After Week 1, many things have us shaking our heads. Do not be discouraged; we will get through this together. Week 1 was a mixed bag of results for our IDL and Edge streaming matchups. Drake Jackson was an absolute monster, recording three sacks. Marcus Davenport was a late scratch and did not play; yes it happened again. D.J. Jones plodded his way to three total tackles, while Shy Tuttle was a hit with three assisted tackles and half of a sack.
The sleepers were pretty solid as well. Boye Mafe did not make any splash plays, but he did come up with four tackles. Leki Fotu was the opposite. He only had one tackle but it ended up being a sack. After Week 1, we were able to see which offensive lines deeply needed help. It is time to attack them. Here are some IDL and Edge streaming matchups for Week 2.
Week 2 IDL and Edge Streaming Options
Edge, Dennis Gardeck, Arizona Cardinals
Matchup: New York Giants - Ranked 11th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings
Gardeck has been hovering around as a deep IDP option since 2020, when he filled in for an injury-riddled Arizona team and converted seven sacks. Though his role diminished the next two years, totaling just a single sack, it seems that he has a stranglehold on a starting spot. the Cardinals are thin at the Edge position, and Gardeck was huge in Week 1. He came away with three total tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
The Cardinals take on the Giants in Week 2. Poor Daniel Jones was running for his life in Week 1 against the Cowboys. The Cardinals pass rush is not anywhere near as good as The Cowboys. The Giants offensive line is still in question. This gives Dardeck ample opportunity to have a great week.
Edge, Randy Gregory, Denver Broncos
Matchup: Washington Commanders - Ranked 32nd in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings
Gregory only had a single assisted tackle in Week 1. That is obviously less than ideal. What it does not tell you is that Gregory led all of the Broncos edge defenders in snap percentage with 68%. Gregory has always had trouble staying healthy, but his volume and talent warrant weekly streaming availability. The Broncos take on the Commanders, who allowed six sacks last week. Gregory has a good shot to get his season firing in Week 2.
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IDL, Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
Matchup: Minnesota Vikings - Ranked 25th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings
This is your last week to stream Jalen Carter. Why, you ask? Because after he lights the world on fire in Week 2 again, he will be a weekly start. In his debut game, Carter finished with a single tackle and a sack. Impressive, yes, but it did not tell the whole story. Carter was an animal. He tied for the league lead in pressures during Week 1 with 8. He and fellow Georgia alumni Jordan Davis were an absolute force.
Vita Vea just racked up four tackles, with one going for a loss against the Vikings in Week 1. Carter should be able to produce in a similar fashion with an added pass-rushing upside.
IDL, Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Matchup: Chicago Bears - Ranked 16th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings
Speaking of Vita Vea, he has an enticing matchup in Week 2. As mentioned earlier, he had a productive Week 1. Vea is incredibly athletic and disruptive on the interior, and his strength is evident in how he throws opposing offensive linemen around. He is set to take on the Bears and Justin Fields in Week 2. The Bears offensive line did not look good in Week 1 versus the Packers. Devonte Wyatt came away with three tackles and one and a half sacks on the interior. Vea could see a similar stat line.
Week 2 IDL and Edge Sleeper Options
Edge, Charles Harris, Detroit Lions
Matchup: Seattle Seahawks - Ranked 14th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings
Many people seem to forget the year Harris had in 2021. He had 65 tackles, seven and a half sacks, and two forced fumbles during that season. His 2022 was cut short to injury, but he has started the 2023 campaign healthy. Though his single tackle was less than inspiring, Harris showed that, outside of Aidan Hutchinson, he will be on the field the most of the other younger Edge defenders. Harris saw an 805 snap share, just seven snaps shy of Hutchinson.
They take on the Seahawks in Week 2, who looked to be in all sorts of disarray. Against a team whose top Edge defender is Michael Hoecht, the Seahawks line looked over-matched. The Lions will be a much more formidable problem for the Seahawks, and Harris could hit home.
IDL, Shelby Harris, Cleveland Browns
Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers - Ranked 22nd in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings
Harris has been a productive interior defender for six years now. Harris has averaged just over 41 tackles per season over the past six leading up to 2023. He is a vacuum on the interior and does provide some pass-rushing ability, showcased by his six sacks in 2021 with the Broncos. He was on the field for 41% of the Browns' defensive snaps in Week 1 but may be on even more against the Steelers.
The Steelers will likely be trying to get the run game going more after they were forced to throw against a stout 49ers defense. Harris could have a busy week.
Final Thoughts
We had mixed results for Week 1, but overall, it was a successful streaming week. Week 2 has some intriguing matchups with some potential blow-up games. Keep following this article on a weekly basis for the top matchups to find, and we will continue to exploit some of the league's worst offensive lines. Thanks again for reading, and good luck this week.