This week I’ll be breaking down a few linebacker situations that you need to monitor and a few safety spotlights! It’s a bit of a shorter one, so buckle up and let’s get it rolling!
LB Cody Barton has played 62% and 77% of defensive snaps over the last two weeks for Seattle.
This contrasts his 94%, 96%, and 100% snap rates over the first three weeks. Thankfully, Barton averaged about 10 combined tackles a game over that stretch, so managers aren’t feeling the dip in volume yet. That being said, if his snap count remains limited, he may become a less reliable starter. Managers might look to sell high off of this recent performance and target a full-time player who may be underperforming.
LB Alex Singleton played 54% of defensive snaps for Denver.
LB Josey Jewell suffered a knee sprain halfway through the Broncos’ shootout with the Colts. His status is week-to-week, so Singleton should see a full-time workload until Jewell returns. Managers should expect production similar to Singleton’s first two games this season. He should be added in leagues that roster all other 3-down linebackers.
LB Rashaan Evans played 100% of defensive snaps for Atlanta.
In my Week 3 recap, I said that Evans likely would not have another 100% snap game this season. He responded by playing 100% of snaps over the next two weeks. The Falcons traded Deion Jones to the Cleveland Browns, allowing Evans to continue being a productive IDP linebacker for the remainder of the season. Mykal Walker got banged up in Week 5 allowing for rookie linebacker Troy Andersen to see some playing time. Should walker or Evans miss any time this season, expect Andersen to step into a highly productive role. He may be worth a stash in deeper leagues where other backup linebackers are also rostered.
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LB Deion Jones was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Speaking of the Atlanta linebacker situation, let’s discuss the impact of this move. The consensus among the IDP community is that Jones is a threat to linebacker Jacob Phillips’ 100% snap share from the past two weeks. Phillips missed a key tackle against the Chargers that led to a breakaway rush from Austin Ekeler. That play seems to be a microcosm of why the Browns’ coaching staff might be looking for a change at the position. Managers should be hesitant to start Phillips in Week 6 and wait to see how Jones factors in. If Jones plays a significant amount of snaps, it will likely just muddy the water for all linebackers in Cleveland.
LB Bobby Okereke is back to 100% of defensive snaps for Indianapolis.
I mentioned that was cause for concern last week regarding Okereke’s snap count after he was benched for portions of his Week 4 game against the Titans. I am not worried about him anymore now that he has seen a full allotment of snaps in Week 5.
LB Monty Rice played 0% of defensive snaps and 86% of special teams snaps for Tennessee.
Whatever optimism remained around the second-year Titan can be quickly forgotten. Rice was activated for the first time this season and was strictly a special teams player. David Long, Dylan Cole, Joe Schobert, and likely Zach Cunningham are all getting work over him on defense. It’s hard to imagine there is a legitimate opportunity for Rice this season, and he may be a drop candidate in even the deepest of IDP dynasty leagues.
LB Jaylon Smith has played 50% and 65% of defensive snaps over the past two weeks for the Giants.
Over that time, he has earned six tackles a game as well. Smith is not a full-time linebacker, but he has been moderately productive for the number of snaps he is seeing. Week 5 was also the lowest snap percentage LB Tae Crowder saw all season with only 79% of defensive snaps. While it remains unclear whether or not Smith has the potential to take over the lead role for the Giants, he at least remains an intriguing albeit volatile starting option in deep IDP leagues.
S Geno Stone played 56% of defensive snaps for Baltimore in Week 5.
This week, Marcus Williams suffered an injury that landed him on IR. Managers might see this as an opportunity for rookie safety Kyle Hamilton to step into a larger role for the Ravens’ secondary. However, Hamilton only played 22% of snaps - his lowest rate of the season. Stone looks to be an intriguing addition for teams in need of depth at safety, and managers should be hesitant to view this as a favorable move for Hamilton unless his snap share increases substantially.
No Dallas Safety played 100% of defensive snaps in Week 5.
S Donovan Wilson has been on a tear for IDP managers since Jayron Kearse was injured in Week 1. Malik Hooker has remained in the primary deep safety role this season, but there was uncertainty surrounding the safety room usage upon Kearse’s return. Would Wilson see a snap reduction or would Hooker? As it turns out, they both did. The Cowboys now run a three-safety rotation that may cause some variance in the weekly performances of all three players. Wilson and Kearse still seem to be solid starters in moderately deep IDP leagues, but managers might want to have a backup option in mind for shallow IDP leagues.