Analyzing IDP Trends From Week 3

Each week of the NFL season has actionable information for fantasy managers. I'm here to share some of the most important trends that impact IDP player value.

LB Jack Campbell remains the third option in Detroit.

This one is pretty simple but incredibly frustrating. Teammate Alex Anzalone has played 95% of defensive snaps this season, with Derrick Barnes playing 56% of snaps and Campbell playing 42%. Campbell still helped fantasy managers that started him by earning 5 tackles and a sack, but this was an above-expectation performance given the usage he earned. Campbell will remain an inconsistent starting option until he earns a larger role in this defense.

Green Bay LB De'Vondre Campbell left his Week 3 game with an injury.

He played only 11 snaps before suffering an ankle injury, which caused him to miss the remainder of the game and miss practice on Monday. His replacement was Isaiah McDuffie, who played 61% of snaps and earned a tackle efficiency of 16%. McDuffie was not a full-time player after Campbell exited, so his floor is slightly lower than a typical linebacker handcuff, but if Campbell misses Week 4, McDuffie can be added and started in deeper formats.

San Francisco LB Dre Greenlaw is day-to-day with an ankle injury.

He played 84% of snaps before exiting the game. His replacement was Oren Burks, who played a total of 42% of defensive snaps and earned an insane tackle efficiency of 23%. If Greenlaw misses time, Burks can be added off waivers and become an immediate starter for most teams. This 49ers defense just churns out productive fantasy linebackers.

Houston rotated the LB2 position with Denzel Perryman out.

Last week, I mentioned that Christian Harris was losing playing time to Henry To'oTo'o. With Denzel Perryman out during Week 3, managers were hoping to see Harris play more snaps. The coaching staff thought otherwise. Blake Cashman played more snaps than Harris, showing that he is fourth in the pecking order for linebacker snaps on this team. To'oTo'o played 95% of snaps, Cashman 63%, and Harris 62%. This is a sign for managers to move on from Harris, except in the deepest dynasty leagues. As soon as Perryman returns, Harris' snaps will plummet once again.

Jacksonville LB Devin Lloyd suffered a thumb injury in Week 3.

Many analysts seem to be talking about Lloyd losing work to teammate Chad Muma in this game, just like he did last season. I don't see it that way. After watching the game back, it looks like Lloyd played a full-time role until he exited with his injury, allowing Muma to fill in as his replacement. If Lloyd misses Week 4, Muma can be fired up as a full-time starter, but don't expect an increased role for Muma if Lloyd returns healthy. If you're one of the managers who has been rostering Muma in hopes that he beats out Lloyd for a starting role, I would encourage you to take this Week 3 stat line with a grain of salt and look to move on from Muma once Lloyd returns.

LB Deion Jones is rotating with Kamu Gurgier-Hill as Shaq Thompson's replacement in Carolina.

Both players were on the field at times with teammate Frankie Luvu before he left with an injury. After Luvu was hurt, they both remained on the field. Should Luvu miss time, expect both to play a significant portion of snaps. Jones had a measly 8% tackle efficiency, which could regress positively. However, we haven't seen him be an efficient tackler recently, so managers can add him to their bench but exercise caution before ever trusting him in a starting lineup. Kamu Grugier-Hill continues to be a mediocre real-life NFL player but an incredible fantasy asset. He can be trusted for as long as Luvu is out but is not as sure of an asset with a healthy Luvu.

S Sam Franklin Jr. filled in for injured teammate Xavier Woods.

Carolina has seen a slew of injuries, and Woods is yet another example of that. With Woods playing only 16 snaps before exiting the game, Franklin stepped in to fill the other full-time safety role and was a moderate producer. He earned a 9% tackle efficiency and played 75% of defensive snaps, with 32% of them in the sweet spot. Franklin can be an emergency starter if Woods misses Week 4.

S Tracy Walker III replaced C.J. Gardner-Johnson in Detroit.

Walker was on the field for 100% of defensive snaps but played only 16% of those snaps in the sweet spot and earned a tackle efficiency of 9%. He is a pure deep safety but talented enough to have spike weeks. The player who gained the most from Gardner-Johnson's absence was rookie Brian Branch, who played 95% of his snaps in the sweet spot. While his Week 3 production might be on the higher end of his range of outcomes, he will still be a consistent producer in CB-required leagues and be start-worthy in most other formats as well.