Week 1 was a wild ride, to say the least. We saw upsets, big performances, and unfortunately injuries. I sifted through the stats and snap counts to try and find potential waiver wire additions after our first full week of football. Please keep in mind there are many fun ways to play this IDP game we love and if you ever have any league-specific questions feel free to reach out. Alright, let’s get to it.
Linebackers
Kamu Grugier-Hill, Houston Texans
Week 1 Stats: 18 tackles (14 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defended
Kamu Grugier-Hill was a waiver wire wonder last year for IDP managers who were lucky enough to add him to their rosters. With Houston making a bunch of random linebacker signings this offseason, there may have been a slight concern if he would return to an every-down role. Those questions seem to have been answered in Week 1, with Grugier-Hill playing all 92 of Houston's defensive snaps. Grugier-Hill and Christian Kirksey both played every defensive snap and Kevin Pierre-Louis was used sparingly seeing 22 defensive snaps (24%).
Not only did Grugier-Hill see the field a ton but he produced a stellar 18 tackles (14 solos) on the day. Grugier-Hill is likely only available in shallower leagues, but if he's sitting on your waiver wire, scoop him up.
Pete Werner, New Orleans Saints
Week 1 Stats: 13 tackles (12 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble
Pete Werner is a second-year player many IDP analysts and managers were excited about heading into this season. However, there were some reservations about his snap share with him possibly losing snaps in New Orleans' sub-packages. Werner got the start as expected in Week 1 and played a solid 61 defensive snaps (81%).
Certainly a promising start for Werner from a playing time perspective to kick off the season. Even more, promising for IDP managers was his team-high 13 tackles (12 solos). Werner is likely another shallower league add but it's worth taking a look after his hot start.
Quincy Williams, New York Jets
Week 1 Stats: 6 solo tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB hit
Quincy Williams was a nice surprise waiver wire pickup last season as he finished the year with 91.5% snap share over his last eight games. The Jets did decide to bring in Kwon Alexander as a late July signing to make things a little murkier in the linebacker room. However, in Week 1 it was Williams (51 defensive snaps/91%) seeing the field considerably more than Alexander (37 defensive snaps/66%).
As long as Williams holds down the other full-time spot next to C.J. Mosley, he should be productive again this season. Williams is a solid pickup after his nice start to the year notching six solo tackles and a sack.
Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas Cowboys
Week 1 Stats: 9 tackles (6 solos)
Last season, we saw Leighton Vander Esch's weekly snap share roller coaster up and down throughout the year. This year, Vander Esch is off to a promising start after playing 53 defensive snaps (85%) against the Buccaneers Sunday night. Vander Esch only topped that 85% snap share total one-time last year (88% in Week 17) so to say Week 1 was a welcomed sight would be an understatement.
To no surprise, Micah Parsons spent a good chunk of his time lined up along the defensive line against Tampa Bay. As long as he stays healthy, Vander Esch will be relied upon to hold it down in the box. Let's continue to monitor his snaps, but Vander Esch should have a steadier weekly role this season.
Divine Deablo, Las Vegas Raiders
Week 1 Stats: 7 tackles (4 solos)
The Raiders linebacker unit was one trickier to try and figure out before we saw regular season action. Unfortunately, 2021 IDP standout Denzel Perryman suffered an ankle injury and only logged 26 defensive snaps. Divine Deablo ended up leading the unit in snaps with 63 (94%) and was also tasked with being the defensive play-caller. Veteran Jayon Brown logged 44 defensive snaps (66%) in his first game as a Raider.
If Deablo continues to see this kind of workload he has a chance to be a true breakout in his second season. Deablo is a young, intriguing player worthy of a waiver wire pickup. Let's also monitor Perryman's status as the week progresses.
Quay Walker, Green Bay Packers
Week 1 Stats: 8 tackles (7 solos)
Rookie Quay Walker looked the part in his first regular season game. Walker was all over the field and was a near-every-down player until an unfortunate shoulder injury knocked him out of the game early in the fourth quarter. He's certainly not going to be available in dynasty leagues but if Walker was passed up in redraft leagues due to his questionable role, pick him up. However, monitoring his shoulder injury status will be important as we get more information this week.
Also notable is that Krys Barnes suffered an ankle injury after stepping in for Walker. It doesn't sound season-ending for Barnes, but he will be out a while. Isaiah McDuffie was the next man up after Barnes exited the game.
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.
Frankie Luvu, Carolina Panthers
Week 1 Stats: 6 tackles (5 solos), 1 QB hit
This one was a bit of a surprise, but Frankie Luvu led all Carolina linebackers in defensive snaps and wore the coveted green dot serving as the defensive play-caller in lieu of Shaq Thompson. Luvu logged 68 defensive snaps (85%), with Shaq Thompson trailing just behind at 60 snaps (75%). Damien Wilson (39%) and Cory Littleton (35%) both look to be unreliable part-time players at this point.
Luvu is likely available in a wide variety of leagues and is definitely worth an add in deeper leagues after what we saw take place in Week 1. We may see Thompson's snap count get a bump as he's coming back from injury, but Luvu looks well ahead of the others.
Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts
Week 1 Stats: 8 tackles (6 solos)
Zaire Franklin made this article last week as a possible Shaquille Leonard fill-in. Leonard ended up being inactive for Week 1, and it was Franklin who stepped in as the other full-time linebacker alongside Bobby Okereke. Franklin and Okereke both played all 70 of the Colts' defensive snaps, while E.J. Speed logged 38 snaps (54%). Franklin is only an option if Leonard remains inactive again in Week 2.
Defensive Line/Edge
Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 1 Stats: 9 tackles (6 solos), 2 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 QB hits, 1 forced fumble
The big news right now coming out of Pittsburgh is obviously the T.J. Watt pectoral injury as we wait to hear how much time the star pass rusher will miss. Highsmith had a monster Week 1 outing and might be getting a little bit lost in the shuffle with the unfortunate Watt news. Highsmith was a problem all day for Cincinnati en route to his big three-sack performance.
As we await more info on Watt’s timetable, it’s apparent the Steeler defense will need Highsmith to continue to turn up the heat off the edge. While it’s obviously more ideal for Highsmith to be playing opposite Watt with the attention he gets, the third-year man out of Charlotte can hold his own. In leagues where he has DL or Edge designation, Highsmith is a fine waiver wire addition coming off an impressive Week 1 performance.
Jerry Hughes, Houston Texans
Week 1 Stats: 3 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 sacks, 2 QB hits, 1 interception, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble
The old vet Jerry Hughes showed he still has some juice left coming out of the gate with a big Week 1 outing (see stats above). Hughes got the start opposite Jonathan Greenard and played 55 defensive snaps (60%), second to only Greenard’s 62 snaps (67%) among the defensive end group. While a two-sack, one interception week is going to be tough to replicate it looks as though Hughes has a solid role in this defense, especially while Mario Addison and Rasheem Greene are out. Hughes is worth a look in deeper leagues if you need DL/Edge help.
Charles Harris, Detroit Lions
Week 1 Stats: 7 tackles (5 solos), 1 tackle for loss
Charles Harris quietly had a nice breakout 2021 season where he recorded career-highs in tackles (65), tackles for loss (10), and sacks (7.5). While Harris failed to get in the sack column in Week 1, he did produce a solid seven tackles (5 solos) and one tackle for loss. Also encouraging was Harris’ healthy snap share as he logged 64 defensive snaps (83%). With Julian Okwara banged up and Romeo Okwara on IR, Harris should continue to see a high workload and is a solid DE/Edge pickup if you’re looking.
Malik Reed, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 1 stats: 1 assisted tackle
With T.J. Watt certain to miss time, Malik Reed will likely be tasked with stepping up for the Pittsburgh defense. Pittsburgh recently traded for Reed from Denver to add some edge depth, and now his role will be growing in importance. Reed flashed at times in Denver (5 sacks in 2021). Hopefully, he’ll be ready to make an impact in Week 2. Reed is a name to consider in deep leagues where he has DL/Edge designation as a stash-and-see type pickup.
B.J. Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 1 Stats: 3 tackles (2 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack
B.J. Hill is a key piece to Cincinnati's interior unit and is off to a nice start getting home for a sack in Week 1. Hill also saw a hefty snap share against Pittsburgh, playing 51 defensive snaps (81%). If you’re looking for defensive tackle help in true position or DT-required formats, Hill is a worthy option.
Defensive Backs
Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers
Week 1 Stats: 11 tackles (9 solos), 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 pass defended
Talanoa Hufanga started off his second season with a bang! Hufanga played all 58 defensive snaps and finished the game with a team-high 11 tackles (9 solos). Also ideal for IDP, was the fact that Hufanga played just over half (30) of his defensive snaps up in the box area. Hufanga is the type of tone-setting safety we love for IDP. If he's sitting on your waiver wire, smash that mouse.
Jalen Pitre, Houston Texans
Week 1 Stats: 11 tackles (5 solos)
The Houston Texans defense was busy in Week 1, and so was rookie Jalen Pitre. He played all 92 defensive snaps in his regular season debut and produced a solid 11 tackles (5 solos). Pitre also has an encouraging IDP-conducive role as he spent 53 of his 92 snaps in the IDP sweet spot (box, slot, and DL), per Pro Football Focus. There is a chance the rookie was slept on in redraft leagues, and if that's the case, he's an excellent waiver wire pickup.
Nick Scott, Los Angeles Rams
Week 1 Stats: 7 tackles (3 solos), 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended
The Rams' safety deployment was one of the trickier assessments as we headed into kickoff Thursday night. Taylor Rapp ended up being the only one to play all 59 defensive snaps, but Nick Scott wasn't far behind him at 52 snaps (88%). Jordan Fuller was the odd man out as he only saw 18 snaps (31%). From a play-making standpoint, Scott definitely stood out the most among the three players in Week 1. This snap share distribution could certainly shift at any point, but Scott looked the part and should be plenty involved going forward.
Darrick Forrest, Washington Commanders
Week 1 Stats: 5 tackles (4 solos), 1 forced fumble, 1 interception, 2 passes defended
With Kamren Curl out this week with a thumb injury, Darrick Forrest drew the start next to Bobby McCain. Forrest played 67 defensive snaps (96%) and had a solid day notching five tackles (four solos) and an interception. If Curl were to be out again for Week 2, Forrest could serve as a spot starter in deeper leagues where options are thin. However, if Curl returns, he can be left alone.
Nate Hobbs, Las Vegas Raiders
Week 1 Stats: 9 tackles (6 solos), 2 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended
The Raiders' defense had their hands full with the Chargers' potent offense, and Nate Hobbs found himself plenty busy. Hobbs led all Raiders' cornerbacks with 66 defensive snaps (99%) and saw 44 of those snaps up in the box and slot area, per Pro Football Focus. The Raiders take on Arizona in Week 2, meaning Hobbs will likely be busy once again. If you're looking for a corner in those CB-required leagues, Hobbs is a solid option and could even be usable in DB-combined formats as well.
Final Thoughts
As always post Week 1, there was a lot to cover and take in this week. Hopefully, I provided enough options and information to aid you in making some moves to bolster your IDP squads. Keep in mind it’s a long season. Things will change, and then change again. But our staff here at Footballguys will be diving in each week pumping out fantastic articles to keep you on top of everything. Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you all back next week.