Arizona Cardinals
Haason Reddick is completely healthy now and so are his numbers. Against the Panthers he played every snap for the first time this season, recording a team-high six tackles and six assists, adding a pair of pass breakups for good measure. He now has at least five solo stops in each game but we have not yet seen the big-play production he is capable of. That could come at any time. Reddick has become a safe every week start for IDP managers and has a particularly strong matchup this week against Seattle.
Atlanta Falcons
You could tell the injury to Keanu Neal was significant as soon as they put the camera on him after he went down. We now know he is lost for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles. With Damontae Kazee already having a significant role in the game plan, the Falcons put Kemal Ishmael at the strong safety position to finish the game. With time to prepare, it is hard to say how the Falcons will line up at safety in Week 4. What we do know is either Kazee or Ishmael will have a lot of fantasy value going forward. If I were to make an educated guess I would pick up Kazee this week.
All is well with Deion Jones who played every snap, finishing at 7-2-0 with a pass breakup. The ripple of Jones finally being 100% is that De’Vondre Campbell’s snap count continued to decline. Campbell was down to 77% of the playing time in Week 3.
Takkarist McKinley left the game with a knee injury. As of Wednesday afternoon, there had been no update on his condition.
Baltimore Ravens
Tony Jefferson had a big game against the Chiefs with seven tackles and an assist. He is good for a game like this about three or four times a season, so we should not get too excited.
Sometimes it is hard to figure out what coaches are thinking. Dating back to last season, Kenny Young has been highly productive on a per snap basis, yet the Ravens defensive staff refuses to keep him on the field full time. Young recorded six solo tackles and forced a fumble on 40 of a possible 68 snaps against the Chiefs. Managers in dynasty leagues should look to get this guy on our rosters. Sooner or later the coaching staff has to catch on. Even if that does not happen anytime soon, Young is giving us enough production to be roster worthy as a bye week cover.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills played a lot of big nickel against Cincinnati, with Siran Neal working as the third safety and playing about half the snaps. Neal has produced well on a per snap basis but there is nothing to suggest he will have a bigger role in the foreseeable future.
Carolina Panthers
Last week I compared the Cardinals spread offense to the run and shoot of the old days. To match up with that offense, Carolina deployed six defensive backs on 76% of the plays. That approach seemed to work fairly well so we can expect to see other defenses use a lot of dime going forward. That said, we may not see Seattle go that route because they have fast linebackers that can cover. Mychal Kendricks may not see a lot of action in this one though.
Chicago Bears
Akeem Hicks left Monday’s game with a knee injury and did not return. No update has been given as of Wednesday afternoon, but if he is your guy, be prepared with Plan B just in case.
Cincinnati Bengals
After stinking horribly versus the run in Week 2, Cincinnati opened in a five-man front against Buffalo with three defensive tackles in the game. The plan worked well against a Bills team not know for their passing attack. The Bengals could use the same approach this week against the Steelers unless Mason Rudolph is able to force them out of it by throwing. Preston Brown was the beneficiary of this approach. With the extra tackle in front of him, Buffalo had a hard time getting blockers to the second level. As a result, Brown tied Shawn Williams for the team lead with six solo tackles, adding a fumble recovery for a solid point total. If the Steelers try to ride their running game this week, Brown should give us another quality stat line.
Cleveland Browns
With Christian Kirksey landing on IR late last week, the Browns plugged in rookie Mack Wilson as their weak-side linebacker. Wilson posted modest numbers in his first start but he did play every snap. With the Browns hype train looking like it might come off the track, he could provide good value for us through the bye weeks.
Dallas Cowboys
Managers should have kept lowered expectations for many Cowboys defenders last week with the Miami matchup. Not only did the Dolphins provide little opportunity, but the game also got out of control early. As a result, most starters were on the sideline for the fourth quarter.
Robert Quinn saw his first action of the season and looked fresh. He managed three tackles and a sack in a near every-down role right out of the gate before taking a seat midway through the second half. Quinn could quickly emerge as an every-week starter for us but think twice about playing him or Demarcus Lawrence this week against New Orleans. The Saints protect their quarterback well regardless of who is under center. They have allowed three sacks on the season and none last week.
Darian Thompson got the start at free safety for Xavier Woods and will likely continue to hold the job until sometime in November.
Denver Broncos
Todd Davis made little noise in his first game back, going 2-1-0 against Green Bay, but take note that he played 98% of the defensive snaps. Davis will be the team’s every-down linebacker going forward so the numbers will follow once he has knocked the rust off. Meanwhile, Josey Jewell led the team in tackles at 5-1-0 but his playing time was reduced to less than 75% of the snaps.
Everyone is trying to figure out what happened to the Denver pass rush. I have no answer to that question but we should not count on a breakout in Week 4. The Jaguars did give up four sacks to the Texans in Week 2, but they have surrendered one in the other two games combined.
Detroit Lions
The Lions defense got some good news on Sunday with the return of middle linebacker Jarrad Davis to the field and a breakout game by defensive end Trey Flowers who went 4-4-1. Davis participated in 88% of the snaps but was not particularly impressive in the box score with three tackles, three assists, and a forced fumble, but he did come through healthy. He should have better numbers this week against the Chiefs offensive machine.
On a sour note for Detroit, Mike Daniels left the game early with a foot injury and was joined in the locker room by Darius Slay who injured his hamstring. If Daniels is not able to go it could mean a few extra opportunities for Damon Harrison and A’Shawn Robinson. Kevin Strong would fill in as the third man in the tackle rotation.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay defense has been a topic of discussion on NFL related TV and radio shows this week. One big reason for their unexpected success is the rejuvenated pass rush from the outside linebacker positions. All six of the team’s sacks against Denver came from the edge where Preston Smith accounted for three, Za’Darius Smith two, and Rashan Gary one.
Houston Texans
Justin Reid turned in a solid performance against the Chargers with six tackles and an assist, but there is a reason for concern going forward. He is battling a sore shoulder that caused him to leave the game for a few plays on more than one occasion in Week 3. Reid kept coming back but sooner or later he is not going to. He is playing too well to sit against the Panthers this week unless you have other quality options, but keep an eye on the practice reports later in the week.
Indianapolis Colts
With Darius Leonard still in concussion protocol, Anthony Walker was the Colts' three-down linebacker in Week 3. He stayed on the field full time as expected but he did not move over to the weak-side as he did when Leonard sat out during the preseason. Instead, they started Bobby Okereke on the outside and left Walker in the middle. The result was a huge game by Walker with 11 tackles and 3 assists.
In previous weeks Okereke had been eating into Walkers playing time a little. Enough so to limit the fantasy value of both players. With Leonard sidelined, Okereke saw 90% of the defensive snaps with a solid stat line of 6-2-0. As of Wednesday afternoon, there was no word on Leonard’s status for Week 4. If he is not able to go, Walker becomes a solid start despite the marginal matchup with the Raiders, and Okereke an option to consider as your LB3.
The injury to Malik Hooker shines a new light on both Clayton Geathers and Khari Willis for the next several games. Geathers was not playing every snap in the first two games. In fact, he saw 70% of the playing time in Week 2 with the rookie getting a chunk of the snaps. Indianapolis will adjust to Hooker’s injury by shifting Willis to free safety, all but certainly making both he and Geathers full-time players. Both of these safeties could prove to be viable starters at what has been a problem position across the IDP landscape this season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Myles Jack was knocked out last week’s game with a concussion. He was able to practice in full on Wednesday and appears good to go for Week 4. All that remains is for him to be officially cleared.
Kansas City Chiefs
Frank Clark is off to a slow start but he did land his first sack as a member of the Chiefs in Week 3. Maybe he will get it going now that the ice has been broken. Emmanuel Ogbah, on the other hand, has been getting to the quarterback with some regularity. After going 1-1-1.5 against the Ravens, he now leads the team with two and a half sacks while working as the third man in the defensive end rotation. No one else on the team has more than one while starter Alex Okafor is still looking for his first. Keep an eye on this situation as we could start seeing a lot more of Ogbah going forward.
For those of us suffering through three lackluster box score performances by Tyrann Mathieu, I really wish there was something positive to say. Unfortunately, there is not. What I am seeing so far is a combination of the coaching staff not putting him in a position to make many plays and a player that is not as aggressive/explosive as we are used to him being. This could change at any time but three ho-hum games in a row are clearly a trend. If you still have faith, wait it out a while longer but get him out of your lineup at the least.
Los Angeles Chargers
Many of us were snake bitten when Denzel Perryman started in the middle over Kyzir White in Week 3. It would not have been such a surprise had White not been playing ahead of Perryman during the preseason, but seeing Perryman with the second defense was rather convincing. Having paid close attention to the Chargers defense over the first two games, however, this move actually makes some sense in that White has struggled against the run. At well under 220 pounds, he is much better suited to a role on the weak-side where he would not be asked to take on blockers as regularly, and could still take advantage of strong cover skills. With Thomas Davis lighting it up from the WLB position, there may be no room for White to get back on the field much in the coming weeks.
According to the team’s unofficial depth chart, Jaylen Watkins was the next man up at strong safety when Adrian Phillips was lost. When the Chargers hit the field on Sunday it was undersized undrafted rookie Roderic Teamer lining up next to Rayshawn Jenkins at safety. Teamer looked pretty good on the field and turned in a quality six solo stops with an assist. Providing he holds onto the job, and there is no reason to believe otherwise, Teamer may well continue to give us useful numbers going forward.
Miami Dolphins
Dolphins said all through the offseason that they planned to run a multiple-front defensive scheme this season. Against Dallas, they opened in a 3-4 with Jerome Baker and Raekwon McMillan at inside linebacker, while Charles Harris and Sam Eguavoen set up on the edge. They used this alignment several times with a number of guys setting up on the edge and Eguavoen moving all over the place. It was a breakout game for Eguavoen who had seven tackles and an assist. That makes one, so let us see if he can start a trend but putting together a second good game against the Chargers.
When the Dolphins traded Minkah Fitzpatrick it left us wondering who would start at strong safety going forward. The answer for Week 3 was Steven Parker but he played just over half the snaps, as did Walt Aikens. Avoid this dumpster fire until/unless someone distinguishes themselves over the coming weeks. Bobby McCain looks to be the only dependable option and he is no more than a decent DB3 at this point.
Minnesota Vikings
All is well in Minnesota with Everson Griffin having his best game in almost two years, Trae Waynes lighting it up with eight solo tackles, and Mike Hughes returning from injury to solidify the secondary. Maybe the most interesting development here is the monster game turned in by linebacker Eric Wilson who piled up seven tackles, four assists and a pair of sacks while standing in for Anthony Barr. It would be easy to chalk this up to coincidence and pay Wilson no attention, but this is not his first big game. He made four starts last season as an injury replacement, in those games Wilson totaled23 tackles, 9 assists and a pair of sacks. Barr has been playing fairly well but it has been a long time since the Vikings have seen that kind of production from him. This could be a changing of the guard in Minnesota.
New England Patriots
That Patriots actually had an every-down linebacker in Week 2, but it was not Jamie Collins who blew up the box score for a second straight game. Collins only played 39 snaps, which was 76% of those available, finishing with five tackles, two assists, a pair of sacks and a pass breakup. It is quickly becoming obvious that Collins does not need to play every down to be a difference-maker. The sledding may be a little tougher against Buffalo this week but he should also see more snaps. At this point, Collins is an every-week must start.
Kyle Van Noy was the every play guy against the Jets, but he was only able to parlay the opportunity into a tackle, two assists, half a sack, and a pass breakup. New England has played two of the league’s weakest teams over the last two weeks so there could/should be a lot more opportunity going forward, but at this point, Van Noy is a candidate to be replaced by someone off the waiver wire.
New Orleans Saints
Kiko Alonso started at middle linebacker in Week 3 but ended up playing only 12 total snaps. We are coming up on the quarter mark of the season and are getting nothing from him at all. Managers in redraft leagues should have already moved on but those in dynasty formats might want to hold out a while longer. This guy is a good player who will eventually get another shot.
New York Giants
Ryan Connelly got a second start in Week 3. He made little box score impact but his play on the field was rather solid. With Alec Ogletree now nursing a hamstring injury, Connelly may be the lead linebacker in Week 4 against Washington. After watching him against the Buccaneers, I believe the numbers could begin to match the play this week.
Tae Davis was also knocked out of the game on Sunday after suffering a concussion. If he is not cleared in time, David Mayo would be in line to start next to Connelly.
The Giants have a lot of issues but they may have struck gold with the addition of Marcus Golden. He is finally healthy and is 6-5-3 over the last two games. This is a talented player that was 39-10-12.5 with 5 turnovers in 15 games the last time he was healthy. Managers in big play leagues should be all over him if he is still available.
New York Jets
When Trumaine Johnson was benched in Week 2 it was widely assumed he would be back in the lineup the following week. That was not the case as Johnson saw action on eight snaps in Week 3. Interestingly he had three tackles on those plays. Nate Harrison has now taken over as the starter opposite Darryl Roberts with Brian Poole as the slot corner. Poole and Roberts had big numbers versus the Patriots. For Poole, it was a one-week thing as Tom Brady picked him apart. When it comes to Roberts however, there could be good consistent value going forward. With eight solo stops in Week 3, Roberts has now reached double-digit fantasy points in all three games.
The bye could not have come at a better time for the Jets who hope to have C.J. Mosley and their starting quarterback available when they return to the field.
Oakland Raiders
Vontaze Burfict banged his elbow and missed a few plays against the Vikings, but a few more snaps probably would not have helped much. He has now seen action on 179 plays through three games with 10 tackles and 6 assists to show for it. He may know the defense like the back of his hand. He may even be as smart as defensive coordinator Paul Guenther claims, but it is not translating to production on the field.
After serving as a part-time strong safety over the first two games, the Raiders kept Karl Joseph on the field for every play against Minnesota. He lined up at free safety on a good share of his 61 snaps but it is hard to tell if that was by design or a result of Lamarcus Joyner leaving the game after aggravating his groin injury. Either way, the result was a quality point total for Joseph with seven tackles and an assist. Heading into Week 3 he was a borderline cut option who was released by a lot of managers. With the strong outing, he remains roster worthy for at least one more week; especially if Joyner is going to miss time.
Johnathan Hankins is not getting to the quarterback but he is playing a lot of snaps and making plenty of tackles to be worthy of a starting spot in leagues starting two interior linemen.
Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles not getting much pass rush. In fact, they have just two sacks as a team and none from the defensive end positions. A matchup with the Packers and the elusive Aaron Rodgers is not going to help them get back on track. Neither is Derek Barnett’s ankle injury. Avoid all the Eagles linemen in this one.
Ronald Darby will miss Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury and the word is he will likely miss several more games. That means Rasul Douglas takes over as the team’s number one corner. Eagles corners are productive in general and Douglas averaged nearly seven solo tackles over his seven starts late last season. If Darby was your starter, Douglass should be your replacement.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Devin Bush finally showed up big with nine tackles, a pair of assists and a fumble recovery. Normally a matchup with an 0-3 Bengals squad would be a poor matchup but the Bengals have been able to move the ball. That and the fact Pittsburgh’s offense is a big question mark, suggest this could be a close game with plenty of opportunity for bot Bush and Mark Barron who was invisible last week.
Minkah Fitzpatrick made an immediate impact with a forced fumble and an interception to go with his respectable tackle totals. There is a good chance he will add to the big-play column this week as Cincinnati always turns the ball over at least once in Pittsburgh.
Seattle Seahawks
The good news is Ezekiel Ansah played in Week 3 and came out of the game healthy. The bad news is he played only 19 snaps. His workload should increase this week but it will probably be a few games before he plays enough to offer any fantasy value.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
When motivated, Ndamukong Suh can be the best defensive lineman in the game on any given week. If he is on your roster this week, play him against the Rams. He almost always goes off against former teams and considering the Rams made little if any effort to retain him, citing his lack of consistent effort, it is safe to bet he will be fired up for this one.
Shaq Barrett continues his assault on the record books, adding six tackles, four more sacks and a pair of forced fumbles in Week 3. There is no way he can keep up the current pace but there is no reason to believe he suddenly drop off to nothing either.
Washington Redkins
Cole Holcomb caught the eye of IDP managers in Week 2 but he played fewer than half the snaps against Chicago, while Jon Bostic was on the field full time. The bottom line here is, Washington is a wasteland for IDP production from the linebacker positions.
