IDP Upgrades: Week 4

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. 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/X: @a_rudnicki

Upgrades

DE Aidan Hutchinson, DET (3 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 QH, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 PD on 84% of snaps)
It took him a little while to get going, but Hutchinson showed up this week with a pair of sacks and two pass deflections in a key win over the Falcons. He’s capable of making game-changing plays like this each week but just needs to become more consistent to reach his fantasy potential.

DE Rashan Gary, GB (3 solos, 3 sacks, 3 TFL, 4 QH on 38% of snaps)
Gary has seen his playing time slowly rise from just 16% in week 1 to 38% this week, but he still managed to collect 3 sacks on just 23 snaps. With that type of performance, he’s going to make it harder for the coaches to keep limiting his playing time.

DE Matthew Judon, NE (2 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 QH, 1 safety on 67% of snaps)
Judon has proven himself as an elite pass rusher with 28 sacks over the past two seasons combined, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down this year. With 2 more sacks on Sunday, including a safety to seal the victory, he’s doing what he can to keep the Patriots relevant.

DE Samson Ebukam, IND (4 solos, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QH, 1 FF on 64% of snaps)
The Colts are 2-1 after a big win over the Ravens this week, and Ebukam is off to a strong start with his new team. His playing time is not far behind Kwity Paye, and he’s now posted a sack with a forced fumble two weeks in a row.

DE Leonard Floyd, BUF (2 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 QH on 48% of snaps)
Floyd has been a great pickup for the Bills to help sustain their pass rush while they wait for Von Miller to return. He’s only playing about half the game and doesn’t offer much in the way of tackle production, but his 3.5 sacks in 3 games lead the team.

DE Tuli Tuipulotu, LAC (4 solos, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 4 QH on 77% of snaps)
Joey Bosa is playing through a hamstring injury on a limited snap count, so Tuipulotu has seen a big increase in playing time over the past two weeks. The rookie 2nd round pick had a strong preseason and is taking advantage of the opportunity as he picked up 7 tackles with a sack last week and then added another sack this week with 4 quarterback hits.

DT Jarran Reed, SEA (4 solos, 4 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, 3 QH, 1 PD on 53% of snaps)
Reed bounced around to several teams the past two years (KC, GB) but is back in Seattle, where he had some of the best moments of his career. The Panthers were not able to generate much offense from their running game, and Reed was a big part of that as he finished with 8 tackles and 1.5 sacks on 42 snaps.

DT Ed Oliver, BUF (2 solos, 2 asst, 1.5 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QH on 63% of snaps)
While his play doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet, Oliver has been dominant in the middle of the Bills defensive line this year and rewarded the team for signing him to a big contract extension. It’s early, but he seems well on his way to the breakout season many have been waiting to see.

DE/DT Denico Autry, TEN (2 solos, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QH, 1 FF on 55% of snaps)
Autry is listed as a defensive tackle in some league hosts and a defensive end in others, but either way, he’s been a strong start in all 3 games this season. He has a sack in 3 straight games and managed to knock the ball loose this week for a strip-sack.

DT Leonard Williams, NYG (4 solos, 2 asst, .5 sack, 2 QH on 75% of snaps)
Williams had a very quiet start with just 2 tackles in the first two games combined, but he picked things up this week in a loss to the 49ers on Thursday night. Still only a few years removed from an 11.5 sack season, there is some potential here in deeper leagues.

DT Kenny Clark, GB (3 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 84% of snaps)
Clark has been in the league since 2016 and hasn’t topped 6 sacks in a season, but he could be headed for a career year. While he’s often struggled with inconsistency, he’s now posted at least a partial sack in all 3 games of the year, and his heavy workload of late looks encouraging.

LINEBACKERS

LB Terrel Bernard, BUF (5 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QH, 1 FR, 1 INT, 1 PD on 87% of snaps)
Bernard ended up playing 47 snaps like most of the Bills starters, but that was more than enough to make his presence felt. He contributed to a huge showing from the Bills defense as they collected 9 sacks and 4 interceptions. The biggest knock on Tremaine Edmunds was that he didn’t make enough big plays, and Bernard has provided plenty of those during his brief tenure as a starter.

LB Zaire Franklin, IND (11 solos, 4 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 100% of snaps)
Through 3 games this year, Franklin has not missed a single snap, while Shaquille Leonard has not played more than 71% of snaps in the past two weeks. It seems clear that Franklin has become the #1 linebacker on his team, and he has a great chance to finish as the #1 linebacker overall with 29 solos, 17 assists, and a sack in just 3 games played.

LB Kyzir White, ARI (8 solos, 6 asst, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
White is clearly one of the year’s breakouts through 3 weeks of the season. With a huge effort against Dallas that included 14 tackles plus an interception, he’s now been credited with 30 tackles with 1 sack and 1 interception on the year and looks like a top-10 fantasy option.

LB Henry To’oto’o, HOU (6 solos, 4 asst, 1 PD on 95% of snaps)
Denzel Perryman sat out the game this week with a hand/wrist injury, and surprisingly, it was the rookie To'oTo'o who wound up playing most of the game, while Christian Harris and Blake Cashman each played 45+ snaps as well.

LB Jamin Davis, WAS (6 solos, 5 asst, 1 PD on 78% of snaps)
Cody Barton is clearly the #1 linebacker in Washington right now as he’s played every snap, but Davis saw a season-high snap count of 53 this week in a blowout loss. The former 1st-round pick is still somewhat matchup-dependent, but his speed makes him a big-play threat as well.

LB Damone Clark, DAL (7 solos, 2 asst on 69% of snaps)
Clark had two quiet games to start the year, but he showed off some of his potential this week with an 8-tackle game on 42 snaps. He was helped by a game script that allowed the Cardinals to run the ball 30 times, which may not be the norm against this Cowboys defense, but as the #2 linebacker in Dallas, it was nice to see him with a productive game.

LB Deion Jones, CAR (3 solos, 1 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD on 69% of snaps)
Jones was signed off the practice squad last week to help replace Shaq Thompson. He was in the starting lineup, and his experience helped him come up with an interception, but Kamu Grugier-Hill still led the team in tackles with 10 stops. Jones posted 87 solo tackles in 2021 and is still just 28 years old, but he struggled to make an impact with the Browns last year.

LB Drue Tranquill, KC (4 solos, 4 asst, .5 sacks, 1 QH on 82% of snaps)
Nick Bolton sat out the game this week with an ankle injury, and Tranquill filled in for him. While the Bears' offense didn’t pose much of a test, Tranquill still showed that he could be highly productive when given an opportunity, as he led the Chiefs with 8 stops and added a sack on just 42 snaps.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

S Kyle Hamilton, BAL (7 solos, 2 asst, 3 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 QH, 1 FF, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
Hamilton came into the year with the potential to put up elite numbers as a fantasy safety, and these are the types of games many knew he was capable of despite a slow start to his career so far. He collected 3 sacks against the Colts and helped offset some depleted depth at the edge rusher position in Baltimore. Hopefully, this is an encouraging sign for how the coaches use him going forward.

S Amani Hooker, TEN (9 solos, 2 asst on 97% of snaps)
Hooker’s stat line in week 1 was filled with big plays, and then he sat out week 2 with a concussion. He was back on the field this week and managed to lead the team in tackles with 11 stops. The Browns offense generated 31 rush attempts and 27 pass completions, so there were plenty of opportunities, and this might be a secondary that will provide a lot of production all year.

S Brian Branch, DET (11 solos, 3 TFL, 2 PD on 100% of snaps)
The Lions were without two of their top-3 safeties this week so Branch moved into a full-time role and made the most of it with 11 solo tackles (including 3 for a loss) and 2 passes defensed. Even if Kerby Joseph returns soon, Branch is likely to hold onto a big role as a safety or nickel back.

S Jordan Whitehead, NYJ (9 solos, 1 asst, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
While his 3-INT game in week 1 was not likely to be repeated, Whitehead has followed it up with 2 more highly productive games in the tackle columns. He now has 16 solo tackles and 3 assists over the past two games and appears on his way to a career-best season.

S Delarrin Turner-Yell, DEN (10 solos, 3 asst on 100% of snaps)
None of the Broncos defenders played well this week as they gave up 70 points and 700+ yards of offense, but it’s worth mentioning that Turner-Yell led the team in tackles with 11 on defense and 2 more on special teams while filling in for the injured Justin Simmons. If the Broncos' season continues the way it’s headed, some veterans may be traded out, so young players like Turner-Yell could play a bigger role than expected.

CB Devon Witherspoon, SEA (8 solos, 3 asst, 2 PD on 100% of snaps)
Some fantasy teams may have gotten impatient with Witherspoon after a relatively quiet start as he missed a lot of time in the preseason and sat out the opener. However, he looked good in week 2 and built on that performance with a productive outing this week. Andy Dalton and the Panthers threw for 361 yards, but that is often what you want from a fantasy cornerback and he should continue to be tested in most weeks.

CB Alontae Taylor, NO (5 solos, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QH, 5 PD on 100% of snaps)
Taylor was probably the Saints best player on Sunday as he was credited with 5 passes defensed to go along with 5 solo tackles and a sack. The former 2nd-round pick is emerging as a strong counterpart to Marshon Lattimore in the Saints secondary.

CB Byron Murphy Jr., MIN (9 solos, 1 asst, 2 PD on 94% of snaps)
CB Akayleb Evans, MIN (7 solos, 4 asst, 1 FF on 91% of snaps)
Both Vikings cornerbacks had high outputs this week due in part to all the plays they gave up to the Chargers offense. Justin Herbert completed 40 passes for 405 yards and 18 of those completions went to Keenan Allen. The Vikings corners are a weak spot on this team; both look like strong IDP options for your team right now.

CB Brandon Stephens, BAL (8 solos, 3 asst, 2 PD on 100% of snaps)
Stephens is the only Ravens cornerback to play every snap this year, and he’s been productive with 18 solos, 9 assists, and 2 passes defensed.

CB KeiTrel Clark, ARI (8 solos, 2 asst, 2 PD on 100% of snaps)
Clark is an unproven rookie who has emerged as a starter for a scrappy Cardinals team. He’s been struggling early on and is becoming a target that many opposing offenses will likely try to target. While that should provide a boost to his fantasy output, it also puts him at risk of being benched if he doesn’t show signs of improvement as long as the team remains competitive.

CB Roger McCreary, TEN (5 solos, 5 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 83% of snaps)
McCreary was not in the starting lineup but still played 83% of snaps as the primary slot corner since Kristian Fulton returned. That is the same role he played last year when he put up 70 solo tackles and we saw how productive he can be with a 10-tackle, 1-sack game.

Downgrades

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN/EDGE RUSHERS

DE Jaelan Phillips, MIA (1 asst on 47% of snaps)
This was a great opportunity for Phillips to pad his sack total as the Broncos were playing from behind nearly the entire game. He left the game early with an oblique injury after sitting out week 2 as well, so his status or effectiveness for next week’s game against Buffalo could be in doubt.

DE Haason Reddick, PHI (0 tackles on 66% of snaps)
It is officially time to start worrying about Reddick. Through three games this season, he has just 1 assisted tackle to his credit, and he appears to be a non-factor on most plays. The matchup with Washington this week looks favorable after they gave up 9 sacks, but something doesn't seem right with him this year.

DE Za'Darius Smith, CLE (1 solo, 1 asst on 62% of snaps)
Smith was expected to take advantage of all the double-teams assigned to Myles Garrett, but after three weeks, he has yet to record a single sack for the Browns. This week, Garrett was nearly unblockable with 3.5 sacks, but Smith was once again a non-factor. He missed time in practice last week with an ankle injury, so perhaps that contributed.

DE Cameron Jordan, NO (0 tackles on 86% of snaps)
Jordan was shut out completely on the stat sheet this week despite playing 64 snaps in the game and the Saints taking a 17-0 lead into the 4th quarter. Given his age (34), there is concern that his effectiveness and productivity could start to fall off, but it's at least reassuring that he's still seeing such a heavy workload.

DE Zaven Collins, ARI (2 solos, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 30% of snaps)
Collins picked up his first full sack of the season but was forced to leave the game early with an eye injury.

DE David Ojabo, BAL (1 asst on 5% of snaps)
Ojao played 70% of the snaps a week ago and was in the starting lineup this week, but unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury after just 4 snaps and was forced to leave the game. The Ravens were also already missing Odafe Oweh, so their edge rusher group is quite depleted.

DT Dre'Mont Jones, SEA (1 asst on 69% of snaps)
Jones was having a slow start to his time in Seattle this year, but he did pick up a sack in week 2. He had another quiet game this week before leaving in the second half with a hip injury.

DT Davon Godchaux, NE (1 asst on 17% of snaps)
The Patriots nose tackle left the game very early with an ankle injury and did not return. He’s mostly been a non-factor so far this year, however, and this seemed to provide more playing time for Christian Barmore and Lawrence Guy.

LINEBACKERS

LB Frankie Luvu, CAR (4 solos, 1 TFL on 51% of snaps)
Luvu has been excellent for the Panthers and IDP teams whenever he’s been on the field, but he was forced to leave the game early with a hip injury this week. That is a tough loss for Carolina since they just lost Shaq Thompson to a season-ending injury as well.

LB Josey Jewell, DEN (2 solos, 2 asst on 26% of snaps)
Jewell was not able to help slow down the Dolphins offense much, as he left the game after just 19 snaps with a groin injury. Rookie Drew Sanders replaced him and only added 1 assisted tackle on 44 snaps.

LB De'Vondre Campbell, GB (1 solo on 18% of snaps)
Campbell only lasted 11 snaps in the game before leaving with an ankle injury. That created an opportunity for Isaiah McDuffie, credited with 6 tackles on 37 snaps.

LB Krys Barnes, ARI (6 solos, 1 asst, 2 PD on 72% of snaps)
Barnes had another productive game in the middle of the Cardinals defense but was forced to leave the game late with a hand injury.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

S Derwin James Jr., LAC (5 solos, 2 asst on 63% of snaps)
James has not had any big plays yet this year, but he’s been reasonably productive with 18 solos and 6 assists through 3 games. Unfortunately, he left the game early this week with a hamstring injury, which could make him a risky start next week if he can play.

S Xavier Woods, CAR (1 solo on 21% of snaps)
Woods left the game early with a hamstring injury and was replaced in the lineup by Sam Franklin, who added 5 tackles on 56 snaps. Jeremy Chinn did not see much of a change to his role, but the team may look to get him more involved, given all the injuries of late.

CB Tre Brown, SEA (0 tackles on 22% of snaps)
One week after a huge showing against the Lions, Brown only lasted 17 snaps before leaving the game with a concussion. He was replaced by Michael Jackson, who added 6 solo tackles on 62 snaps.

CB Tyrique Stevenson, CHI (2 solos on 29% of snaps)
The rookie has been a pleasant surprise for Chicago this year, but he was forced to leave the game early this week. He originally left the game after a hard hit that seemed to indicate a possible concussion, but he returned for a while and was later ruled out with an "illness" designation.