Fantasy Football Week 7 Rankings: D/ST

Bring on the games already. Week 7 provides a great week for gutsy defensive starts and -- mark my words -- will spark some big upsets. Three of our top five picks this week come from relative newcomers to upper echelon with the No. 1 spot going to the Indianapolis Colts. Not only do the Colts currently allow the league's second lowest average point total, but 1) this week will likely see the return of Bob Sanders and 2) they play the struggling Rams. Mark Bulger seems to offer a bit of a spark for the Rams, but realistically how much will the Colts' defense really even be on the field?

The No. 2 spot goes to the Packers, who face the lousy Browns at home. The Green Bay secondary -- a unit with the league's second highest interception total with 10 -- should eat the Browns' passing game alive. Our third best goes to the Patriots playing Tampa Bay, who come off one of the most lopsided routes in decades. The Patriots sit at No. 3 in the league in points allowed and have seven forced fumbles in six games. Look for more of the same against Josh Johnson and the Bucs.

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Rounding out our elite five this week are the Eagles and the Vikings. The Eagles should snap back after the meltdown at home against Oakland and score some points on defense. Washington's offense ranks 29th in scoring with just over 13 points per game, so look for a major wake-up call courtesy of Philadelphia. Finally, the Vikings' pass rush and their league-high 21 sacks should shake up the Steelers. The Steelers come off two straight too-close-for-comfort wins against really bad teams in the Lions and Browns.

1. Colts, IND @ STL
2. Packers, GB @ CLE
3. Patriots, NE vs. TB (London)
4. Eagles, PHI @ WAS
5. Vikings, MIN @ PIT
6. Chargers, SD @ KC
7. Jets, NYJ @ OAK
8. Steelers, vs. MIN
9. Bears, CHI @ CIN
10. 49ers, SF @ HOU
11. Bills, BUF @ CAR
12. Raiders, OAK vs. NYJ
13. Giants, NYG vs. ARI
14. Saints, NO @ MIA
15. Panthers, CAR vs. BUF
16. Cowboys, DAL vs. ATL
17. Texans, HOU vs. SF
18. Redskins, WAS vs. PHI
19. Bengals, CIN vs. CHI
20. Falcons, ATL @ DAL
21. Dolphins, MIA vs. NO
22. Buccaneers, TB vs. NE (London)
23. Browns, CLE vs. GB
24. Cardinals, ARI @ NYG
25. Chiefs, KC vs. SD
26. Rams, STL vs. IND

• Interestingly, all five of our favorite defenses this week play on the road. On paper these look like cupcake matchups, but this should provide a clear test of just how valuable home-field advantage can be for a defensive unit.

• We remain a little cautious of the Giants defense given last week's blunder as well as facing the explosive Cardinals offense, but the Giants play at home. Hence, keep in mind the popular gripe from last season that teams with the long eastbound flights across three time zones often struggle. The Cardinals made a particularly strong case for this theory in 2008, losing on the road to the Jets, Eagles, Redskins, Patriots and Panthers on their way to the Super Bowl.

• The Cincinnati Bengals lost their team leading sack man, Antwan Odom for the season after he underwent Achilles' surgery. I think that this loss deals the Bengals defense a critical blow in terms of fantasy relevance from here on out.

• Finally, keep an eye on the Chargers defense this week. They looked much improved against the Broncos with Shawne Merriman back in the lineup on Monday night, so a JV versus Varsity scrimmage against the Chiefs could be just what they need to return to form.