This article attempts to immediately highlight defensive players whose production was significantly better or worse than normally expected for the prior week of games. Note there is sometimes limited information available when this article is written, but I will try to give everyone an early look at players who are moving up or down in value among IDP circles. When warranted, I'll also call out some players under No Change that tries to explain why the stat lines may be misleading. It’s difficult to give waiver advice for IDPs since there is such a wide variety of lineups and scoring systems, but hopefully, the information provided can help inform your waiver, trade, and upcoming lineup decisions. If you have any questions about specific players or situations, feel free to email me or reach out via twitter.
Email: rudnicki@footballguys.com
Twitter: @a_rudnicki
KANSAS CITY @ DENVER
Upgrades:
DE Frank Clark, KC (5 solos, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 1 QH, 1 FF)
Clark hasn’t made the type of impact that was expected of him early on, but he led the way to a 9-sack outing for the maligned Chiefs defense this week. Given the game script, there were plenty of snaps to go around for Clark and the other Chiefs edge rushers like Alex Okafor (2 sacks on 50 snaps) and Emmanuel Ogbah (1 sack, 2 PD on 43 snaps) to all put up strong games.
LB Anthony Hitchens, KC (5 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 1 TFL, 2 QH, 1 FF)
Hitchens had missed most of the past two games with a groin injury but was healthy enough to start on Thursday night. He was joined in the starting lineup by Reggie Ragland, who helped hold the edge and force more plays inside for Hitchens to clean up. The numbers for Hitchens this week were clearly helped by his two sacks, but he also did it on just 32 snaps (48%) so there’s room for growth when he returns to a full-time role next week against the Packers.
No Change:
LB A.J. Johnson, DEN (2 solos, 1 asst)
Johnson had a quiet outing this week but he was still in the starting lineup and on the field for 69% of the defensive snaps. Josey Jewell (3 snaps) and Joseph Jones (3 snaps) got in the game late, but Johnson still appears to be in a 3-down role here. The Chiefs offense only generated 48 tackle opportunities in the game, which limited the upside for most of the Broncos IDPs this week.
Downgrades:
LB Von Miller, DEN (0 tackles)
Miller has seen at least 85% of the snaps in every game this year but his production is down across the board. Apart from his 2-sack game against the Jaguars in week 4, he has collected just 10 solos, 4 assists, and a half-sack in the other 6 games. While he has a proven track record that suggests he’ll pull out of this slump eventually, it’s likely safe to move on in standard scoring leagues if there are better options available.
LA RAMS @ ATLANTA
Upgrades:
LB Dante Fowler, LAR (6 solos, 1 asst, 3 sacks, 3 TFL, 3 QH, 1 FF, 1 PD)
The Rams defense welcomed Jalen Ramsey this week and his former teammate from Jacksonville had perhaps the best game of his career. He finished with 3 sacks with a forced fumble, while also leading the Rams with 7 combined tackles and adding a pass deflection. Ramsey should provide a clear upgrade in the secondary over Marcus Peters, which should provide more time for Fowler (and Aaron Donald) to get to the quarterbacks in the weeks ahead.
S Taylor Rapp, LAR (5 solos, 1 asst)
John Johnson was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, which creates an opportunity for Rapp to take on a bigger role. His 6 tackles may not stand out, but he led all Rams defenders in snaps this week with 54 (98%) and the Falcons offense only generated 42 tackle opportunities. The promising rookie had been productive in a part-time role already and should become a reliable every-week option now.
Downgrades:
CB Isaiah Oliver, ATL (2 solos, 2 asst)
Oliver has not done a good job of replacing Robert Alford in the Falcons secondary this year and the team appears to be losing patience with last year’s second-round pick. As with most corners, his poor play has allowed him to be productive but that only lasts until the team decides to replace him. Oliver was in a time-share with veteran journeyman Blidi Wreh-Wilson (8 solos on 34 snaps) this week and saw his playing time drop to 59% of the defensive snaps. If that continues, it will be difficult to rely on either option going forward.
MIAMI @ BUFFALO
Upgrades:
LB Lorenzo Alexander, BUF (5 solos, 5 asst, 1 QH, 1 PD)
Alexander saw a large increase in playing time this week due to the injury to Matt Milano. He was on the field for 70 defensive snaps (96%) and led the team with 10 tackles. Most of his production came in the second half as the Bills made adjustments to try and slow down the Miami running game. The versatile 36-year old veteran has been a productive option in big-play leagues despite a part-time role, but he could have short-term value in all leagues if Milano misses more time.
Downgrades:
None
JACKSONVILLE @ CINCINNATI
Upgrades:
DT Geno Atkins, CIN (4 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QH)
The Bengals don’t have much going for them in an 0-7 season, but Atkins looked like he still has more to give. A week after being shut out by the Ravens, he rebounded with a 6-tackle, 2-sack game against the Jaguars.
Downgrades:
LB Preston Brown, CIN (2 asst)
It seems only a matter of time before the Bengals decide to move on from Brown. He’s seen his playing time drop from 82% to 71% to 60% over the past 3 games. Despite playing 49 snaps this week against a team that ran the ball 44 times, Brown was limited to just 2 assisted tackles. Meanwhile, rookie Germaine Pratt was credited with 5 tackles on just 22 snaps (27%).
LB Najee Goode, JAX (0 tackles)
Goode started again this week but lasted just 3 snaps before being forced to leave the game with a foot injury. Quincy Williams replaced him but only collected two tackles on 48 snaps (67%) in the game. D.J. Alexander also suffered an injury after just 10 snaps, which led the Jaguars to promote Joe Giles-Harris from the practice squad on Monday.
MINNESOTA @ DETROIT
Upgrades:
CB Justin Coleman, DET (4 solos, 1 asst, 1 FF)
Darius Slay left the game early with a hamstring injury, which seemed to push the Lions into 2-CB sets for the rest of the game. Coleman and Rashaan Melvin handled the coverage responsibilities outside and they relied more heavily on linebackers to try and slow down the Vikings running game. Coleman has been coming up with quite a few big plays of late and now could take on added responsibility if Slay misses any time.
Downgrades:
DE Trey Flowers, DET (2 solos, 2 asst)
There wasn’t a clear explanation for it but Flowers only saw 34 defensive snaps (47%) this week, which is surprising given he had been playing 70% of the snaps over the previous 3 games. It appears that Christian Jones (77%) took over most of those snaps, but he struggled with the added responsibility as an edge defender.
CB Xavier Rhodes, MIN (2 solos)
Rhodes has not played up to his normal level for much of this year and he was partially to blame for the 4 touchdowns allowed to Marvin Jones this week. He is likely playing injured as he has missed practice time with a hip injury and only saw 57 snaps (75%) this week. With Minnesota playing on Thursday night against Washington, the short week may further limit his effectiveness.
OAKLAND @ GREEN BAY
Upgrades:
CB Trayvon Mullen, OAK (0 tackles)
Mullen only saw 1 defensive snap this week but the rookie is in line for a starting job following the trade of Gareon Conley to the Texans on Monday. Mullen is a 2nd round pick out of Clemson and it’s very likely the rookie corner rule will be in effect starting with next week’s matchup against Houston.
Downgrades:
CB Jaire Alexander, GB (1 solo, 1 asst)
Alexander has the profile to be a productive fantasy corner due to his aggressiveness but he hasn’t been very active in run support. While his 10 passes defensed are an indicator of his excellent play in coverage, he has just 6 solo tackles and 1 assist over his last 4 games combined.
HOUSTON @ INDIANAPOLIS
Upgrades:
LB Darius Leonard, IND (7 solos, 3 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Leonard hadn’t played since suffering a concussion in week 2 and dealing with the after-effects. He returned to action this week and played all 65 snaps, reducing Anthony Walker to more of a 2-down role as he saw just 52% of the snaps. Leonard is back among the clear LB1 options but likely carries more risk of another head injury.
Downgrades:
S Tashaun Gipson, HOU (1 solo)
Gipson came into the game with a hip and wrist injury and then lasted just 9 snaps (12%) before leaving with a back injury. He had a 2-game interception streak prior to this game but now looks like he may miss some time. He was replaced by Jahleel Addae, who was credited with 2 solo tackles on 69 snaps (91%).
ARIZONA @ NY GIANTS
Upgrades:
DE Chandler Jones, ARI (5 solos, 4 sacks, 3 TFL, 4 QH, 1 FF, 1 FR)
Jones may be the prototype for why IDP leagues need to group edge rushers together instead of breaking them out into linebackers or defensive ends. Because he plays in a base 3-4 defense, he gets grouped into a very deep pool of linebackers and becomes an average starter. If he was grouped with the defensive ends, he’d rank among the very top IDPs overall. With 4 sacks this week, he now has 8.5 on the year and could challenge his career-best season of 16 from 2017.
CB Patrick Peterson, ARI (7 solos, 1 sack, 1 QH, 1 FF)The return of Peterson helped spark the Cardinals defense to an 8-sack outing against rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. In addition to adding one of the sacks himself with a forced fumble, his presence often took away the top option for the Giants. Despite often forcing the throw to the other side of the field he still finished with 7 tackles in the game, but a few of those came in run support.
Downgrades:
LB David Mayo, NYG (2 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 PD)
Mayo contributed a sack that will likely mask the fact he was only on the field for 30 defensive snaps (46%) this week. Given the matchup, the Giants spent most of the game in their dime package with 6 defensive backs. That likely won’t be the norm but it does confirm that Mayo’s value is quite matchup-dependent now that Alec Ogletree has returned.
SAN FRANCISCO @ WASHINGTON
Upgrades:
DE Nick Bosa, SF (5 solos, 2 asst, 1 sack, 4 TFL, 1 QH)
After missing a lot of time in the preseason with an ankle injury, Bosa had a slow start to his rookie season. Since a week 4 bye, Bosa has played more than 80% of the defensive snaps and started to emerge as the impact player he was expected to be with 9 solos and 3 sacks.
DE Matthew Ioannidis, WAS (8 solos, 1 asst, 1 TFL)
Ioannidis doesn’t get much press but he has quietly been one of the most reliably productive defensive ends in the league this year. He finished with 22 solo tackles in 14 games last year but has already reached that mark in 7 games this year while also adding 2.5 sacks. He has posted at least 5 tackles or a sack in six straight games.
Downgrades:
LB Fred Warner, SF (1 solo, 1 asst)
Warner continues to play a full-time role for the 49ers, but his upside in this defense is clearly limited. He was on the field for all 48 snaps but the Washington offense only generated 38 tackle opportunities in the game. Warner and most of the 49ers IDPs had quiet games on the stat sheet, which is becoming a regular occurrence.
S Montae Nicholson, WAS (1 asst, 1 PD)
Nicholson has been quite productive this year but left the game early with an ankle injury. He finished with 1 tackle on 31 snaps while his replacement Troy Apke added 6 tackles plus an interception on 35 snaps.
LA CHARGERS @ TENNESSEE
Upgrades:
S Roderic Teamer, LAC (6 solos, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Teamer certainly isn’t an exciting player but he has been steady in terms of his production since taking over the strong safety job in week 3. The undrafted rookie is averaging 6 combined tackles per game and added his first interception this week.
CB Logan Ryan, TEN (5 solos, 3 asst, 1 FF, 3 PD)
Ryan has been the most productive fantasy cornerback in the league this year and it isn’t particularly close. While this isn’t a huge surprise considering his proven track record of tackle production, he’s taking things to a new level as a playmaker. Through 7 games, he already had 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, and 9 passes defensed with a good chance to set career highs in all of those categories.
Downgrades:
None
NEW ORLEANS @ CHICAGO
Upgrades:
DE Bilal Nichols, CHI (3 solos, 1 asst, 1 TFL, 1 QH)
With Akiem Hicks placed on IR due to an elbow injury, there’s a clear opportunity for someone else to emerge on the defensive line. Nick Williams and Roy Robertson-Harris have both shown flashes but Nichols has more upside as a pass rusher than either of them. After missing most of the season with a broken hand suffered early in week 2, Nichols returned to the lineup and played 53 snaps (68%) to rank first among defensive linemen.
S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, NO (7 solos, 2 TFL, 1 QH, 2 PD)
The fourth-round pick out of Florida could be the Saints' strong safety of the future, but Vonn Bell has likely played well enough to put those plans on hold for the time being. He proved this week that he could still have a key role as the team’s nickel back though. Filling in for the injured P.J. Williams, Gardner-Johnson was on the field for 59 of 65 defensive snaps (91%) and had a very productive game with 6 defensive solo tackles along with a quarterback hit and two passes defensed.
Downgrades:
S Eddie Jackson, CHI (2 solos)
Jackson picked off 8 passes and scored 5 touchdowns during his first two seasons in the league to establish himself as one of the league’s best playmaking safeties. Through 6 games of this year, however, the lack of splash plays from him, and the Bears defense as a whole has been surprising. He has no interceptions or forced fumbles and just two passes defensed and a fumble recovery. Without the big plays, he loses almost all of his fantasy value.
BALTIMORE @ SEATTLE
Upgrades:
DT Jarran Reed, SEA (2 asst)
The numbers weren’t there for Reed this week but the workload was as he was on the field for 50 of 59 defensive snaps in his first game back from suspension. He’s coming off a breakout 10.5 sack season and will likely see some improvements in his production next week against Atlanta after a warm-up game this week. His return also reduced Quinton Jefferson to just 17 snaps (29%) after seeing 87% of the snaps a week ago.
LB L.J. Fort, BAL (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QH)
Fort was a surprising cut by the Eagles earlier this year after playing mostly on special teams for them and he has been a nice addition for the Ravens. He played 28 snaps a week ago and was all the way up to 56 (78%) this week alongside Josh Bynes (3 solos, 5 asst) who played 54 snaps. Even when Patrick Onwuasor returns from an ankle injury, Fort may be able to hold onto his spot with more efforts like this one.
Downgrades:
None
PHILADELPHIA @ DALLAS
Upgrades:
LB Nathan Gerry, PHI (7 solos, 4 asst)
The Eagles released the underwhelming Zach Brown a week ago even though he had been their starting middle linebacker. That created an opening for Gerry, who added 6 tackles on 62 snaps a week ago and then added 11 on 70 snaps (100%) this week. The Eagles don’t have much going right for their defense at the moment, but Gerry is a former college safety who has the athleticism to stay on the field for all 3 downs.
Downgrades:
LB Leighton Vander Esch, DAL (2 solos, 1 asst, 1 TFL)
While the neck injury that forced Vander Esch out of the game this week isn’t expected to be serious, it’s possible that Sean Lee could steal some snaps from him. Lee set a season-high in playing time a week ago with 37 snaps (60%) before playing 46 snaps (75%) this week and tying Jaylon Smith for the team lead in tackles. Either way, the upcoming bye week may be enough for Vander Esch to heal up and get back close to 100%.
