Week 3 is in the books, and we continue to see new faces trending upward in the IDP world. There are a number of players you may want to swap in to your lineups as bye weeks start, and of course, some IDP that need to be
moved to the bench or cut. Let us take a peek at what is available for the current week.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Jordan Hicks PHI
Keenan Robinson WAS
Uani Unga NYG
Pernell McPhee CHI
I briefly mentioned Hicks when I was touting DeMeco Ryans as the guy you wanted to pick up to take advantage of the injuries that the Eagles suffered at linebacker. Hope you read the notes and did not just go by the list of player names. If he is still on your league’s waiver wire, you need to stop reading and go grab him, immediately. If you picked up Ryans, drop him for Hicks if need be. Robinson amassed 13 total tackles last week, with 10 of those being solos. I would not say that I am impressed with the Washington defense, but those tackle numbers are hard to ignore. Unga has been mentioned here before, but I cautioned you that the return of Jon Beason could impact his production. Looks to me that I was wrong again. He had nine total tackles (six solo), with an interception and two pass deflections against the Redskins in Week 3. So long as he is being featured at strong side LB, he is worth playing. Alexander is settling in, as an every down linebacker in the Tampa Bay defense. He has been getting better every week, and now has 23 tackles, four pass deflections and an interception in three games. He is likely available on your league’s wire, and if you have someone injured or underperforming, this would be a fine time to snag him as your LB2/3 with upside. McPhee managed to sack Russell Wilson twice in Week 3, and has been the star of the Chicago defense. He already has 16 total tackles on the season, after collecting just 27 with Baltimore last season, his career season high. Keep an eye on him, and realize he has dual eligibility, and can put up linebacker numbers for you at a DL position on your roster.
Defensive Linemen
Stephon Tuitt DE PIT
Jared Allen DE CAR
Clinton McDonald DT TB
Brandon Williams DT BAL
Tuitt could serve as a solid DE if any of your guys are struggling (I am looking at you, Mario Williams). He has 2.5 sacks on the season already and a respectable 10 total tackles. Allen likely moves back to his natural defensive end position with the trade to the Panthers. Charles Johnson is injured, and Allen, while a bit long in the tooth, will step in to fill the void as a pass rusher. He gets to face Tampa Bay this week before Carolina goes on its bye in Week 5, so use him now. McDonald has 18 total tackles so far in 2015. Think about that number for a DT. He is useful in leagues that do not require a designated DT, but a superb performer in those that do. Williams is another DT that is putting up good tackle numbers, with 11 solos and five assists on the season. Solid tackler if you need to play a DT.
Defensive Backs
Quintin Demps S HOU
Will Allen S PIT
T.J. Ward S DEN
Jimmy Smith CB BAL
Janoris Jenkins CB StL
Charles Tillman CB CAR
Demps looked good against Tampa Bay, putting up an interception, a pass deflection and four solo tackles in Week 3. He has 17 total tackles so far, and half a sack to his credit as well. As the starting strong safety in the
Houston defense, he has a chance to be productive week in, week out. Allen already has collected 2o total tackles, with a sack and an interception. He will continue to be busy, as the rest of the Pittsburgh defense looks under whelming and he will see plenty of tackle opportunities going forward. Ward gets a boost after facing the moribund Detroit offense on Sunday night, but he is also an every down player for Denver. His numbers jump up and down over the course of the season, but he can provide a boatload of tackles in the right situation. Keep him in mind for bye weeks or as an injury fill-in. Smith is a corner that will be targeted, especially after getting burned by A.J. Green in Week 3. Remember the mantra, bad cornerbacks put up big numbers just based on their being targeted by the offense. He gets to attempt to cover Antonio Brown on Thursday, and even without Ben Roethlisberger under center, look for him to be a center of activity. Jenkins already has 21 total tackles on the year, after a six solo effort (nine total tackles) on Sunday against the Steelers. He also picked up an interception and a pass defense in Week 3. He may not be available in your league, but look for him to be dropped during the Ram bye in Week 6, and swoop in and grab him. Tillman has been a productive corner during his career, and he finally stepped up his production in Week 3, with nine total tackles (six solos). His counterpart on the opposite side of the field, Josh Norman, is emerging as a shutdown corner, which can only mean more action for Tillman going forward.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Jon Beason NYG
Jadeveon Clowney HOU
Stephen Tulloch DET
Beason is coming off injury, and his snap count is still down. His injury history also makes him risky. Yep, he can be a stud IDP when he is healthy and playing every down, but that is not the case presently. Butler has been a serious disappointment again, building off a down 2014. Four tackles against a run-oriented Minnesota offense despite playing three downs is not the stuff that IDP success is made of, believe me. Clowney was someone I was willing to take a chance on, but I would suggest that you cut him now to stop the bleeding. Eight total tackles and no sacks through three games is worse than disappointing, it is unacceptable for your starting lineup. Tulloch had a great stat line in Week 3, but his coverage issues limit his time on the field. If he is not playing in the nickel package, his snap count will suffer and more often than not, the tackle numbers will be depressed. This is a developing situation, as DeAndre Levy is due back soon and he will cut into Tulloch’s production even further.
Defensive Linemen
Mario Williams DE BUF
Nick Fairley DT StL
Williams was a top DL in most drafts, and it is safe to say he has disappointed his owners. I have not yet dropped him, out of stubbornness, but you might want to reconsider if you are holding on to him. He is not getting after the QB effectively, and as that is why you drafted him, it is time to worry. Fairley was never all that productive in Detroit, so for him to struggle in the desert is no surprise to his Motown native. The Rams have better players to start in front of him, and if you are holding him based on his former first round status, stop the madness and cut him now for one of the guys I talked about several inches above.
Defensive Backs
Tony Jefferson S ARI
Jefferson has the problem of playing for a team with superb depth at safety. He only saw 19 snaps in Week 3, which will make it difficult for him to have any sort of impact. He looks to be the guy on the outside, who will not be able to make any impact unless injuries crop up. Keep him on your watch list, but do not start him while his playing time is limited.
Ouch (My Aching Roster)
All the injury reports below need to be evaluated at kickoff. Teams are notoriously sketchy about injury reports, and we often do not know a player's status until just before game time. The list below is intended as a "heads up" as to what is going on early in the week, and should not be considered definitive.
Linebackers
Thomas Davis CAR pectoral
Luke Kuechly CAR concussion
Defensive Linemen
Ezekiel Ansah DE DET groin
Charles Johnson DE CAR hamstring
Gerald McCoy DT TB shoulder
Brandon Mebane DT SEA groin
Will Sutton DT CHI biceps
Defensive Backs
Josh Evans S JAX knee
Morgan Burnett S GB calf
Johnathan Cyprien S JAX calf
Darrelle Revis CB NYJ hamstring
Phillip Gaines CB KC knee
Adam Jones CB CIN elbow
Johnthan Banks CB TB knee
Joe Haden CB CLE ribs
Xavier Rhodes CB MIN concussion
Jason Verrett CB SD foot
DeAngelo Hall CB WAS toe
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.