Eyes of the Guru IDP Info, Week 2

Photo: USA Today Sports

We got a lot of answers from the week one games. Unfortunately, some of them were not the ones we wanted. Before I dive into this week’s column, let me remind everyone not to overreact based solely on numbers. Every week of the season, there will be star players with bad games and marginal guys with good ones. Make your decisions based on the situation, not the box score from one game.

Arizona Cardinals

If you already have Zaven Collins, breathe a big sigh of relief. If you don’t have him and can get him, it might be a good idea to make that move. Collins put up modest numbers at 4-3-0 but he was on the field for 96% of the snaps and was in the steady role at middle linebacker, while Isaiah Simmons played 87% of the snaps, managing just three solo stops.

As advertised, Simmons moved around a lot Collins, working everywhere from the edge to what might best be described as a safety/slot alignment when Collins and Nick Vigil were both on the field as linebackers. Based on their respective roles, both Collins and Simmons should have plenty of solid games but I see Collins being the more consistent of the two. Vigil was on the field for about half of the snaps.

J.J. Watt was inactive with a calf injury. In his absence, Zach Allen and Michael Dogbe were the starters. Allen had a rather quiet day but he did play 83% of the snaps.

Atlanta Falcons

Grady Jarrett was on a mission against the Saints. After playing most of his career as a 4-3 tackle, he is showing great versatility in the Falcon’s new scheme. Jarrett worked as a defensive end in both three and four-man fronts versus New Orleans and was highly disruptive. After finishing the 2021 season dead last in sacks with 17, the Falcons landed four in week one with Jarrett leading the way at 3-2-1.5. This is not the same old Falcons.

Both Mykal Walker and Rashaan Evan were on the field full-time in week one. Neither player went big in the tackle columns with six combined tackles each, but both added a turnover to boost their scores. The Saints ran the ball 13 times in this game so tackle opportunities were limited. That is not going to be the case in most weeks.

Both of Atlanta’s safeties put up decent totals. Richie Grant managed ten combined stops with five solo, while Jaylinn Hawkins went 5-1. There was nothing that screamed at me to pick them up, but the numbers are certainly enough to put them on the radar for a closer look in week two.

Baltimore Ravens

Patrick Queen did not post eye-catching numbers but eight combined tackles and half a sack are much better than what he gave us on most weeks last year. Most importantly, he has returned to the every-down role, logging every defensive snap against the Jets. The numbers should be there going forward.

Malik Harrison showed up with five combined tackles while Josh Bynes had just one. This time the numbers were misleading in that Harrison played 22 snaps while Bynes logged 32. The bottom line is that these two appear to be sharing time next to Queen.

Kyle Hamilton is not ready to make a major impact, but he did have a role against the Jets. He played half the defensive snaps, logging three solo stops. The surprise was that Hamilton saw a lot of his time as the deep safety, allowing Marcus Williams to work the slot more than expected and match up with running back Michael Carter often. Carter’s seven receptions had a lot to do with the surprising success of Williams who had a huge game at 10-2 with a forced fumble and a pick. The question now becomes, was this a one-time thing for Williams, or will he continue to work near the action? A new defensive coordinator is running the show so I am cautiously optimistic.

Kyle Fuller suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Damarion Williams and Brandon Stephens will play bigger parts going forward.

Buffalo Bills

Six players were on the field for at least 96% of the snaps, all in the back seven. That’s great for linebackers Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds, who played every snap and put up solid numbers. The rest of the story, however, presents some possible problems.

The Bills' pass rush dominated with seven sacks, so there were several pass rushers with good numbers. Most managers will see all the fantasy points and look no further. The problem is that the Bills are not going to produce seven sacks every week, so the mass rotation approach will catch up with the sooner or later.

A.J. Epenesa and Greg Rousseau started at defensive end with Von Miller and Boogie Basham also figuring heavily into the rotation. Miller finished at 4-0-2, Basham 2-0-1, Epenesa 1-1-1.5, and Jordan Phillips 2-2-1.5, but only Rousseau who was 4-0-1 played more than 55% of the snaps.

Ed Oliver left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. He returned for a play or two, then left again. Jordan Phillips factored heavily into the rotation and was well on the way to a strong game even before Oliver left. With Oliver questionable for week two, Phillips is in line for an even bigger slice of the pie. Keep in mind that the last time he played a full season for the Bills in 2019, he went 25-6-9.5 on the season.

Jordan Poyer recorded a pair of solo stops on the first series against the Rams but was not heard from again until picking off a pass in the second half. The interception saved the day for those of us that started him but the vanishing act caused some concerns. From what I saw when scouting the game, Poyer’s lack of tackle totals was simply a case of game flow and a Rams offense that failed to get much going. Poyer played virtually every snap in the same role we have seen over the last few seasons. Mark this up as a fluke for now.

Carolina Panthers

At the end of the pre-season, there was some concern that Jeremy Chinn would play free safety with Xavier Woods moving into the box safety role. I have not yet had time to watch more than a couple of series from this game but the sampling I have seen does not necessarily support this theory. What I saw was the Panthers using their safeties as interchangeable pieces with both working deep and closer to the action at times. The result was both players putting up useful numbers. Chinn finished 5-2, and Woods 2-8 with a pass breakup. I’ll keep an eye on the situation again this week.

Carolina teased us with Damian Wilson as a three-down linebacker during the preseason. When the game counted, it was not to be. Wilson bailed out anyone that started him with a sack, but he finished at 2-2-1 on a mere 39% of the snaps. Surprisingly, Shaq Thompson was not an every-down guy either, going 2-4 on a 75% share, while Frankie Luvu led the way in both playing time at 85% and tackles at 5-1. I just can’t get excited about any of these guys right now.

Chicago Bears

Much of the Chicago vs San Francisco game was played in a monsoon, so don’t put too much weight on the results. Rookie defensive end Dominique Robinson is a waiver wire honey this week after going 5-2-1.5 with a batted pass. The big numbers could lead to a bigger role going forward, but before you spend too much to get him, be aware that he played just 28 snaps (41%) versus the 49ers. On the other hand, that was a bigger share than Trevis Gipson who is the supposed starter opposite Robert Quinn. We should gain more perspective this week when the Bears face a Packers offense that struggled to protect Aaron Rodgers last week.

Both Nicholas Morrow and Roquan Smith played every snap in week one.

Cincinnati Bengals

It was heavily speculated that Daxton Hill would get on the field as the slot defender in his rookie season as he is groomed to play free safety. That may eventually be the case, but for now, it is Mike Hilton in that role with Hill getting on the field for a handful of snaps against Pittsburgh. Hilton led the Bengals with eight solo stops against the Steelers and has been productive in that role in the past. One game is a fluke, but if he gives us another solid outing versus the Cowboys, managers in corner-required leagues should not hesitate to move on him.

Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell combined for two tackles and three assists in week one. So is there reason for concern? I’m going to say yes. When the Cincinnati defense struggled in the past, their safeties were money for IDP managers. When the team started turning things around, the production from the safety spots began to slide. The better the team plays, the further that slide continues. I’m not expecting many one-solo games from these guys, but I’m not holding my breath for anything better than DB3 numbers either.

The Bengals' pass rush only got home once versus Pittsburgh, but they were close on several other plays. I’m not concerned for Sam Hubbard, Trey Hendrickson, or B.J. Hill.

Cleveland Browns

All Browns linebackers were disappointing in week one, and it’s not all that hard to figure out why. Part of it was the inept running game of the Panthers that saw running backs carry just 13 times. The bigger issue is that Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was the only one to reach 70% of the snaps, and he has never been a reliable fantasy option. Their most productive linebacker, Anthony Walker, is now stuck in a timeshare with Jacob Phillips.

Grant Delpit played every snap at strong safety. He was short in the tackle columns against Carolina, but those numbers should come.

Dallas Cowboys

Leighton Vander Esch didn’t play every snap, but he was close enough to it. The only time I saw him come off the field was in dime packages when Micah Parsons was the lone linebacker. Vander Esch logged 85% of the snaps and led the team in solo stops with six and combined stops with nine. He is available in a lot of leagues and should be at or near the top of your waiver list at linebacker.

Jayron Kearse left with what looked like a potentially serious knee injury. The team got good news on Tuesday with the diagnosis of an MCL sprain that might set him back for only a month. In the meantime, look for Donovan Wilson to have an expanded role and probably some fantasy value as well.

Dorance Armstrong drew the start opposite Demarcus Lawrence and saw the second most snaps among the Cowboys’ defensive ends. Unfortunately, that only means a 45% play share. In all, six players worked into the defensive end rotation, with Demarcus Lawrence leading the way at 60% (37 plays). Unless they can get near a 70%, it will be tough for any Dallas lineman to have great value.

Denver Broncos

Maybe it is because he’s not fully recovered from the dislocated elbow, but whatever the reason, Jonas Griffith was limited to 58% of the snaps in week one. With Josey Jewell on the shelf for a bit, it is now Alex Singleton in the lead role. He managed nine combined tackles on a 96% play share on Monday night.

Strong safety Justin Simmons did not practice Wednesday and is going to miss some time with a quad injury. The team signed Anthony Harris to the practice squad, suggesting Simmons might be out a while. Caden Sterns should be the next man up, but it would not be a surprise to see him work at free safety with Kareem Jackson shifting to strong.

Detroit Lions

Tracy Walker was all-world in week one, right up to the point when he was ejected after throwing a punch. Walker played virtually every snap up to the incident and piled up fantasy points, going 9-4-1 with a pass breakup. Walker is expected to get a fine but is not likely to miss additional time due to suspension.

Walker is not likely to be available but if you need help at safety, take a look at DeShon Elliott, who played strong safety on nearly every snap and totaled six solo stops against the Eagles. There is not a ton of upside with Elliott, but there will be plenty of opportunity.

Jeff Okudah could also be worth picking up in leagues that start corners. He was 7-3 with a pass breakup versus Philadelphia. Okudah missed nearly all of last season with injury but has put up good numbers in seven of ten career games dating back to his rookie campaign in 2020.

Rookie Malcolm Rodriguez is a player that everyone has been watching since he became the darling of Hard Knocks. He had a significant role in week one, working on 61% of the defensive snaps, but is not playing enough yet to provide consistent value. That role still belongs to Alex Anzalone, who finished at 7-2 on 93% of the plays. I have been critical of Anzalone but giving credit where it’s due, he looked pretty solid against the Eagles.

There was no shortage of playing time for rookie defensive end Aiden Hutchinson, but he was not able to make an impact in the box scores despite playing 69 of a possible 76 snaps.

Green Bay Packers

Quay Walker got off to a strong start in his NFL debut with seven tackles and an assist before leaving with a shoulder injury in the second half. Unlike Packers teams of the past, it looks like this year’s defense will feature a pair of three-down linebackers over the three safety looks we have seen in recent years. The sore shoulder could be an issue in the short term but is not considered serious. Walker has a shot to play in week two, but we might want to sit him until we see that he is healthy.

Houston Texans

The Texans find themselves thin at defensive end already. Mario Addison landed on IR last week with his thigh injury, and Rasheem Green was inactive for the opener due to a thigh issue. That left Jerry Hughes, Jonathan Greenard, and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo to handle all the edge work. It had been a long time since Hughes was an IDP factor, but then it had been a long time since he played 55 snaps in a game. Hughes had a big day, going 3-0-2 with a pick and a forced fumble against the Colts. At this point, I am leaning toward this being a fluke, but Hughes is certainly someone we are going to be watching closely in week two.

Overtime padded tackle numbers a bit, but even without the extra ten minutes of game time, Kamu Grugier-Hill had a big day. He played every defensive snap for the Texans, putting up 18 combined tackles and confirming expectations that he is an every-week must-start.

Christian Kirksey was also on the field for every snap. His mark of 2-7 with a fumble recovery is enough to keep him in the conversation as an LB3 prospect. That said, both on the field and in the box scores, Grugier-Hill looks like the lead man here.

Right up to kickoff on Sunday, a lot of people still believed that Eric Murry would be the starting free safety for the Texans. If you have been following the IDP content at Footballguys, you were not one of those people. We had Jonathan Owens as the starter, but no one saw 15 combined tackles coming.

Owens (11-4 with a pass defended) and Jalen Pitre (5-6) were both highly productive in fantasy terms. The next question is, will this be the norm? We are not going to see many games where these two combine for 26 tackles, but nothing I saw suggests they will not continue to be productive. The Texans ran some cover-2 but were not in it all the time, and these two guys looked very solid. Expect Pitre to be the better/more consistent IDP option in the long run In the long run.

Indianapolis Colts

Reports out of Colts training camp said that the light had come on for Kwity Paye entering his second season. There was no pre-season action to confirm it, but week one sure did. He did not look like the same player that struggled often and was largely invisible as a rookie. Instead, Paye caused havoc, going 6-1-2. It was just one game so he still has much to prove, but my opinion of Paye is on the rise.

Dayo Odeyingbo was one of my high-upside sleepers entering this season. I still like his upside, but getting him on the field in a significant role might take an injury. He played just four snaps in week one.

E.J. Speed was the man that came off the bench to replace Shaquille Leonard in week one, but it was Zaire Franklin who stepped into the three-down role. Speed had a good game, going 3-4-1 with a forced fumble on 54% of the action, while Franklin managed a solid 6-2. Leonard returned to full participation in practice this week and appears to be in line to play in week two.

Nick Cross got off to a modest start with four solo stops against the Texans, but there was no issue with playing time or role as he played every snap at strong safety. Put this one in the fluke column for now.

Jacksonville Jaguars

There was some chatter leading up to the opener, about Chad Muma possibly getting the start at inside linebacker because Devin Lloyd missed so much time. It didn’t happen. Foye Oluokun played every snap and finished 6-4 with a fumble recovery, while Lloyd went 8-3 on 90% of the snaps. Both of these linebackers looked good, as did the first overall pick, Travon Walker who finished 3-1-1 with an interception and is adapting nicely to the outside linebacker role.

Kansas City Chiefs

It would be nice to see Nick Bolton play every snap in a game, but apparently, 88% is enough. Bolton led the team’s linebackers in snaps and led the team in tackles with nine solos and an assist. Both Willie Gay Jr and safety Justin Reid were disappointing with four combined tackles each. Gay was limited to a 74% snap share while Reid saw 88% of the action. It might be a little premature to unload either of these guys but they are certainly on the hot seat entering week two, especially with so many unexpected waiver options available.

Carlos Dunlap only played 46% of the snaps but posted 3-1-1. This guy is 33 years old and far from done. He is a better player than Frank Clark or Michael Danna and could/should emerge as a starter at some point this season.

Dating back to last year, LJarius Sneed is working in the role that has become all the rage in the NFL over the last couple of seasons. He’s working as a roaming safety/corner hybrid and like the others in similar roles, has been very fantasy friendly. He may not have many games as big as the 8-0-1 he turned in against Arizona, but he should continue to be one of the fantasy game’s most productive and consistent corners.

Trent McDuffie leaves Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and has been placed on IR. Jaylen Watson should get the call to stand in until McDuffie returns.

Brian Cook has not yet landed a starting job but is getting on the field. He logged 39% of the snaps in the opener, working mostly in sub-packages, but he did see a few snaps at strong safety in the base.

Las Vegas Raiders

So much for any concern about Jonathan Abram. He played every snap in week one and put up excellent numbers. Free safety Trevor Moehrig suffered a hip injury and was replaced by Duron Harmon. As of Wednesday afternoon, there has been no update on Moehring’s status for week two.

The jury is still out when it comes to Nate Hobbs, who went large in week one, posting 7-1 with a forced fumble and a pass defended. That said, I am leaning toward believing in the second-year man. He was productive as a rookie, recording 74 combined tackles and 3 splash plays, and was a big part of the reason the Raiders traded Trayvon Mullen right before the season. There is also the point that the Raiders’ corner position has been fairly fantasy friendly over the last couple of seasons. If you need a corner, Hobbs is worth some consideration.

Maxx Crosby went large 8-2-0 while Chandler Jones stumbled out of the blocks with two tackles. There is nothing to see here as both played at least 90% of the defensive snaps.

One of the big surprises of week one is at the Raiders linebacker positions. Jayon Brown, Divine Deablo, and Denzel Perryman all posted marginal numbers, but the playing time was far from what most of us anticipated. Last year’s fantasy star, Denzel Perryman, played only 39% of the snaps, while Deablo was in the lead role at 94% and Brown played 66%. The numbers (4-3) will not get Deablo on many waiver lists, but if the play share continues, the production will come. Snap him up while he’s still cheap.UPDATE: It turns out that Perryman injured his ankle. It is not a serious injury but he could miss a bit of time.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Raiders were not the only team to leave us scratching our heads over linebackers. Drue Tranquill put up a modest 4-2 in the tackle columns while his interception saved the day for fantasy managers, but he played just 65% of the snaps. Meanwhile, Kenneth Murray, who missed most of the offseason while recovering from an ankle injury, went 3-2 on 71%, and Kyle Van Noy played 48%. This could be another ugly situation where these three rotate, and none of them give us consistent value.

Khalil Mack looked rejuvenated in his Chargers debut, going 5-1-3 with a forced fumble. It has been a long time since he was on a team with so much talent. It is safe to say this won’t be his last big game this year.

Los Angeles Rams

Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott were the starting safeties against the Bills, with Jordan Fuller on the field roughly a third of the time in nickel looks. Rapp played every snap while Scott logged 88% of the action. Rapp and Scott did not seem to be playing strictly strong and weak. Both saw snaps as a box safety and lined up deep at times. Scott made the bigger impression on the field but unless you are reaching a little, avoid all of these guys for now.

A lot of people were sky high on Ernest Jones entering the season. His mark of 5-2 in the opener was not a major disappointment for those managers, but the breakdown of playing time was. Jones had an impact when he played but was on the field for less than 60% of the action. The Rams showed four different nickel looks. All of them included Bobby Wagner but only two of them included Jones.

The old Troy Hill is back! When last he played for the Rams in 2020, Hill finished as the number two fantasy corner. He returned to the same role and is well on the way to another great year, going 6-2-0 with a pick on 98% of the snaps. If you need a defensive back or a corner, pick him up.

Miami Dolphins

Eric Rowe is banged up and was inactive for week one, so we still can’t confirm that he will not poach snaps from Brandon Jones. On the other hand, if the Dolphins coaching staff saw the same game the rest of us did, Jones is not going to be coming off the field much. He did almost everything except pick off a pass in the opener, going 6-5-1 with a forced fumble and a pass breakup while playing every snap.

Minnesota Vikings

Newcomer Jordan Hicks overshadowed Eric Kendricks in week one. At 9-5-1 with a forced fumble, Hicks turned heads and proved he will be an IDP factor. The rest of the story is that both of these guys are very good players, and they both played virtually every snap. Depending on game flow, we might well see Kendricks with the big numbers this week.

Cameron Dantzler left the week one game for a while, but there is nothing to be concerned about as it was only cramps.

New England Patriots

Over the last few years, we have grown accustomed to the Patriots not giving us much IDP value at the linebacker position. That trend looks to be continuing. Ja’Whaun Bentley had a decent outing, going 4-3-1, but his 72% play share makes it hard to trust him on a week-to-week basis. He led the team’s off-ball linebacker in snaps with just 43.

This was supposed to be the year the Patriots got some return on their investment in Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche. The young players saw action with the starters during the preseason and showed well when doing so. Yet in week one, Jennings was a healthy scratch, and Uche played 17 snaps.

Christian Barmore posted a goose egg, but there is probably nothing to see here beyond the solid play of the Dolphins' offensive line. Barmore played 55% of the snaps in a virtually even three-man rotation with Lawrence Guy and Davon Godchaux. Between them, the trio totaled two tackles and an assist.

Adrian Phillips left the Dolphins game with a rib injury and was replaced by Jabrill Peppers. Phillips was able to practice on Wednesday and has a chance to play in week two.

New Orleans Saints

So it might be a little early to claim there is a new sheriff in town, but Pete Werner was impressive just the same in week one, totaling 12-1 with a forced fumble. Werner, however, was not on the field full time, sitting out some sub-packages. He still logged 81% of the snaps, which will be enough to provide value on most weeks. Demario Davis only went 5-1 on the day but played every snap. All things considered, I like Werner better here, even if he gives up 20% of the playing time.

No one is talking about the legal issues Marcus Maye is facing. Until/unless that becomes a factor, he is an every-week must-start. Maye is working at the strong safety spot that has been a gold mine of IDP production over most of the last decade, and he might be the most talented player to line up there over that time. Maye was limited at practice on Wednesday with a sore ankle.

Adebo Paulson was inactive (ankle). Bradley Roby got the start and is in line to make another this week.

New York Giants

As expected, Tae Crowder was the lead man at linebacker for the Giants, playing every snap. Also, as expected by many, his numbers were mediocre at 4-3. Crowder is going to have some solid games, but he is not going to be a great fantasy option. Career backup Austin Calitro got most of the playing time at the other inside linebacker spot, with Micah McFadden totaling 11 snaps. We’ll keep an eye on this situation as the season progresses, in hope that McFadden can step up.

New York Jets

For managers with Quincy Williams, there was some concern that Kwon Alexander might poach some sub-package snaps or even become the three-down starter next to C.J. Mosley. Alexander has won over teammates and coaches but not to the extent of replacing Williams, at least not at this stage. Williams went 6-0-1 on 91% of the snaps versus Baltimore, while Alexander was limited to base personnel with three linebackers, playing 66% of the game.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles' first game gave us some interesting turns. Safety Marcus Epps led the team with eight tackles and two assists, while Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was a respectable 5-0 with a pass breakup. The decent numbers by Gardner-johnson were expected while the production of Epps was not so much. One game is not going to tell this story, but it sure gives us something to keep an eye on.

It was not a surprise to see T.J. Edwards play every snap in week one, but it was that Kyzir White (74%) did not. Neither player impressed in the box scores, but that is nothing to panic about after one game. That said, a 74% snap share is enough to keep White out of most lineups. I like the chances of Edwards to bounce back with a strong matchup against Minnesota.

I’m not sure what to think about Haason Reddick at this stage. He was quiet against Detroit, going 1-1-0, but he played nearly 70% of the snaps, which is more than enough for an edge defender to find success. Let’s give him another week before making a decision either way.

Derek Barnett suffered a torn ACL against the Lions. Patrick Johnson is next up, but Milton Williams could see some work at DE. Barnett lost his starting spot to Josh Sweat during training camp so Johnson and Williams would be looking at rotational snaps.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers gave us no every-down inside linebacker against the Bengals. Robert Spillane played 29% of the snaps, working as the lone off-ball linebacker in some sub-packages and seeing a few snaps in base packages. Devin Bush played 51% of the time, seeing action almost exclusively in base looks. Myles Jack played in all the base and nickel packages, coming off the field in dime sets. An 85-90% play share is enough to make Jack an every-week LB3 consideration. It will probably take an injury to make either of the other two guys roster worthy.

T.J. Watt suffered a pectoral injury but is not expected to miss the rest of the season. He is looking at a six to eight-week recovery. Malik Reed will step in until Watt returns.

Levi Wallace is nursing an ankle injury but was able to get in a limited practice on Wednesday and could play against the Patriots.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle will likely finish the season without Jamal Adams, who suffered a knee injury in week one. Josh Jones came on in relief and performed well, going 4-3 on 53 snaps in relief. He is no Adams, but Jones can put up good numbers in a fantasy-friendly situation. Pit him on your waiver list if you need help at the position.

Rookie Tariq Wollen got the start at corner and played well until he was forced out with a shoulder injury late in the game. Woolen is a big physical corner with some things in common with another late-round pick that became a star in Seattle, Richard Sherman. He has a long way to go to earn that comparison on the field, but the rookie is off to a good start. He has not been ruled out for week two.

San Francisco 49ers

After racking up eleven combined tackles and a pick, 49ers strong safety Talanoa Haufunga tops a lot of waiver lists this week. The question is, should he be there? It’s hard to say either way with any certainty after one game, but I have my concerns. For starters, San Francisco has not exactly been a hotbed of safety production over the last several years. In fact, it’s been a lot of years since they gave us a top-40 safety. Then there is Hufanga who started several games as a rookie last year and did next to nothing. In seven games, he failed to exceed four solo stops even once. He will be high on the watch list for week two but it will probably be too late to get him if he does it again.

We went into the weekend looking to see if it would be Dre Greenlaw or Azeez Al-Shaair paired with Fred Warner in sub-packages. Neither player put up big numbers in the monsoon-like conditions, but it was Greenlaw with the opportunity, playing every snap.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The role of Logan Ryan was one of the big questions entering week one. He played 83% of the snaps, seeing action at both strong safety and in the slot. He and Antoine Winfield were virtually interchangeable. Winfield saw a lot of action as a slot or box defender, leading to a big game at 5-1 with a pick. Ryan’s numbers were low at 3-2 but that probably had more to do with the struggling Dallas offense than the role. It might be a good idea to sit Ryan this week if you have another quality option, but patience might be your friend on this one.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans took a major hit with the loss of Harold Landry before the season, but if the week one results are an indication, there might be a silver lining. Tennessee unexpectedly managed five sacks against the Giants, with two coming from last year’s fourth-round pick, Rashad Weaver. Weaver drew the start but played just 29 snaps in the game. Expect his playing time to spike quickly if the production continues.

Tennessee’s inside linebackers scored the same number of fantasy points, with David Long going 5-3 and Zach Cunningham 6-1. What is important to know here is that Long never left the field on defense while Cunningham played about 78% of the snaps. This is roughly the same snap breakdown we saw from the Titans last year after Cunningham joined the team, so chances are, this is what we will get. Cunningham is one of the best run-stuffing linebackers in the league and should have solid LB3 value on most weeks even with less than 80% of the snaps. I still have much bigger expectations for Long.

Washington Commanders

We didn’t get much production from Cole Holcomb (2-3) or Jamin Davis (3-0), but there is no reason for concern here. Holcomb played every snap, and Davis was at 93%. The problem here was a Jaguars offense that did not play particularly well, especially on the ground where they had 16 carries by running backs. Holcomb 2-3 100%. Jacksonville ran the ball 16 times

One Washington defender I am watching intently in week two is strong safety, Darrick Forrest. He stood in for Kam Curl, who is likely out for a while with a thumb injury. Forrest was flat impressive, finishing with four tackles, an assist, a forced fumble, an interception, and two passes defended. Another game like that and Curl may have difficulty getting back on the field when he’s healthy. Curl must have gotten that message as well. He returned to practice this week and will try to convince the coaching staff he can go against the Lions.

Rookie tackle Phidarian Mathis suffered a season-ending knee injury in week one, leaving the team thin at the position. The news for Jonathan Allen was much better. He left the game with a groin issue but returned to practice on Wednesday and says he is fine for week two.

That’s a wrap for this week’s offering. Best of luck on those waiver moves.

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