There are not nearly as many IDP that you might want to add to your roster this week as there were in the Week 2 IDP Report, but there are some players with significant upside going forward. On the plus side, there are few IDP that are in a downward spiral at this point in the season. Of course, there are injuries to be concerned over, as there always are.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Chandler Jones ARI
Telvin Smith JAX
Mike Hull MIA
Zach Cunningham HOU
Thomas Davis CAR
Jones has been playing the majority of snaps on defense through the first two weeks of the season (138 of 142 snaps) and last week had seven total tackles (five solo), two of those being for a loss of yards (TFL) along with two sacks, two QB hurries (QH) and a forced fumble. Arizona’s offense has been having its issues, which should translate into more time on the field for the defense, and thus a continued uptick in Jones’ performance.
Smith is probably not available on your waiver wire if you play with savvy IDP league owners, although his ownership in Yahoo currently sits at 50% and slightly higher in ESPN at 57.1%. You should certainly take a peek to see if he is available, as he is playing every down for the Jaguars and put up eight total tackles in Week 2 (six solo, one TFL) as well as collecting an interception and defending a pass (PD). He and his teammate Myles Jack are both LB1s going forward.
Hull will be benefitting from Lawrence Timmons’ bizarre behavior in leaving the team and forcing a missing person report to be filed before Week 2’s game against the Chargers. He is a potential three-down LB and managed to collect 10 total tackles in Week 2 (seven solo, one TFL) with a QH thrown in for good measure.
Cunningham will be filling in for the suspended Brian Cushing, and while not yet an every-down LB, he has the talent to develop into a three-down LB. Cunningham will also add to his stat line as he plays on special teams. He had six total tackles in Week 2 with four of those being of the solo variety.
The veteran Davis leads the Panthers with 14 tackles over the first two weeks. He is widely available on most waiver wires and puts up consistent tackle numbers for his owners. He is a must-add in tackle-oriented leagues.
Defensive Linemen
Julius Peppers DE CAR
Chris Jones DE KC
Mario Edwards DE OAK
Demarcus Lawrence DE DAL
Many fantasy players figured that Peppers was heading into the sunset, and while he will see some limitation on his playing time, it is difficult to ignore the six total tackles (four solo, one TFL), two sacks and two QH he posted in Week 2. He now has 2.5 sacks on the season, so despite the limited time on the field, he is productive when playing. Keep in mind, however, that he faces both Drew Brees and then Tom Brady in the next two contests that Carolina plays.
The second year player Jones had a fruitful game against the visiting Eagles in Week 2, with four solo tackles (one TFL), three sacks, two QH, one INT, one PD and two forced fumbles. Doing so while sitting on most obvious passing downs (he only played 44% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps) makes his effort stand out all the more.
Edwards sat out most of his second season in 2016, dealing with a hip injury that limited him to just two games. With most opponents worrying about Khalil Mack, this should result in matchups that favor the other DEs in the Oakland system, most notably Edwards and Denico Autry (who, given the injury history of Edwards, could be the subject of a later profile in the IDP Report).
Lawrence currently is second in he NFL in sacks with 3.5 on the season. He also picked up seven total tackles in Week 2 (five solo, one TFL), two QH and forced a fumble. Although he is coming off a disappointing 2016 where he had just one sack, recall that he had eight sacks the year prior to that. He provides a potentially effective pass-rusher, something the Cowboys have needed for some time now.
Defensive Backs
Jordan Poyer S BUF
Andrew Sendejo S MIN
Vonn Bell S NO
Poyer is shaping up as an effective defensive back, with 14 tackles on the season (including 11 in Week 2, seven solo, one TFL). He also has a pair of sacks, one in each game in 2017, and five PD. He also contributed two QH in Week 2 against the host Panthers. If you need a safety, go grab him off the wire now.
Sendejo has been a solid safety option three out the past four seasons, and looks to be fully charged up for 2017. He already has 16 tackles on the season, but alas, there are no big play numbers to boast about as of yet, which is generally the case with him. In a tackle-heavy league, though, he is worth rostering.
Bell’s fortunes took a turn for the better when the Saints benched former starter Kenny Vaccaro (who is also the subject of trade rumors) Bell acquitted himself nicely, with five total tackles (three solo) gathered over just 33 defensive snaps (43%). The stats should improve if he takes over the starting job going forward.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
None, except those listed in the injury report below.
Defensive Linemen
As with the linebackers, no one of great importance this week.
Defensive Backs
Micah Hyde S BUF
Kenny Vaccaro S NO
Bashaud Breeland CB WAS
Hyde, despite playing 66 of the 68 defensive snaps in Week 2, put up a huge goose egg with zero tackles against the Panthers. He now has just three tackles over the first two games of 2017, and is essentially worthless for fantasy purposes at this point.
Vaccaro was benched by the Saints in favor of Vonn Bell in the second half of last Sunday’s game against the visiting Patriots. There is no clear word going forward that the benching is permanent, but with trade rumors swirling, Vaccaro’s future in New Orleans does not look especially bright and shiny.
Breeland has been a consistent IDP over the past three seasons, so his limited production in the first couple of games in 2017 could mean that he is still dealing with the groin injury that slowed him through training camp. Right now, he is not putting up any useful stats, with just four total tackles (three solo) despite playing 115 snaps on defense this season to date. He should bounce back to his former useful self, but until the evidence of that rebound arrives, he should be on your bench.
Matchups to Exploit
Remember, the first team listed is the one to use your IDPs against. Do not go crazy, and play a LB5 against the Browns, but certainly you will do well if you own a top LB on the Colts, Giants or Green Bay that you can plug in this week, for the most part.
Linebackers
Indianapolis vs Cleveland
New York Giants @ Philadelphia
Green Bay vs Cincinnati
Baltimore @ Jacksonville
Defensive Ends
New England vs Houston
Buffalo vs Denver
Philadelphia vs New York Giants
Tennessee vs Seattle
Defensive Tackles
New England vs Houston
Oakland @ Washington
LA Chargers vs Kansas City
Jacksonville vs Baltimore
Tennessee vs Seattle
Safeties
Dallas @ Arizona
Cleveland @ Indianapolis
Miami @ New York Jets
Cornerbacks
Pittsburgh @ Chicago
Cincinnati @ Green Bay
New York Jets vs Miami
Dallas @ Arizona
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 commented on are here, however, as there is no need 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
Chandler Jones ARI
Mike Hull MIA
Zach Cunningham HOU
Thomas Davis CAR
Chandler Jones ARI
Defensive Linesmen.jpg)
Julius Peppers DE CAR
Chris Jones DE KC
Mario Edwards DE OAK
Demarcus Lawrence DE DAL
Defensive Backs
Micah Hyde S BUF
Kenny Vaccaro S NO
Bashaud Breeland CB WAS
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
Deone Bucannon ARI ankle
Vic Beasley ATL hamstring
Za’Darius Smith BAL ankle
Nick Kwiatkoski CHI pectoral
Jamie Collins CLE concussion
Anthony Hitchens DAL knee
Jarrad Davis DET concussion
Ahmad Brooks GB concussion
Antonio Morrison IND elbow
Reggie Ragland KC knee
Rey Maualuga MIA hamstring
Brandon Watts MIA back
Stephone Anthony MIA ankle
Don’t’a Hightower NE knee
Bryan Braman NO undisclosed
J.T. Thomas NYG groin
Keenan Robinson NYG concussion
B.J. Goodson NYG leg
Bruce Carter NYJ ankle
Corey Lemonier NYJ foot
T.J. Watt PIT groin
Terence Garvin SEA shoulder
Reuben Foster SF ankle
Kwon Alexander TB hamstring
Devante Bond TB knee
Mason Foster WAS shoulder
Defensive Linemen
DE
Ed Stinson ARI hamstring
Courtney Upshaw ATL ankle
Brandon Williams BAL foot
Shaq Lawson BUF undisclosed
Michael Johnson CIN concussion
Myles Garrett CLE ankle
Mike Daniels GB hamstring
Montravius Adams GB foot
J.J. Watt HOU finger
Lerentee McCray JAX knee
Jeremiah Attaochu LAC hamstring
Trey Hendrickson NO knee
Stephon Tuitt PIT biceps
DT
Jerel Worthy BUF concussion
T.Y. McGill CLE back
Zach Kerr DEN knee
Malik Jackson JAX groin
Vincent Valentine NE knee
Destiny Vaeao PHI wrist
Defensive Backs
S
Chris Prosinski CHI hamstring
Deon Bush CHI hamstring
Ed Reynolds CLE knee
Kentrell Brice GB groin
Darius Butler IND hamstring
Rayshawn Jenkins LAC concussion
Nate Ebner NE shoulder
Rontez Miles NYJ eye
Keith McGill OAK foot
Rodney McLeod PHI hamstring
Jaylen Watkins PHI hamstring
J.J. Wilcox PIT concussion
Marcus Cromartie SEA undisclosed
Eric Reid SF knee
Jimmie Ward SF Hamstring
Jaquiski Tartt SF neck
Johnathan Cyprien TEN hamstring
Deshazor Everett WAS knee (MCL)
Montae Nicholson WAS shoulder (AC joint)
CB
Jaylen Hill BAL hamstring
Prince Amukamara CHI ankle
Adam Jones CIN arm
Orlando Scandrick DAL hand
Nolan Carroll DAL concussion
Chidobe Awuzie DAL hamstring
Bradley Roby DEN foot
Brendan Langley DEN knee
Davon House GB quadriceps
Kevin Johnson HOU knee
Johnathan Joseph HOU shoulder
Vontae Davis IND groin
Jason Verrett LAC knee
Kayvon Webster LAR shoulder
Eric Rowe NE groin
Sterling Moore NO pectoral
Marshon Lattimore NO head
Janoris Jenkins NYG ankle
Sean Smith OAK neck
Ronald Darby PHI ankle
Neiko Thorpe SEA ankle
Josh Norman WAS shoulder (AC joint)
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.
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.