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
DT Jonathan Allen, WAS (5 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 4 TFL, 1 QH, 1 PD on 80% of snaps)
Allen was simply dominant against Dallas this week as he led the team in tackles with 8 while also adding a sack and 4 tackles for loss and a pass deflection. The team hopes to get a boost from Chase Young at some point but his return date is still unclear.
DL Zach Allen, ARI (3 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QH, 3 PD on 94% of snaps)
Allen did not make much of an impact in the first few weeks but stood out this week against the Panthers. He played 49 snaps and was credited with 6 tackles plus a sack and 3 pass deflections as the Cardinals limited Carolina to just 11 first downs and 40 yards rushing.
DL Denico Autry, TEN (2 solos, 2 sacks, 1 TFL, 3 QH, 1 FF on 71% of snaps)
Autry has proven to be one of the best interior pass rushers in the league with a pair of 9-sack seasons since 2018. The Titans lost a huge piece of their defense when Harold Landry tore his ACL days before the season began, but Autry is doing his best to pick up the slack with 3 sacks through 4 games. Rashad Weaver also warrants a mention as he picked up his 3rd sack in 4 games this week.
DL Jarran Reed, GB (4 solos, 4 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 71% of snaps)
Reed was often a productive pass rusher during his time in Seattle but took a step back last year in Kansas City. He’s found a new home in Green Bay this year, however, and should benefit from playing in front of an excellent secondary. He led the Packers in tackles this week with 8 stops while also adding his first sack of the year.
EDGE Rashan Gary, GB (4 solos, 3 asst, 2 sacks, 1 TFL, 2 QH, 1 FF, 1 FR on 74% of snaps)
The Packers decided to cut ties with ZDarius Smith in part because of what they believed they had in Gary. The former first-round pick collected 9.5 sacks last season and already has five sacks this season, including at least one in all four games.
EDGE Haason Reddick, PHI (4 solos, 2 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 QH, 2 FF, 2 FR on 83% of snaps)
While Reddick loses value in leagues that classify him as a linebacker with a move to the 3-4 Eagles defense, he can still produce huge games. He now has 3.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in the past two games and played an impressive 83 % of the snaps this week.
EDGE Jayson Oweh, BAL (6 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QH, 1 FF on 95% of snaps)
The Ravens were without Justin Houston this week but added Jason Pierre-Paul to their lineup. The standout was Oweh, however, as he saw a season-high workload of 95% and led all Ravens defenders with 7 tackles, forced a fumble, and added a 4th quarter sack.
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