolphins
- At first glance, this may be a surprising addition; however, few have been playing better than Wright lately. Over the past two weeks, only 4 EDGE rushers have more IDP points than Wright: the Rams duo, Aidan Hutchinson, and Nik Bonitto. He has seen a massive uptick in snaps lately, primarily due to great run-defense (5th best grade, per PFF). This makes the 25-year-old an interesting play in the future (including dynasty).
- So why is he a fade? Matchup, mostly. Miami is tough to tally sacks against, with Tua Tagovailoa’s quick release. The same is true for the run game, on a quick basis. This has led to Miami being a bottom-5 matchup over the last 3 weeks. Wright is a fun grab-and-hold, but this may not be the week to expect a continued breakout.
- Last week: Tristan Wirfs and co held Huff to only 1 QB pressure and 1 total tackle, keeping him outside of the top-50 EDGE rushers last week.
Linebackers
Play: Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles @ Minnesota Vikings
- The rookie first-rounder has had a great start to the season. He has 7 tackles/game thus far, and has been an LB3 overall. He has graded out as one of the best overall LBs in the game, with elite numbers in overall and coverage (for a rookie!) while being serviceable against the run. Campbell has been on the field for 95% of snaps, giving him a solid fantasy floor, even as the team’s LB2.
- Minnesota has not been a great matchup season-long, but that has changed in recent weeks. Over the past 4 weeks (the 3 games without J.J. McCarthy), the Vikings have battled with the Jets and a pair of AFC North teams for the title of “best LB matchup”. They have leaned on hammerhead Jordan Mason, while also being risk-prone with Carson Wentz doing Wentz-onian things. Zack Baun probably blocks Campbell from LB1 numbers, but he is a sneaky LB2 play with a great matchup.
- Last Week: Queen ended with 9 total tackles; however, 8 of those 9 were assisted ones… therefore, he ended the fantasy day outside of the top-36 LBs. Good process that *almost* had the right results!
Play: Trevin Wallace, Carolina Panthers @ New York Jets
- It appears to be Trevin Wallace’s season in Carolina, as he has seen the most snaps in the room for consecutive weeks. Wallace was a mid-round darling of mine (and my good friend and fellow IDP analyst, Justin Frye @JFryeDP) as a prospect and now hopes to live up to our hopes. We are off to a good analytical start, as Wallace had his two best overall games of his career in this stretch (per PFF).
- The fantasy numbers have not been there yet, with 10 total tackles in those two games. Those games were against two bottom-8 matchups, though, whereas the Jets are a top-5 one. As stated with Derrick Brown, the Jets are run-heavy with a QB who is struggling to process. If Wallace continues to be LB1, he could see double-digit tackles.
- Last Week: Walker finished one slot ahead of fellow-play Patrick Queen. He ended with 8 total tackles, falling short of double digits while adding no big plays.
Play: Divine Deablo, Atlanta Falcons @ San Francisco 49ers
Look at Divine Deablo #0 pic.twitter.com/S14E84jgTB
— BroTalk (@BKsquared7) September 8, 2025
- The biggest question here is which ATL LB to play. Both Deablo and Kaden Ellis have played all but one snap this season while having similar fantasy production. Deablo gets the nod here (though you can definitely play either) due to the metrics. Per PFF metrics, Deablo has been an elite LB, with top-15 marks against the run, in coverage, and overall. Add in usage, where Elliss is used more often as a pure rusher, and our decision is made… I guess!
- Either LB is a fine play due to the matchup against the CMC and the injured-ettes. CMC has an insane workload currently, with every receiver and the QB hurt. This has made the 49ers a top-5 matchup over the past 3 games, which lines up nicely for a Falcon defense that just blasted the Bills.
- Last week: Edwards had a solid start to the year, tallying 9 total tackles in his debut. It was not an LB2 performance, but it gave enough showing and hope for the future!
Fade: Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys
- Wagner has been a top-level LB this year, with 11 tackles per game. Seeing every snap for the Commanders gives him a good floor, as he has more opportunities to make plays. Even with the tackles and snaps, Wagner has not had many big plays this season (2 sacks in one game), which limits his upside and has recently placed him outside the top-10 LBs, despite his tackle totals.
- Dallas has been a bad matchup for LBs all season, allowing only one great performance this year. They have not allowed even an LB3 performance over the past two weeks, despite having an efficient run game and a heavy outside passing attack. Wagner is by no means a bench player, but he should not be played confidently as an LB1.
- Last Week: Dodson did not suit up this week.
Fade: Troy Dye, Los Angeles Chargers vs Indianapolis Colts
- The Colts were the focus of a fade last week that did not come to fruition, but we will try it again! Indy has been an awful matchup for LBs, allowing only one LB to record more than 7 tackles (Wilson last week).
- Dye has been great for the Chargers, with 31 tackles over the past 3 weeks. However, he is still only a part-time player behind Daiyan Henley, limiting his floor. The Colts may end up picking on Dye; however, that has not allowed many LBs to have great fantasy days thus far.
- Last Week: Wilson was fine with 9 total tackles. However, he added an interception to finish as a top-5 LB on the week. Unfortunate end!
Fade: Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts @ Los Angeles Chargers
- We flip to the other side of this matchup for one of the most disappointing IDP players of the year. Franklin has been a (the) LB1 for a few years, but is not even in the top-50 so far this year. Six tackles/game is a massive drop-off in the new system, which has added Germaine Pratt recently. The question is if Pratt (who is a far better fit and familiar with Anarumo’s scheme) takes over the LB1 spot entirely, which is possible after a great first game with the Colts.
- The Chargers have been a bottom-8 matchup for LBs so far this year, allowing poor performances to most teams. Miami was an exception last week; however, their defensive scheme makes it easier for their LBs to put up IDP numbers. With the uncertainty of Franklin’s role and the struggles he has had, we unfortunately must continue fading the long-time IDP star.
- Last Week: The Ravens managed to keep it close and frequently stayed on the ground, which led to this being another incorrect selection as Landman finished with 17 tackles and a top-5 performance.
Defensive Backs
Play: Byron Murphy, CB, Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles
- Murphy has been solid for Minnesota this season, with 5 tackles/game while being back in the slot. Those numbers haven’t made him great for fantasy, but they keep him relevant for good matchups.
- Philly has been a top-3 matchup over the last 3 weeks, giving up numerous points to opposing CBs. 3 consecutive slot CBs have had strong games against the Eagles, including some big plays forced. Murphy has the tackling and positional floor to make a good matchup even better. He is a borderline CB1 this week, who is probably on waiver wires right now.
- Last Week: Taron Johnson was fine last week, amassing 5 total tackles. Not quite the blow-up we had hoped for, but by no means did this sink a week.
Play: Andre Cisco, S, New York Jets vs Carolina Panthers
- Cisco has been good for a Jets defense that is struggling overall. He was primarily a deep safety in Jacksonville, but has been in the box for closer to 50% of snaps in New York. That has translated to moderate success for IDP managers, with 5.5 tackles per game. In the right matchup, he can be an S2, though!
- Carolina has been an excellent matchup for Safeties, allowing top-3 production across the season. The Rico Dowdle explosion makes it even more appetizing for box safeties, who will have more opportunities to make tackles. Cisco’s three best games this season have come in his 3 matchups against top-12 matchups (19 tackles), which he has again this week. He should be a near-lock for 6+ tackles while also having some INT upside if Bryce Young gets rattled.
- Last Week: Thompson finished with a solid performance, tallying 6 tackles. That did not sink a week, but did not quite reach DB2/3 range.
Play: Thomas Harper, S, Detroit Lions vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (MNF)
Lions DB Thomas Harper, thrust into action, came up with a huge 4th-and-1 red zone pass breakup — a big-time moment on a scramble drill in money territory.
— Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) October 13, 2025
The Lions might have another versatile depth piece on their hands; Harper brings slot and free safety flexibility after… pic.twitter.com/yblx5jZEUB
- This is a massive off-the-board swing and a prayer. With Brian Branch suspended for this game, Harper expects to take over the box-safety role. He will not be as good as Branch, but Tampa Bay could easily target the newcomer to the lineup. Harper was solid in a reserve role with the Raiders last season, giving hope he can produce in this matchup.
- Malik Mustapha’s return from IR (and Ji’Ayir Brown’s return to the lineup) made targeting Tampa a bit wonky, but we will go back to the well again! Tampa has been a top-12 matchup overall, while “improving” to a top-8 one in the last 3 weeks. They have given up strong production to box safeties as they lean on Rachaad White and reserve WRs/TEs.
- Last Week: The return of Malik Mustapha (which was not expected at the time of writing) hurt Sigle’s role and production, though he still finished as an S3 on the week.
Fade: Alontae Taylor, CB, New Orleans Saints @ Chicago Bears
- Taylor has continued to see the majority of his snaps in the slot, though he is still seeing a significant portion on the outside, similar to his role in 2024. Twenty-seven total tackles is a solid number, but it is a far cry from the elite level we had hoped he would maintain after 2023. Despite this, Taylor is a consistent play in IDP leagues, mainly due to the massive big-play upside he has shown.
- This is not a week to play Taylor for the floor, as the Bears have been an awful matchup thus far. Slot CBs have combined for 16 tackles in 5 games, which is… not great for IDP leagues! Overall, the Bears have been a bottom-8 team for CBs, inside or out.
- Last Week: Newsome played only a handful of snaps, putting up no IDP-relevant statistics.
Fade: Amani Hooker, S, Tennessee Titans vs New England Patriots
- We will go back to the well again, avoiding the Patriots. The Patriots are yet to allow a top-20 finish by a safety this year, with only one S2 finisher. Hooker has been good again for the Titans, with five tackles/game and S2 production if the matchup is good. However, this is not one of those matchups!
- In the last 3 weeks, Hooker has only 12 total tackles, while not recording any big plays. The Patriots have not allowed many big plays to safeties, so we can not project Hooker to have a big game based on the trends.
- Last Week: Sanker was the first Safety the Patriots allowed to finish as an S2, though it was by the skin of his teeth! 6 total tackles is fine, but remained nothing to write home about after a few blow-up games.
Fade: Xavier McKinney, S, Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals
- McKinney has been a disappointment for IDP leagues, as his INTs have (not-surprisingly) fallen from near-league-leading to only 1 through 5 games. He is still an elite player, but his role (67% alignment at deep safety) is not conducive to consistent IDP production.
- Arizona has been stingy against Safeties, allowing fewer points to them than any other team over the past 3 weeks. Only one safety has reached double-digit points against the Cardinals, with few performances getting close to that range. This is not a game to tempt fate, though it may be more enticing if Arizona is without Kyler Murray for a second straight week.
- Last Week: Even with a big win by the Falcons, Watts did not put up many points against the Bills. He finished outside of the top-50 safeties with only 5 total tackles.
