This article immediately highlights 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 to explain why the stat lines may be misleading. It isn’t easy 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. I'm also going to try and group edge rushers together with the understanding that classification as a defensive end or linebacker will depend on your league setup/host. If you have any questions about specific players or situations, please email me or reach out via Twitter.
Email: rudnicki@footballguys.com
Twitter: @a_rudnicki
Upgrades
Defensive Linemen/Edge Rushers
EDGE Kwity Paye, IND (6 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QH on 79% of snaps)
Paye was a high draft pick a year ago who played nearly 60% of the defensive snaps as a rookie but struggled to make a consistent impact on the field. He was able to generate pressure but only finished with four sacks. As with most young players, he should be ready to raise his game to a new level in year two and that’s what it looked like on Sunday as he finished with 7 tackles and a pair of sacks.
EDGE Travon Walker, JAX (3 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH, 1 INT, 1 PD on 83% of snaps)
The #1 overall pick in the draft had a very impressive debut as he registered the team’s only sack while also picking off a pass in the fourth quarter to help Jacksonville extend their lead to eight points. He played 83% of the snaps alongside Josh Allen and looks ready to make an immediate impact even though he was considered somewhat raw as a prospect.
EDGE Khalil Mack, LAC (5 solos, 1 asst, 3 sack, 3 TFL, 4 QH, 1 FF on 84% of snaps)
Mack did post six sacks in seven games last year but missed time with injury, and the Bears decided to move on this offseason. He showed that he still has plenty left in the tank at 31 years old with a strong three-sack effort against the team that drafted him. If he can stay healthy and maintain this type of workload (84%), he’s likely in for a huge season playing opposite Joey Bosa.
EDGE Von Miller, BUF (4 solos, 2 sacks, 3 TFL, 2 QH on 52% of snaps)
Miller was a difficult player to rank coming into the season as he played his entire career as a 3-4 OLB. While it looks like he’ll operate out of a 2-point stance in Buffalo, his role is clearly that of an edge rusher whose primary responsibility will be getting after the quarterback. He collected a pair of sacks as the Bills dominated the Rams up front and collected 7 sacks in all. The Bills used a heavy rotation up front to try and keep everybody fresh but expect his workload to increase in the weeks ahead.
EDGE Alex Highsmith, PIT (6 solos, 3 asst, 3 sacks, 2 TFL, 4 QH, 1 FF on 83% of snaps)
The Steelers' defense piled up seven sacks and four interceptions in this game that went deep into overtime. Highsmith had a career performance with nine tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble while playing 83 of 100 snaps. He left briefly with an arm injury but returned and will be relied on more heavily with T.J. Watt out of the lineup.
Continue reading this content with a ELITE subscription.
An ELITE subscription is required to access content for IDP (individual defensive players) leagues. If this league is not a IDP (individual defensive players) league, you can edit your leagues here.
"Footballguys is the best premium
fantasy football
only site on the planet."
Matthew Berry, NBC Sports EDGE
