The first COVID issues spang up this week, with the Titans shutting down in-person activities for the present time. Their Week 3 opponent, Minnesota, has had no positive results, so that much is good. It does scramble things going forward, and now is the time to plan for backup help if you have Tennessee or Pittsburgh IDP on your roster.
Bye Weeks coming up: Week 5-Green Bay, Detroit; Week 6-Las Vegas, New England, New Orleans, Seattle; Week 7-Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Minnesota, Tennessee
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Myles Jack JAX
The Jaguar linebackers are a bit banged up, and that has allowed Jack to finally live up to his potential. He has contributed 11 total tackles (TT) each of the first three games of the season, including seven solos against the Dolphins in Week 3.
Mykal Walker ATL
An injury to starter Foye Oluokun thrust the rookie into full time action and he responded with an eight TT effort (six solo) with one of those for a loss of yards (TFL). He also had a QB hit/hurry and forced a fumble (FF) by the visiting Bears. Play him while he has the opportunity to shine.
Nicholas Morrow LVR
Morrow’s production is due to diminish once Nick Kwiatkoski returns to action, but until then, he is likely to provide good tackle numbers. He is coming off a nine TT effort in Week 3 (seven solo).
Avery Williamson NYJ
He almost hit double digit tackles, racking up 9 TT (five solo) on the road at Indy in Week 3. He has a great matchup this coming week, heading into a contest at home against the Broncos who have allowed the most points to opposing LBs through three weeks.
Shaquill Barrett TB
The Bucs LB relieved some of his owner’s concerns by collecting a pair of sacks in Week 3, after going sackless the prior two games. He did see a probably unsustainable increase in sacks last season when he racked up an eye-popping 19, but he also contributes in the tackle department, with six TT (five solo, three TFL) against the Broncos last contest and a pair of QH. He has a good matchup with the Chargers on the schedule this week.
Ty Summers GB
An injury to Christian Kirk sey thrust Summers into a full-time role for the Packers. He responded with nine TT (six solo). He is a IDP who can be slotted in while Kirksey heals up, but be advised that Green Bay is on bye in Week 5, so his utility may be short term.
Kyzir White LAC
White is now an every down LB for the Chargers, and picked up 11 TT in Week 3 (eight solo). So long as he gets the PT, he is worth employing as a LB2 or LB3 in your starting lineup.
Defensive Linemen
Aldon Smith DE DAL
The NFL sack leader has to lead off the DL category. He now has four sacks on the season, after his three-sack performance against the Seahawks. He should be well rested, too, not having played in the league since 2015. He is playing the majority of defensive snaps for the Cowboys, and is still owned in less than 40% of leagues.
Myles Garrett DE CLE
A pair of sacks plus a FF/FR parlay makes Garrett a solid option at DL. He also forced a QH to go with his four solo tackles on the day against visiting Washington. This week is not the greatest matchup in Dallas, so temper expectations a tad.
Leonard Williams DE NYG
Williams picked up another sack against the visiting 49er offense in Week 3, and a couple of QH. He stacked the stat line with five TT (two solo, two TFL) and now gets to face the middle of the pack Rams (in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing Des) on the road in Week 4.
Kerry Hyder DE SF
Nick Bosa suffered a season-ending injury, which opens the door for Hyder. In Week 4, he faces off against the Eagles and their less than stellar O-line, making for a great matchup.
Montez Sweat DE WAS
Chase Young’s groin injury let Sweat step in to take up the slack, and he collected his second sack of the season against the Browns. Young’s injury is believed to be short term, so the focus will not be on Sweat on defense, opening him up to continue to pursue the opposing QB. He also had four TT against Cleveland last contest (three solo).
Jonathan Allen DT WAS
Allen’s time on the field has been increasing as the season moves forward, and he is playing like a DL2. He had a great week in Cleveland, snagging a sack and a QH, to go with his nine TT (seven solo, one TFL), making him valuable in all IDP formats.
Jeffery Simmons DT TEN
Another DT with great playing time (PT) stats, the Titan defensive tackle had a sack and a pair of QH while in Minnesota, to add to his five TT (four solo, two TFL). Beware of the COVID scare with Tennessee that developed Tuesday, though, which could put Simmons out of contention in Week 4.
Defensive Backs
Tracy Walker S DET
Coaching decisions in the Lions den are not always coherent or consistent, but at a minimum, the notion to return Walker to the field was a cogent one. He responded with a 12 TT effort in the road win against the Cardinals (10 solo). This week’s matchup is not ideal, but if he is seeing a majority of snaps, the tackle numbers should continue to be valuable.
Antoine Winfield S TB
With Jamel Dean shifting to the outside of the defensive backfield, Winfield gets an opportunity to slide in as nickel corner for Tampa Bay. He is coming off a consecutive one sack games, and also had a PD to go along with his six TT (four solo). He is a talent whose stock is rising and this is a good time to add him to your roster.
Jordan Whitehead S TB
Whitehead is not burning up the stat sheet through three weeks of the season, but he has been collecting tackles (16 TT, 12 solo) as well as an INT and PD. Last week, against the Broncos, he also nabbed a sack, making him valuable across the board in IDP leagues of any format.
Taylor Rapp S LAR
Rapp steps back in to the starting strong safety spot for the Rams, after his replacement, Jordan Fuller went out with a shoulder injury. He had eight TT (six solo) in his new role, and should be poised to return to his prior level of production, ala his 100 TT in 2019.
Julian Love CB NYG
With Jabrill Peppers questionable for Week 4’s contest against the Rams, Love has another opportunity to show his value. He picked up 10 solos last week as part of his 11 TT effort at home against the visiting 49ers. He is a short-term solution if you are seeking a CB in your lineup.
Jamel Dean CB TB
As the Tampa Bay nickel corner, he has an opportunity to put up good numbers for a defensive back. He had eight TT in Week 3 (six solo). With Sean Murphy-Bunting questionable, he could see significant snaps at an outside CB position, with a chance to contribute in tackles and big plays.
Trevon Diggs CB DAL
The rookie cornerback rule comes into effect, as he is going to be tested early and often by opposing offenses. He collected nine solo tackles last week, along with a FF and a PD. Love to start rookie CBs whose team is prolific on offense, making the opponents have to air it out to keep pace.
Mike Hilton CB PIT
Hilton wraps up the rising player profiles, and his star has been on the rise of late: 21 TT (19 solo), two sacks, an INT, a FR, and a trio of PDs over three games into the season. This kind of pace seems unsustainable, but grab him while he is hot. Beware, though, as the opponent is the COVID-stricken Tennessee Titans this coming week.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Jadeveon Clowney TEN
Clowney has underwhelmed so far for his new team in 2020, with just a pair of TT (one solo) in Week 3 in Minnesota. His ability to pick up the pace is in jeopardy in Week 4, as the specter of COVID hovers over the Titan team, threatening to shut down the team. Keep an eye on this situation.
Cory Littleton LVR
A severe lack of production from the Raider linebacker is surprising, as he was expected to grade out as a LB1 this season. He had six TT (four solo, one TFL) against the host Patriots. He has the potential to turn things around any game, but for now, he is bench-worthy.
Defensive Linemen
None to speak of, save for those listed in the injury report below.
Defensive Backs
Steven Nelson CB PIT
Putting up a single tackle is just continuing a disturbing trend for the usually productive Nelson. He has just eight TT on the season, and has a couple of less than promising matchups on the slate, assuming the game against the Titans even occurs this week.
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 Broncos, but certainly you will do well if you own a top DL on the Jaguars, or a top DT on both/either the Bills or Raiders that you can plug in this week, for the most part.
Linebackers
Denver @ New York Jets
Washington vs Baltimore
Detroit vs New Orleans
Houston vs Minnesota
New York Giants @ Los Angeles Rams
Defensive Ends
Cincinnati vs Jacksonville
Philadelphia @ San Francisco
Defensive Tackles
Dallas vs Cleveland
Cincinnati vs Jacksonville
Buffalo @ Las Vegas
Las Vegas vs Buffalo
Safeties
Buffalo @ Las Vegas
Denver @ New York Jets
Atlanta @ Green Bay
Cornerbacks
Cincinnati vs Jacksonville
Minnesota @ Houston
Waiver Wire Targets
This section is intended to serve as a shortened cheat sheet listing those waiver wire targets you should be considering if you need to plug a hole in your starting lineup. All these players are spotlighted above, and you can read my comments about them in the "Elevator Going Up" section of this article. 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
Myles Jack JAX
Mykal Walker ATL
Nicholas Morrow LVR
Avery Williamson NYJ
Shaquill Barrett TB
Ty Summers GB
Kyzir White LAC
Defensive Linemen
Aldon Smith DE DAL
Myles Garrett DE CLE
Leonard Williams DE NYG
Kerry Hyder DE SF
Montez Sweat DE WAS
Jonathan Allen DT WAS
Jeffery Simmons DT TEN
Defensive Backs
Tracy Walker S DET (Owned in 47% of ESPN leagues)
Antoine Winfield S TB
Jordan Whitehead S TB
Taylor Rapp S LAR
Julian Love CB NYG
Jamel Dean CB TB
Trevon Diggs CB DAL
Mike Hilton CB PIT
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
Foye Oluokun ATL hamstring
Tremaine Edmunds BUF shoulder
Del’Shawn Phillips BUF quadriceps
Jeremy Chinn CAR hip
Adarius Taylor CAR hip
Jason Ferris CAR undisclosed
Jacob Phillips CLE knee
Tae Davis CLE elbow
Sean Lee DAL sports hernia IR
Leighton Vander Esch DAL collarbone IR
Azur Kamara DAL undisclosed IR
Jeremiah Attaochu DEN quadriceps
Austin Calitro DEN hamstring IR
Mark Barron DEN hamstring IR
Von Miller DEN ankle IR
Justin Strnad DEN wrist IR
Randy Ramsay GB groin
Christian Kirk sey GB shoulder
Rashan Gary GB ankle
Kamal Martin GB knee-meniscus IR
Curtis Bolton GB knee-ACL
Peter Kalambayi HOU hamstring
Duke Ejiofor HOU knee-ACL IR
Matthew Adams IND ankle IR
Quincy Williams JAX abdomen IR
Leon Jacobs JAX knee-ACL IR
Nick Kwiatkoski LVR pectoral
Tanner Muse LVR toe IR
Nick Vigil LAC groin
Asmar Bilal LAC calf IR
Drue Tranquill LAC IR
Justin Lawler LAR foot IR
Travin Howard LAR knee-meniscus IR
Vince Biegel MIA Achilles IR
Troy Dye MIN foot IR
Anthony Barr MIN pectoral IR
Ben Gedeon MIN undisclosed
Quentin Poling MIN undisclosed
Josh Uche NE foot IR
Brandon King NE quadriceps
Chase Hansen NO hip
Kiko Alonso NO knee-ACL
David Mayo NYG knee-meniscus IR
Jordan Jenkins NYJ shoulder
Blake Cashman NYJ groin IR
Patrick Onwuasor NYJ knee IR
Mark Nzeocha SF quadriceps IR
Dre Greenlaw SF quadriceps
Jordyn Brooks SEA knee-MCL
Bruce Irvin SEA knee-ACL IR
Derick Roberson TEN knee
Cole Holcomb WAS knee
Reuben Foster WAS knee IR
Defensive Linemen
DE
Takkarist McKinley ATL groin
Yetur Gross-Matos CAR illness
Adrian Clayborn CLE hip
Olivier Vernon CLE abdomen
Curtis Weaver CLE foot IR
Trevon Young CLE undisclosed IR
George Obinna CLE triceps IR
Demarcus Lawrence DAL knee
Jurrell Casey DEN biceps IR
DeMarcus Walker DEN calf IR
Dre’Mont Jones DEN knee-PCL IR
Da’Shawn Hand DET chest
Austin Bryant DET undisclosed
Kemoko Turay IND ankle
Alex Okafor KC hamstring
Chris Jones KC groin
Melvin LAC knee IR
Danielle Hunter MIN neck IR
Kenny Willekes MIN leg IR
Marcus Davenport NO elbow
Anthony Lanier NO undisclosed
John Franklin-Myers NYJ knee
Jordan Willis NJY ankle
Jabari Zuniga NYJ quadriceps IR
Vinny Curry PHI hamstring IR
Daeshon Hall PHI knee-ACL
Dee Ford SF back
Nick Bosa SF knee-ACL IR
Ronald Blair SF knee-ACL
Rasheem Green SEA neck IR
Branden Jackson SEA spine IR
Ryan Anderson WAS ankle
Chase Young WAS groin
DT
Grady Jarrett ATL hip
Justing Madubuike BAL knee
Quinton Jefferson BUF foot
Ed Oliver BUF knee
Niles Scott BUF undisclosed
Kawann Short CAR foot
John Jenkins CHI thumb IR
Geno Atkins CIN shoulder
Renell Wren CIN quadriceps IR
Jashon Cornell DET Achilles IR
Kenny Clark GB groin
Treyvon Hester GB undisclosed
Sheldon Day IND knee IR
Khalen Saunders KC elbow IR
Daniel Ross LVR foot
Justin Jones LAC shoulder IR
Michael Barnett NE undisclosed IR
Beau Allen NE undisclosed
David Onyemata NO calf
Jalen Dalton NO triceps IR
Solomon Thomas SF knee-ACL IR
Jullian Taylor SF knee-ACL
DaQuan Jones TEN illness IR-COVID
Matthew Ioannidis WAS biceps IR
Defensive Backs
S
Budda Baker ARI thumb
Chris Banjo ARI hamstring
Jalen Thompson ARI ankle IR
Darqueze Dennard ATL hamstring IR
Kendall Sheffield ALT foot
Ricardo Allen ATL elbow
Micah Hyde BUF ankle
Sherrick McManis CHI hamstring
Grant Delpit CLE Achilles IR
C.J. Moore DET calf
A.J. Moore HOU hamstring IR
Malik Hooker IND Achilles IR
Andrew Wingard JAX groin
Jarrod Wilson JAX hamstring IR
L’Jarius Sneed KC collarbone
Derwin James LAC knee-meniscus IR
Jordan Fuller LAR shoulder
Kavon Frazier MIA shoulder
Clayton Fejedelem MIA pectoral
Nate Brooks MIA undisclosed
Kris Boyd MIN hamstring
Myles Dorn MIN undisclosed IR
Johnson Bademosi NO undisclosed IR
Adrian Colbert NYG quadriceps
Jabrill Peppers NYG ankle
Xavier McKinney NYG foot
Ashtyn Davis NYJ groin
Rudy Ford PHI groin
Will Parks PHI hamstring IR
Marcus Allen PIT foot
Jamal Adams SEA groin
Neiko Thorpe SEA hip
Lano Hill SEA back
Marquise Blair SEA knee-ACL IR
Justin Evans TB foot
Chris Jackson TEN hamstring
Dane Cruikshank TEN undisclosed IR
CB
Robert Alford ARI pectoral IR
A.J. Terrell ATL illness IR-COVID
Tavon oung BAL knee-ACL IR
Iman Marshall BAL knee IR
Josh Norman BUF hamstring IR
Donte Jackson CAR toe
Eli Apple CAR ankle IR
Michael Joseph CHI undisclosed IR
Artie Burns CHI knee-ACL IR
Trae Waynes CIN pectoral IR
Greedy Williams CLE shoulder
Denzel Ward CLE groin
Chidobe Awuzie DAL hamstring IR
Anthony Brown DAL ribs IR
Davontae Harris DEN hamstring
A.J. Bouye DEN shoulder IR
Desmond Trufant DET hamstring
Justin Coleman DET hamstring IR
Mike Ford DET leg IR
Kabion Ento GB undisclosed IR
Gareon Conley HOU ankle IR
Rock Ya-Sin IND illness
Brandon Watson JAX knee
Alex Brown KC knee-ACL IR
Damon Arnette LVR thumb
Chris Harris LAC foot IR
Byron Jones MIA groin
Cameron Dantzler MIN ribs
Mike Hughes MIN neck
Julian Love NYG knee
Brandon Williams NYG groin
Montre Hartage NYG hamstring
Quincy Wilson NYJ concussion
Arthur Maulet NYJ groin IR
Kyron Brown NYJ quadriceps
Avonte Maddox PHI ankle
Craig James PHI thigh IR
K’Waun Williams SF hip
Ahkello Witherspoon SF hamstring
Emmanuel Moseley SF concussion
Richard Sherman SF calf IR
Quinton Dunbar SEA knee
Sean Murphy-Bunting TB hamstring
Adoree’ Jackson TEN knee IR
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. FANation Chat is now live on the site, to help you work through your fantasy football dilemmas. Or if you have any fantasy football questions, especially about IDP leagues, you can also send a message to ia@fantasyalarm.com for a personal response from the writer of this article. Naturally, the more detail you can send about your league, such as number of teams, platform you play in (Yahoo, ESPN, etc.), scoring and roster system, the better the ability to provide accurate advice.