As we head into Week 2 of the season, there are some surprising developments on the IDP front to examine, especially in terms of players who simply did not live up to your expectations when you drafted them. No fears, though, as there were plenty of stellar performances by under-owned defensive players who you should be targeting going forward this season.
For your convenience, I have collected all the players you may find on your waiver wire (owned in less than 50% of leagues, most by a significant amount) at the end of the article in one handy list. Use this list when making your FAAB or free agent claims for the upcoming week.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Whitney Mercilus HOU -- While Brian Cushing went down with a knee injury, and J.J. Watt underperformed in Week 1, Mercilus was a bright and shining star on the Houston defense (along with Jadeveon Clowney, discussed below in the DL section). He collected four tackles, a forced fumble and two sacks on Sunday in Chicago.
Jerrell Freeman/Danny Trevathan CHI -- The linebacking duo of Freeman and Trevathan was also impressive. Freeman recorded 17 total tackles (nine solo), while new addition Trevathan put up 11 tackles (seven solo) and a sack. Plus, they project to every down LBs, so the numbers should continue to rack up this season for the pair.
Sio Moore IND -- Moore was the defensive star for Indy against the Lions, collecting 13 tackles (10 solo), and he was forced from the game for a period. If he stays healthy, he could become a huge performer for the lucky owner who snags him off the wire this week.
Tahir Whitehead DET -- On the Lions side of the ledger, Whitehead was a force to be reckoned with, deflecting two passes and nabbing 10 total tackles (six solo). He has hinted at this type of production before, so do not buy in totally without seeing some additional weeks of high quality performance. However, with the team taking on the lackluster Titans in Week 2, he is someone to consider plugging into your starting lineup.
Craig Robertson NO -- Robertson was in the Saints lineup due to Dannell Ellerbe being out of action, and collected 11 total tackles, with eight of those being solos. So long as he is playing in lieu of Ellerbe, he is worth starting, as the New Orleans defense should be on the field a good amount of time each week.
Kwon Alexander TB -- Alexander had a full stat line in Week 1: 15 solo tackles, two assists, a sack and two QB hits. If you had drafted him and Lavonte David this year, wouldn't you be smiling after looking at your results for Week 1?
Karlos Dansby CIN -- Dansby's star had fallen but he shone in Week 1, with 11 total tackles (five solo) and a tackle for loss. So long as Vontaze Burfict is out with a suspension, we should expect similar production (maybe not double digit tackles every week, granted) from the skilled veteran.
Defensive Linemen
Jadeveon Clowney DE HOU -- Clowney teamed up with Mercilus to pressure the Chicago QB all day long in Week 1. He put up a stellar line of four tackles, one sack and a QB hit, quite a nice bit of production that should continue as the season progresses. He is finally showing his value and if you have questions about any of your other DLs, you should immediately see if he is available in your league.
Danielle Hunter DE MIN -- Hunter may not be an every-down player, but it is hard to discount his performance against the Titans: three solo tackles, a fumble recovery, one sack and a TD scored. Of course, it was the Titans, so some discounting should take place, but still, the Minnesota defense looks to be a team strength, and Hunter will be part of that.
Chris Long DE NE -- Long has been slowed by injuries but did not seem less than full strength in Week 1. So long as Rob Ninkovich is out on a suspension, he is a viable DL2. Three solo tackles and a sack in Week 1 would be what I expect from him going forward, so long as he has a starting role with the Patriots.
Devin Taylor DE DET -- Taylor is an unknown quality to most outside of the most devoted IDP fantasy players, but he is going to see plenty of snaps on the line for Detroit. His six total tackle performance against the Colts (four solo) should be a steady floor for his production with a potentially higher ceiling.
Leonard Williams DE NYJ -- Williams was a force on the field against the Bengals, putting up five QB hits, 2.5 sacks, and six total tackles (three solo). The rookie was drafted eighth by Jets in last year's draft, and has made an immediate impact. Grab him now as playing opposite Muhammad Wilkerson should provide him with ample opportunity to show his talent.
Carl Nassib DE CLE -- Nassib was able to rack up three solo tackles to go with a sack, one pass defense and two QB hits in Week 1. The rookie has become a starter out of the gate, and played a significant amount of snaps on defense in Week 1 (70%). As a DL3 who is severely under-owned in leagues presently, he is the perfect wire pickup.
Jason Pierre-Paul DE NYG -- Pierre-Paul struggled somewhat when he returned to action in 2015, but did not look at all rusty in the first week of regular season action. He put up six total tackles against the Cowboys (four solo) and also was credited with two QB hits on the night. He was also on the field for the majority of snaps on defense, which if that trend continues, should mean that stat lines like this will be the norm, not an aberration.
Defensive Backs
Tony Jefferson S ARI -- Jefferson is the top DB I am targeting to add this week. He put up 10 total tackles Sunday night (nine solos) and with the Buccaneers on the slate in Week 2, he should be good for a similar performance.
Da'Norris Searcy S TEN -- Searcy does not figure to be a consistent presence on the field (he was only involved in 67% of the defensive snaps in Week 1), but due to the ineffective linebacker play in Tennessee, he should get ample tackle opportunities when he is on the field. You want to target a high-tackle production safety for your DB slots, and that is exactly what Searcy projects to be this season.
Shareece Wright CB BAL -- Wright managed to put up three tackles for a loss as part of his excellent line of 11 solos against the Bills in Week 1. He also provided good coverage, locking down Buffalo WR Robert Woods. The team rewarded him with a three-year contract this past offseason, which shows the potential they see in him, and you should take note as well.
Jalen Ramsey CB JAX -- Ramsey did not have a banner game in Week 1, with just three total tackles, but I look for him to do much better when he takes on the Chargers in Week 2. I would not necessarily suggest you pick him up and immediately start him, but if you are weak at CB, he is a potentially good fill-in for the upcoming week. If he does not produce, then forget about him, but if he excels, remember to thank me for the advice. He did a good job of covering Jordy Nelson in Week 1, it should be noted.
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Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Stephone AnthonyD'Qwell Jackson IND
As with Mr. Watt below, I am not suggesting that you drop any of these players based on one poor week of production. Well, maybe you could divest yourself of Hightower, as he was inconsistent at best last season. Anthony was a foundation of the Saints' defense last season, and I would expect him to bounce back from his one tackle performance in Week 1. Likewise, Jackson should not have many weeks where he only collects two assists, but part of that against Detroit was the break out of Sio Moore, who is profiled above.
Defensive Linemen
J.J. Watt DE HOU
Kony Ealy DE CAR
No way should you even consider dropping Watt from your roster. I chalk up his underwhelming performance against Chicago to the superior performance the Texans received from the duo of Mercilus and Clowney. Things will shake out properly as the season goes forward. The loss of Cushing on defense with a knee injury will likely mean the rest of the defensive front will have to step up their play, and that will include Watt. Ealy was shut out in the tackle department, although he did contribute a key pass defense. He put up solid numbers in 2015, and will probably do so again, but until he shows progress in stopping the run, he should be on your bench.
Defensive Backs
Nothing to report this week, except those who are populating the injured list below.
Matchups to Exploit
Seattle @ LA
I had pegged the Rams as a weak offense that would rely on their running game, but they made the San Francisco defense look like a Super Bowl quality defense in Week 1. Seattle has a strong front seven, so look for them to shut down the Rams, and put pressure on the QB throughout this contest.
Washington vs Dallas
Washington was totally ineffective at stopping the Steelers on Monday night, and given that the Cowboys seem intent on helping out their young QB by limiting his passing efforts to short or intermediate routes, expect the Dallas running game to be their main weapon on offense. That should result in plenty of tackles for the Redskin front seven.
New England vs Miami
The Patriots have had problems playing the Dolphins in Miami, but this game is up north. Bill Belichick is a master of getting the most out of his players, and in Week 1, the Patriots were able to consistently put pressure on Carson Palmer (granted, Palmer did not look especially composed in this game, but that is another matter to consider, especially if he is your starting QB) and we should see more of the same when Miami comes to town in Week 2. Miami relies on an O-line with many big bodies, and with their lack of mobility and adaptability, expect the New England defense to constantly be in the backfield and racking up the tackles.
New Orleans @ New York Giants
The Saints have a bad defense, and when you see a defense that is struggling, you can expect the opponent’s offense to be on the field plenty and to run numerous plays. There will be tackle opportunities aplenty as the Giants should feature a balanced attack, so not only will the DLs and LBs rack up the tackles, but so will the secondary members of the New Orleans defense.
New York Jets @ Buffalo
The Buffalo passing attack could be without Sammy Watkins, and even if he plays, this is a run oriented offense. (UPDATE: It appears that Watkins will play on Thursday night, but his dependability for the whole game is still up in the air.) The Jets feature an aggressive defense that will be set up to stop the run and potentially force the Bills to take chances on offense. The Bills will try to establish the run with LeSean McCoy early, but if the Jets can stop that attack, and the Bills are forced to pass, big play opportunities will be on the menu for the Jets’ secondary.
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Waiver Wire Targets
All these players are spotlighted above, and you can read my comments about them in the "Elevator Going Up" section of this article. Not all the players I comment on are here, however, as I am not going to waste your time searching for players that are heavily owned. This group consists of those that you may have a chance of locating on your league's waiver wire in that they are owned in significantly less than 50% of leagues. Happy claiming for your Week 2 matchups.
Linebackers
Whitney Mercilus HOU
Sio Moore IND
Tahir Whitehead DET
Danny Trevathan CHI
Karlos Dansby CIN
Defensive Linesmen
Jadeveon Clowney DE HOU
Danielle Hunter DE MIN
Chris Long DE NE
Devin Taylor DE DET
Leonard Williams DE NYJ
Carl Nassib DE CLE
Jason Pierre-Paul DE NYG
Defensive Backs
Tony Jefferson S ARI
Da'Norris Searcy S TEN
Shareece Wright CB BAL
Jalen Ramsey CB JAX
Ouch (My Aching Roster)
All the injury reports below need evaluation prior to kickoff. Teams are notoriously sketchy about injury reports, and we often do not know a player's status until just before game time. Consider the list below as a "heads up" as to what is going on early in the week, and should not be considered definitive.
Linebackers
Elvis Dumervil BAL (foot)
Brian Cushing HOU (knee)
Sam Barrington KC (hamstring)
Dennell Ellerbe NO (quadriceps)
J.T. Thomas NYG (knee)
David Harris NYJ (ankle)
Ryan Shazier PIT (knee)
Derrick Morgan TEN (hamstring)
Defensive Linemen
Frostee Rucker DE ARI (knee)
Jerel Worthy DE BUF (knee)
Derek Wolfe DE DEN (neck)
Henry Anderson DE IND (knee)
Mario Williams DE MIA (concussion)
Muhammad Wilkerson DE NYJ (ankle)
Joey Bosa DE SD (hamstring)
Jacquies Smith DE TB (ACL)
Earl Mitchell DT MIA (calf)
Defensive Backs
Colt Anderson S BUF (foot)
Chris Banjo S GB (hamstring)
Clayton Geathers S IND (foot)
T.J. Green S IND (knee)
Winston Guy S IND (ankle)
Ryan Smith S TB (hand)
Kyle Fuller CB CHI (knee)
Orlando Scandrick CB DAL (hamstring)
Sam Shields CB GB (head)
Vontae Davis CB IND (ankle)
Darius Butler CB IND (ankle)
Patrick Robinson CB IND (concussion)
Prince Amukamara CB JAX (hamstring)
Xavier Rhodes CB MIN (knee)
Delvin Breaux CB NO (leg)
Leodis McKelvin CB PHI (hamstring)
As ever, good luck and Godspeed in your fantasy efforts. Make sure to read all of our great articles to help you win your fantasy match ups every week and ultimately bask in championship glory. If you have any fantasy football questions, especially about IDP leagues, I can be reached at ia@fantasyalarm.com.