The first week with four teams on byes, which will lead to some waiver wire and free agent market scrambling to keep a solid IDP squad in place. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from, especially among the linebackers listed below.
Bye Weeks coming up: Week 6 Buffalo, Chicago, Indianapolis, Oakland; Week 7 Carolina, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay; Week 8 Baltimore, Dallas,
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Uchenna Nwosu LAC
An injury to Melvin Ingram III has opened up an every down role for the second year player. He played 93% of the defensive snaps in Week 5, racking up seven total tackles (TT), five of those solos and one for a loss of yardage (TFL). Add in a sack, a QB hit/hurry (QH) and forced fumble and he managed to put up value in every kind of IDP league. He is the top free agent grab here this week.
Troy Reeder LAR
So long as Bryce Hager is on the sidelines (he is listed as questionable for Week 6), UDFA Reeder becomes an IDP option. He put up double digit tackles in Week 5 against the Seahawks (eight solo).
Nick Vigil CIN
The veteran LB is coming off a 13 TT (six solo) effort against the visiting Cardinals. This week’s opponent, the Ravens, are a good matchup for opposing LBs, and the struggling offense in Cincy lends itself to extra playing time (PT) for Bengal defensive players.
Josh Bynes BAL
Bynes became a starter after joining the Raven defense, and collected five TT (three solo) in the game against the host Steelers. He also picked off a pass (INT) and also defended a pass (PD), making him valuable in big play leagues.
Vince Williams PIT
Williams returned after missing time with a balky hamstring, and immediately made an impact with nine TT (four solo, one TFL). He added big plays with a sack, a QH and PD. Be aware that Pittsburgh will be on bye in Week 7 if you add him for this week’s action.
Harold Landry TEN
leagues (a sack and a QH) leagues with his performance last week at home against the Bills. His matchup in Week 6 is superb, with the Broncos giving up the third most points on the season to opposing linebackers, so pick him up if you have an open slot at LB due to injury or bye week issues.
Wilson is seeing action as a three-down LB, and collected 12 TT in Week 5 against the visiting Colts, seven of those of the solo variety. The Texans are a so-so matchup for opposing linebackers in Week 6, but Week 7 sees the Broncos with their LB-friendly status on deck.
A.J. Johnson DEN
In Johnson’s first start in the NFL, he collected nine TT with an INT and a pair of PD on the road against the Chargers. He is readily available on the wire in all league platforms. As a replacement for Josey Jewell , who is listed as questionable for the Week 6 contest at home against Tennessee, look for him to see plenty of PT again.
David Mayo NYG
Mayo is benefitting from the banged up linebacker corps on the Giant roster, being a nearly every-down LB. Playing in a short week Thursday night matchup against the Patriots, look for him to see plenty of action again on the defensive side of the ball. He is coming off a nine TT effort in Week 5 and should see similar results in this upcoming contest.
Defensive Linemen
Marcus Davenport DE NO
The pass-rush aspect of the young DL’s game is starting to become evident, as he collected two sacks in Week 5’s game against the visiting Bucs, to go along with two solo tackles (one TFL), three QH and a forced fumble (FF).
Dexter Lawrence DE NYG
The first-round pick is gearing up nicely, with five TT (three solo, one TFL) against the Vikings. He also collected a QH, a sack and a FF to fill out the stat line. Grab him now as the Giants play on Thursday against the Patriots in Week 6.
Brandon Graham DE PHI
Granted it took place against the lackluster Jets, but Graham showed off his pass rusk skills with a trio of sacks in Week 5. He also had six TT (four solo, two TFL). The five (!) QH are unlikely to be repeated soon, though. This week’s opponent, the Vikings, are ranked highly in terms of allowing points to opposing DEs, by the bye.
Matt Ioannidis DE WAS
The Dolphins, the Week 6 opponent for the four-year veteran lineman, are a tasty matchup. He is averaging nearly five TT per contest, which is what he collected last week when facing the Patriots. He is not exciting, but could provide a strong bye-week fill-in presence.
Jarran Reed DT SEA
Reed arrives fresh off suspension next week, and it should be recalled that he was a valuable DL, let alone a DT, with 10.5 sacks and 50 TT in 2018. Be ready to add him for Week 7, especially in DT-required leagues.
Johnathan Allen DT WAS
Allen has a nice matchup in store this week, with a trip to Miami in store. He is coming off a fine performance by a DT, with four solo tackles and a sack against the Patriots. In DT-required leagues, he is a potential shining star for Week 6.
Jordan Phillips DT BUF
Phillips was working with trinities in Week 5, collecting three sacks, three solo tackles (three TFL) and a trio of QH as well. Unfortunately, the Bills are on bye this week, but do have a good matchup for opposing DTs with Miami on the slate for Week 7. No need normally to stockpile DTs on your IDP bench, but in mandatory-DT leagues, this is a nugget to store for future action.
Defensive Backs
Eric Reid S CAR
Reid is still available in most leagues, and is putting up superb numbers, with 10 TT in Week 5 (five solo). He also contributed some big plays with a couple of PDs and a fumble recovery (FR).
Montae Nicholson S WAS
Nicholson is shaping up as a fine counterpoint to his teammate Landon Collins in the Washington defensive backfield. He is coming off a seven TT effort (five solo) effort against the visiting Patriots, with an INT and PD tosses in for good measure. This week’s matchup is just average, but certainly not terrible.
Justin Simmons S DEN
Simmons had a PD and an INT against the Chargers in Week 5, to go with four TT. His tackle production is inconsistent, and the Week 6 matchup is just average with the Broncos hosting the Titans, but the next two weeks after that feature good teams as far as allowing points to opposing safeties.
Byron Murphy CB ARI
The rookie is being targeted heavily by offensive coordinators and is therefore putting up good to great fantasy results. He had nine TT (eight solo) in Week 5 against the Bengals, and also added in a PD. Rookie CBs that see significant snaps are good IDP to add to your roster until they hit the bench, as a rule of thumb.
Kevin King CB GB
King rebounded from a groin injury to pick up six solo tackles in limited (51% of snaps) PT. He also had an important late game INT, a FF and two PDs to fill out his stat sheet. He is not on the injury report this week, please note.
Isaiah Oliver CB ATL
Oliver has a superior matchup in line with the Falcons heading to Arizona to take on the Cardinals. He should be in line for significant tackle production in the desert, and his Week 7 and 8 matchups promise good results as well, if you are looking for a replacement CB due to injury or bye week issues.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Leonard Floyd NYJ
Floyd had a single solo tackle in Week 5, and that follows a trend where he has collected just five TT in his last four contests. After the pair of sacks in Week 1, he has been a major disappointment as a LB.
Kyle Van Noy NE
Dont’a Hightower’s return to action caused a dip in his PT, and he collected zero tackles in Week 5, although he did not go entirely empty, picking up a QH and PD. If he is being rotated out of primary PT, however, his value will take a significant hit.
Denzel Perryman LAC
Perryman was benched in favor of rookie Drue Tranquill, as a result of a couple of misplays early on in Week 5. He ended up with just four TT (three solos), which is not adequate for use as a starter in nearly all IDP-leagues.
Defensive Linemen
Leonard Williams DE NYJ
Despite significant PT, he is providing minimal production for his owners. Coming off a week with just one solo tackle, he is not worth the space he is taking up on rosters.
Linval Joseph DT NYG
Joseph has contributed a mere five TT over the past three weeks, with just one assist in Week 5. Feel free to drop him, even in DT-mandatory leagues.
Defensive Backs
None to speak of save from those listed in the Injury Report below.
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 Panthers, but certainly you will do well if you own a top DL on the Broncos, or on the other side of the field, a top Titan LB to use against the Broncos that you can plug in this week, for the most part.
Linebackers
Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay
Denver Broncos vs Tennessee
Cleveland Browns vs Seattle
Arizona Cardinals vs Atlanta
Defensive Ends
Tennessee Titans @ Denver
Miami Dolphins vs Washington
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore
Defensive Tackles
New York Jets vs Dallas
Tennessee Titans @ Denver
Safeties
Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
Cornerbacks
Miami Dolphins vs Washington
Arizona Cardinals vs Atlanta
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay
Cleveland Browns vs Seattle
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
Troy Reeder LAR
Nick Vigil CIN
Josh Bynes BAL
Vince Williams PIT
Harold Landry TEN
Uchenna Nwosu LAC
A.J. Johnson DEN
David Mayo NYG
Defensive Linemen
Marcus Davenport DE NO
Dexter Lawrence DE NYG
Brandon Graham DE PHI
Matt Ioannidis DE WAS
Jarran Reed DT SEA
Johnathan Allen DT WAS
Jordan Phillips DT BUF
Defensive Backs
Eric Reed S CAR
Montae Nicholson S WAS
Justin Simmons S DEN
Byron Murphy CB ARI
Kevin King CB GB
Isaiah Oliver CB ATL
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
Dennis Gardeck ARI ankle
Zeke Turner ARI hand
Patrick Onwuasor BAL ankle
Otaro Alaka BAL hamstring IR
Corey Thompson BUF ankle
Joel Iyeigbuniwe CHI hamstring
Willie Harvey CLE shoulder IR
Christian Kirk esy CLE pectoral IR
Josey Jewell DEN hamstring
Justin Hollins DEN knee
Bradley Chubb DEN knee-ACL IR
Darius Leonard IND concussion
Dorian O’Daniel KC hamstring
Bryce Hager LAR shoulder
Clay Matthews LAR jaw
Kentrell Brothers MIN hamstring
Lorenzo Carter NYG neck
Ryan Connelly NYG knee-ACL IR
Jordan Jenkins NYJ calf
C.J. Mosley NYJ groin
Anthony Chickillo PIT foot
Jack Cichy TB elbow
Cameron Wake TEN hamstring
Josh Harvey-Clemons WAS hamstring
Defensive Linemen
DE
Zach Allen ARI neck
Trent Murphy BUF concussion
Kerry Wynn CIN concussion
Da’Shawn Hand DET elbow
Tyquan Lewis IND ankle
Lerentee McCray JAX oblique
Chris Jones KC groin
Alex Okafor KC hip
Melvin Ingram LAC hamstring
Shilique Calhoun NE ankle
Trey Hendrickson NO neck
Henry Anderson NYJ sholder-AC joint
John Franklin-Myers NYJ undisclosed IR
Ardenn Key OAK kneecap
Clelin Ferrell OAK concussion
DT
Kawaan Short CAR shoulder IR
Bilal Nichols CHI hand
Antwaun Woods DAL knee
Timmy Jernigan PHI foot
Defensive Backs
S
Charles Washington ARI shoulder
Johnathan Cyprien ATL foot IR
Blidi Wren-Wilson ATL groin
Tony Jefferson BAL knee-ACL
Brynden Trawick BAL elbow
Sheldrick Redwine CLE hamstring
Kavon Frazier DAL pectoral IR
Quandre Diggs DET hamstring
Tony Brown GB hamstring
Rolan Milligan IND knee
Clayton Geathers IND concussion
Ronnie Harrison JAX neck
Nasir Adderley LAC hamstring
Taylor Rapp LAR ankle
Bobby McCain MIA hamstring
Patrick Chung NE heel
Nate Ebner NE groin
Jason Verrett SF knee IR
CB
Trevor Williams ARI quadriceps
Jimmy Smith BAL knee
Taron Johnson BUF hamstring
Donte Jackson CAR groin
Denzel Ward CLE hamstring
Greedy Williams CLE hamstring
DeVante Bausby DEN neck
Bryce Callahan DEN foot
Darius Slay DET hamstring
Jalen Ramsey JAX back
Jomal Wiltz MIA groin
Mackensie Alexander MIN elbow
Avonte Maddox PHI concussion
Ronald Darby PHI hamstring
Steven Nelson PIT groin
Ahkello Witherspoon SF foot
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 toia@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.