Week 2 saw a slew of injuries hit the IDP corps, as you see down below. Check on the status of any of your players to see if they are sitting out practice at the end of the week, or on Wednesday if you are looking to start any Patriots or Texans on the defensive front. The good news is that there are not too many defensive players on the downside this week, but plenty to consider as rising commodities to pursue on the wire.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Preston Brown/Zach Brown BUF -- The two Browns playing for the Bills (last name, not former Cleveland players, that is) put up some serious numbers in Week 2 against the Jets. Preston had 16 total tackles (seven solo) with a forced fumble, and Zach was nearly as productive with eight solos as part of his 14 total tackle production. Both had one tackle for a loss, Zach had one QH (QB hurry) and both will benefit from a generous home stat crew in Week 3.
Craig Robertson NO -- Robertson has profited from Dannell Ellerbe's injury but has also racked up 18 solo tackles in the first two weeks, along with six assists. In Week 2, he also recorded two tackles for a loss. With this kind of production, so long as he is getting the majority of snaps, he remains a must-start.
Sean Weatherspoon ATL -- Witherspoon is another guy who is getting the opportunity to shine due to an injury, this one involving De'Vondre Campbell. Plug him in while you have the chance to benefit from his increased playing time.
Tahir Whitehead DET -- Whitehead will be relied upon a lot in Detroit with the injury bug also striking the Lions linebacker crew. He will get plenty of action when the Lions head to Green Bay this coming Sunday.
Zach Orr BAL -- He’s been a tackle monster, collecting 10 against the Browns in Week 2, and now has 16 total on the season. He is an aggressive, pursuing defender, and that should result in some big plays. Not to mention, he is an every-down LB which makes him extremely valuable.
Defensive Linemen
Devin Taylor DE DET -- Taylor is going to be one of the top defensive ends added as a result of Ezekiel Ansah’s ankle injury which will likely hold him out against the Packers this week. He had 1.5 sacks in the game against Tennessee, along with two QB hurries and seven total tackles (four solo). He has excellent rush skills as well.
Timmy Jernigan DE BAL -- Jernigan posted a sack, three QH and six total tackles (four solo) last week, including a pair of tackles for loss. He has had sacks in both games this season, as well, continuing his breakout after a lackluster 2015.
Frank Clark DE SEA (Listed as LB on ESPN currently) -- Clark is the waiver wire darling this week, having collected three sacks in the first two games of 2016, two in Week 2. He also added four tackles with two for a loss and two QH against the Rams. He looks primed for a big season and if he is still sitting on your wire, you should make an effort to add him now.
Derek Wolfe DE DEN -- Wolfe really filled up the stat sheet in Week 2, with 1.5 sacks, four tackles (three solo, one TFL), three QH and one pass defended. He faces the Bengals this week, a team that has been generous in providing point opportunities to opposing defensive ends. Consider that when mulling over your DE options.
Dante Fowler DE JAX -- Fowler had a two-sack day against the Chargers in Week 2, while also grabbing six tackles (five solo, two TFL) and a couple of QHs as well. The Ravens are a tougher opponent for opposing DEs so do not expect that same level of production. However, he has demonstrated an ability to be a dominant pass rusher.
Noah Spence DE TB -- Spence will have a chance to show his talent with Jacquies Smith on IR and Robert Ayers potentially out of action with an ankle injury. Los Angeles has not been good at stopping opposing DEs, so this projects to be another big week for Spence playing at home.
Danny Shelton DT CLE
Shelton is our lone DT highlighted this week and I like to add one at least to the list for those of you playing in DT-mandatory leagues. He has accumulated 12 total tackles on the season with five of those being of the solo variety. He is the starting nose tackle for Cleveland, and figures to see a lot of action as the Browns will likely being playing from behind and seeing a ton of rushing action from the Dolphins offense this week.
Defensive Backs
Robert Golden S PIT -- Golden was on the field for every defensive snap in Week 2, making him a great IDP option. He had eight tackles (three solo), with a pass defended and a fumble recovery, which sealed the Pittsburgh victory in the fourth quarter.
Tony Jefferson S ARI -- Jefferson was also an every-defensive snap player in Week 2, just as he was in Week 1. He had nine solo tackles as part of his 11 total (two for a loss of yards), and also picked up a fumble and had a QH to boot. Look for him to be a huge asset this season if you are lucky enough to have him in your IDP lineup.
Kemal Ishmael S ATL -- Ishmael is valuable only while Keanu Neal is out of action, but he did collect 15 total tackles against the Raiders in Week 2 (13 solo!) with a PD, so as long as he is playing significant snaps on defense, he is extremely useful.
Reggie Nelson S OAK -- Nelson also put up good numbers in Week 2, playing against Ismael's team, with 12 total tackles (10 solo). He already has 17 solos on the season, and the Oakland system is conducive to big production out of their tackling safeties.
Andrew Sendejo S MIN -- Sendejo plays in an excellent defense, so he will not always have the kind of production he showed in Week 2: nine solo tackles, two assists. In the right matchup, though, he has potential as a weekly add-on.
Tyvon Branch S ARI -- Branch is seeing time both on special teams and defense, increasing his potential to put up big numbers on a weekly basis. He had 10 total tackles in Week 2 (nine solo) with a PD as well. He has taken over the slot safety role from Tyrann Branch for now, so ride him while he can produce big stat lines.
Marcus Cooper CB ARI -- He was traded for to bolster the Cardinals secondary, and with a seven tackle (five solo), two INT (one returned for a TD) and 3 PD day, he is proving to be a worthwhile addition by Arizona.
Marcus Peters CB KC -- In addition to collecting seven tackles, he also contributed on defense with four PDs and two INTs. He does give up the occasional big play, but also makes the big play, making him a beneficial IDP option.
Bashaud Breeland CB WAS -- Breeland will benefit from playing opposite shut down corner Josh Norman. You should always look for cornerbacks that are targeted by the offense, and he is going to provide plenty of tackles and pass defensed opportunities as the season progresses. In Week 2, he had 10 tackles (nine solo) with 2 PD, numbers that should continue all season.
Jason McCourty CB TEN -- McCourty was hobbled by a groin injury last season, making him somewhat forgotten in 2016. He looks to be fully healthy now, however, putting up seven solos in Week 2, and already has two PDs on the season. He is arguably the best player on the Tennessee defense, and needs to be owned if he is sitting on your wire.
[pagebreak]
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
.jpg)
D'Qwell Jackson IND
I would not get rid of Jackson, but I am afraid my early season interest in using Perryman is fading fast. Do not know what is bothering Jackson, but he is just not producing despite having a high defensive snap count. If this trend continues, then consider moving on. You can move on from Perryman immediately, however, as he is seeing limited snaps and is not being used in pass coverage situations.
Defensive Linemen
No one to speak of this week, save for those listed as injured below.
Defensive Backs
Ibraheim Campbell S CLE
Campbell saw limited snaps in Week 2, primarily due to a hamstring problem. If the problem persists, he may have a difficult time securing playing time, as rookie Derrick Kindred seems poised to jump in and replace Campbell.
Matchups to Exploit
Miami @ Cleveland
Cleveland is on their third QB of the early season. I would expect that the Miami front seven will have their way with the Cleveland passing game and the Browns have also been generous to opposing DEs over the first couple of games this season.
Oakland @ Tennessee
Tennessee is just bad overall, but their run game is giving up a ton of points to opposing DLs. Just plug any Oakland DL in and watch the points accumulate.
Buffalo vs Arizona
I did mention up above that the Browns (Zach and Preston) are great LB adds, right? The Cardinals will not only pass, but will run the ball at the Bills. That should lead to plenty of defensive opportunities for the struggling Bills, which is good in terms of IDP production. Add in the generous home stat crew, and this is an excellent matchup for Raven IDP point accumulation.
Baltimore @ Jacksonville
The Jags are simply bad, ranking last overall in terms of points allowed to opposing IDP. Baltimore will have their way with the Jacksonville defense in all aspects of this matchup, and I say this not even wanting to roster a Raven RB on any of my teams.
Chicago @ Dallas
The Cowboys want to run the ball, and with the injuries to the linebacker crew of the Bears, expect there to be plenty of tackle opportunities in this contest.
[pagebreak]
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 weekly matchups.
Linebackers
Preston Brown BUF
Zach Brown BUF
Deion Jones ATL (not profiled, but worth an add)
Tahir Whitehead DET
Zach Orr BAL
Defensive Linesmen
Devin Taylor DE DET
Timmy Jernigan DE BAL
Frank Clark DE SEA (LB only on ESPN)
Derek Wolfe DE DEN
Dante Fowler DE JAX
Noah Spence DE TB
Danny Shelton DT CLE
Defensive Backs
Robert Golden S PIT
Tony Jefferson S ARI
Kemal Ishmael S ATL
Reggie Nelson S OAK
Andrew Sendejo S MIN
Tyvon Branch S ARI
Marcus Cooper CB ARI
Marcus Peters CB KC (act quick, his ownership % is rising)
Bashaud Breeland CB WAS
Jason McCourty CB TEN
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
De'Vondre Campbell ATL ankle
Elvis Dumervil BAL foot
Danny Trevathan CHI thumb
Lamarr Houston CHI knee
DeMarcus Ware DEN forearm
DeAndre Levy DET quadriceps
Kyle Van Noy DET calf
Clay Matthews GB ankle
Brian Cushing HOU knee
Trent Cole IND back
Sam Barrington KC hamstring
Spencer Paysinger MIA neck
Don’t'a Hightower NE knee
Dannell Ellerbe NO quadriceps
Mychal Kendricks PHI quadriceps
Defensive Linemen
Frostee Rucker DE ARI knee
Carl Nassib DE CLE hand
Ezekiel Ansah DE DET ankle
J.J. Watt DE HOU back
Jared Odrick DE JAX elbow
Joey Bosa DE SD hamstring
Robert Ayers DE TB ankle
Sharrif Floyd DT MIN knee
Defensive Backs
Keanu Neal S ATL knee
Morgan Burnett S GB hamstring
Micah Hyde S GB foot
Clayton Geathers S IND foot
Jahleel Addae S SD collarbone
Marcus Cromartie S SF ankle
Jerraud Powers CB BAL ankle
Vontae Davis CB IND ankle
Antonio Cromartie CB IND shoulder
Patrick Robinson CB IND concussion
Prince Amukamara CB JAX hamstring
Xavier Rhodes CB MIN knee
David Amerson CB OAK concussion
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.