Welcome to The Fantasy Football Universe Fantasy Football IDP Matchup Guide (Week 6). This column will not tell you specifically who you should start or sit with, rather it will show you which players have the best and worst matchups from there. This isn’t meant to convince you to sit your studs in favor of streaming options it’s intended to help you determine which lower-ranked players could be streaming options best on a favorable matchup and which studs could be in for a down week based on a bad matchup.
*The information average of the team logo indicates the team and their matchup. I chose to list it by team instead of by players due to the wide variety of options at each position. Instead of “Sauce Gardner” it will simply say “Jets DB”. It’s up to you to decide which player from that position you like best. The other reason for this is due to the nature of the position. Some defenders will shadow a specific player while others will stay on their side of the field. This can be unpredictable and is open to interpretation and personal preference. The number next to that position group indicates their opponent’s matchup against that position. 1 indicates the best fantasy matchup for that position, while 32 indicates the worst.
The information under the team logo shows their opponent and the deviation from the average points allowed to that position.
Defensive Lineman Matchups
Start of the Week: Danielle Hunter of the Houston Texans is my defensive lineman start of the week. Hunter has totaled 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the season and has been a consistent weekly producer as always. This week, he gets a matchup with the New England Patriots who rank as the second-best matchup for opposing defensive lineman. The Patriots are allowing 30.0% more production to linemen than the league average and are sure to make Hunter a must-start. Hunter has been a star for years and this week will be no different where he has DL1 overall potential.
Sit of the Week: Lorenzo Carter of the Atlanta Falcons is my defensive lineman sit of the week. On the year, Carter has 11 tackles and no turnovers to his credit. This week, he gets a matchup with the Carolina Panthers who rank as the third-worst matchup for opposing defensive linemen. The Panthers are limiting opposing linemen to 30.4% below the league average in fantasy points and will make for a tough week of production for Carter. Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton is smart enough to feel pressure in the pocket and minimizes turnovers and will present the Falcons with few opportunities to rack up fantasy points.
Linebacker Matchups
Start of the Week: Zack Baun of the Philadelphia Eagles is my linebacker start of the week. He faces the Cleveland Browns in Week 6, who rank as the best matchup for opposing linebackers. The Browns are allowing 49.7% more fantasy points to the position than the league average, which is nearly double that of the second-best matchup. He has racked up 43 tackles and two sacks this season and has been a pleasant surprise in the Eagles lineup as he has taken a huge step towards superstardom. This matchup with the Browns is insanely good and is just too juicy to pass up. The Browns look lost on offense and are a prime spot for Baun’s production.
Sit of the Week: Willie Gay of the New Orleans Saints is my linebacker sit of the week. He faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week who rank as the second-worst matchup for opposing linebackers as they have limited the position to 20.9% fewer fantasy points than the league average. Gay has recorded only six tackles and one fumble recovery on the season and has been invisible to IDP managers. A struggling veteran, in a terrible matchup is a must-avoid player for fantasy managers this week.
Defensive Back Matchups
Start of the Week: Jessie Bates of the Atlanta Falcons is my defensive back start of the week. He faces the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 who rank as the best matchup for opposing defensive backs. The Panthers are allowing 28.3% more fantasy points to the position than the league average and should allow Bates to challenge as DB1 on the week. Bates has 37 tackles, and two forced fumbles this year and has been a solid producer in the IDP lineup all season long. The Panthers figure to be playing from behind and the elevated pass-volume should allow the Falcons DBs plenty of opportunities for interceptions and tackles.
Sit of the Week: Kamari Lassiter of Houston is my defensive back sit of the week for the second consecutive week. He faces the New England Patriots in Week 6, who rank as the worst matchup for the position. He has been targeted frequently and has been beaten regularly, falling victim to multiple pass interference calls. The Patriots are allowing 14.3% fewer fantasy points per game to opposing defensive backs than the league average and will be another week to avoid Lassiter.
If you enjoyed this week’s Fantasy Football IDP Matchup Guide, check out our weekly Sit & Start column to see all the players we are targeting and fading this week, and head over to The FFU YouTube Channel to see our daily videos.
