Years ago, when Deone Bucannon introduced himself as a “money linebacker” on Sunday Night Football, the audience had a good laugh. The term was a reference to his defensive responsibilities but conjured images in the minds of viewers of the huge game checks that Bucannon was earning at that time. Memes popped up in the following days of Bucannon on top of piles of money and gold coins. Hopefully, following the guidance given in this column will have your rosters overflowing with a wealth of IDP riches. We’ll primarily focus on edge rushers but will also hit on some of the other players and situations that are likely to impact teams in big play leagues. We will cover risers and fallers in the format, injury situations fantasy general managers need to know, and upcoming matchups to target.
Note: The defensive player injuries covered in this column are not an exhaustive list, but an attempt to cover the situations most likely to impact big play IDP squads. For more extensive coverage of injury situations, see Jene Bramel’s latest Injury Rounds column.
$ Stock up and Bankrupt $
Washington’s Cole Holcomb will be a hot name this week after logging 90% of the snaps for his team at linebacker.
Defensive end Calais Campbell is working through a foot injury. Additionally, Campbell has been playing interior snaps in recent games, which takes down his sack upside.
Eagles linebacker Zach Brown’s usage increased from 44% last week to 76% this week. Hopefully, Brown will become nearly a full-time player next to Nigel Bradham.
Titans linebackers Jayon Brown and Rashaan Evans continue to trend upward. Both logged nearly full-time snaps against the Colts while Wesley Woodyard played only a paltry 8%. Woodyard would become interesting again only if one of either Evans or Brown were injured.
Cardinals linebacker Haason Reddick is trending up. He went from 57% playing time to 85% this past week. If this kind of usage continues, he will be productive for IDP purposes.
Defensive end Nick Bosa of the 49ers continues to be eased in after injury and is not a full-time player. He gave general managers a goose egg this week, despite a favorable matchup. It is best to wait to start him until he begins to trend upward again in snaps.
Jaguars linebacker Quincy Williams has finally arrived. He became a full-time player this week and netted nine total tackles. He’s now startable in formats in which you need to have three or more linebackers in your lineup.
Edge rusher Whitney Mercilus is back to playing nearly full time and is picking up in terms of play quality. He has become must-start material in big play leagues.
Giants linebacker Ryan Connelly is a name to watch. His usage jumped significantly this week and he may be emerging as a starter next to Alex Ogletree. He is worth picking up and holding if you have room to do so.
Linebacker Mark Barron is still playing the majority of the snaps for the Steelers, but Devin Bush’s usage continues to climb. The Steelers are unlikely to contend this year with the loss of Ben Roethlisberger and their defensive starters are likely to see more snaps. Now is the time to pounce if you can pull off a trade for Bush.
We thought Oakland would rely more on Karl Joseph with the season-ending injury to Jonathan Abram. Unfortunately, Joseph’s snaps actually went down in the following contest.
Perhaps hold on to him one more week if you have the room, but feel free to jettison Joseph if you need to make an addition from the waiver wire.
Lions linebacker Christian Jones may have entered full-time linebacker territory with Jarrad Davis out with an injury. Jones was up to 90% of the snaps this week. We will probably send him back to the bench when Davis returns, but general managers should use him while they can.
Deion Jones’ fantasy general managers can breathe a sigh of relief. The linebacker was up to nearly full-time usage this week.
$ Injury Settlements $
We will need to closely monitor the status of Darius Leonard, who entered the concussion protocol after developing symptoms after the Titans game. Rookie Bobby Okereke could stand to benefit the most if Leonard sits out.
The Chargers continue to have injury woes. Safety Adrian Phillips broke his forearm. It’s unclear who will replace Phillips long-term, but they are unlikely to be as productive. Perhaps Rayshawn Jenkins or Nasir Adderly will step in and surprise fantasy general managers.
Yannick Ngakoue was unable to play with a lingering hamstring injury, leading to increased opportunity for Jaguars rookie edge rusher Josh Allen.
Rookie linebackers Devin White avoided a serious injury, but may not be able to play in his next game. Kevin Minter should fill in for him and could be a productive option should fantasy general managers need someone to plug in.
Two weeks into the season, Ezekiel Ansah has not been well enough to go in a game. Even when he gets the start, it is wise to leave him benched to see if he will hold up over the course of a full game before inserting him back into lineups.
C.J. Mosely sat the Monday night game against Cleveland with a groin strain suffered in week one. It is unclear if he will be available for week three, leaving Neville Hewitt and Blake Cashman as the two full-time options.
Linebackers Todd Davis of the Broncos and Jarrad Davis of the Lions continue to both be unable to play, but promise to have prominent roles in their respective defenses once they are able to go.
$ Money in the Bank $
Note: This section will become more extensive as the season progresses and offensive and defensive trends are established. For the first few weeks, it will be limited to pass rush projections.
Dallas Cowboys Pass Rushers vs. Miami Dolphins Offensive Line
Against arguably the worst team in football, this defensive front is destined for a productive day. Demarcus Lawrence is a DE1 and Robert Quinn (who is returning from suspension this week) and Dorance Armstrong are worthy of consideration. Tyrone Crawford is a must-start in formats in which defensive tackles are a standalone position.
Buffalo Bills Pass Rushers vs. Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Line
This line cannot protect anyone and the Bills are rolling on defense currently. Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy both are bordering on must-start status.
Los Angeles Rams Pass Rushers vs. Cleveland Browns Offensive Line
Aaron Donald has been quiet so far this season, but this could be the matchup in which he could get off the deck against a porous offensive line. You also have to like the prospect of starting Dante Fowler, who has been on fire as of late.
Chicago Bears Pass Rushers vs. Washington Offensive Line
Washington has been scrappy, but this one could get ugly very quickly. Khalil Mack is an obvious must-play, Akeem Hicks is a quality DL2 in this contest, and Leonard Floyd is a boom-bust linebacker three this week.
Los Angeles Chargers Pass Rushers vs. Houston Texans Offensive Line
The Texans line continues to be their Achilles heel and with Laremy Tunsil’s status for the game uncertain, it could be a variable feast for Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram III.
Jacksonville Jaguars Pass Rushers vs. Tennessee Titans Offensive Line
The Titans have already surrendered eight sacks and if not for some crafty play-calling and chipping with receivers, it probably would be more. It is a short week, but that will favor the defense in this faceoff. We will assume Yannick Ngakoue is going to miss this one because of the short week. Josh Allen and Calais Campbell stand to benefit the most in this matchup, but both are DL2s.
Carolina Panthers Pass Rushers vs. Arizona Cardinals Offensive Line
The Panthers have a tasty matchup against a depleted line. The only thing that has kept Arizona’s sack totals lower than they should be is the scrambling ability of Kyler Murray. Mario Addison, Brian Burns, and Gerald McCoy are DL2-3s in this one.
Green Bay Packers Pass Rush vs. Denver Broncos Offensive Line
Green Bay’s defense has been solid and though it hasn’t received much fanfare, it has registered six sacks over the past two games as a unit. Preston Smith, Za’darius Smith, and Kenny Clark all should be considered this week against a Broncos offensive line that is banged up and is not that great anyway.
$ Insufficient Funds $
Denver Broncos Pass Rushers vs. Green Bay Packers Offensive Line
The Packers have a solid line, have surrendered very little this season against two tough defenses, and the Broncos have yet to register a sack.
Pittsburgh Steelers Pass Rushers vs. San Francisco 49ers Offensive Line
Surprisingly, the 49ers have allowed just half a sack in two games. The Steelers are also coming off the mental blow of losing their quarterback for the year. How will they respond on the road? There is some doubt that T.J. Watt, Stephon Tuitt, or Cameron Hayward will generate much with these factors at play.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Line
The unit has been good against weaker competition, but the Chiefs line has surrendered only two sacks on the year. Fantasy general managers should think about benching Pernell McPhee and Matt Judon.