IDP Upgrades: Week 10

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. Still, I will try to give everyone an early look at players moving up or down in value among IDP circles. It isn't easy to give waiver advice for IDPs since there is 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 with the understanding that classification as a defensive end or linebacker will often 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

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN/EDGE RUSHERS

DE Maxx Crosby, LV (6 solos, 2 asst, 3 sacks, 3 TFL, 3 QH on 100% of snaps)
Crosby was already an elite IDP option, but the team could see some improvement following the recent coaching change. With 8 tackles and 3 sacks this week against a terrible Giants team, he’s now averaging 4 solo tackles and 1 sack per game with another plus matchup coming against the Jets.

DE Micah Parsons, DAL (5 solos, 4 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, 3 QH on 82% of snaps)
Parsons hasn’t always played up to his potential this year and came into the game with just 22 combined tackles in 7 games. He turned things around on Sunday, however, and racked up 9 tackles with 1.5 sacks against one of the best offenses in the league.

DE Boye Mafe, SEA (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR on 55% of snaps)
Seattle added Frank Clark and Leonard Williams to their defensive line recently, but Mafe is emerging as their best and most consistent pass rusher. He has recorded a sack for six straight games and should be able to keep the streak going next week against Washington.

DE Alex Highsmith, PIT (2 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 5 QH on 85% of snaps)
The Steelers are winning on the strength of their defense this year, and Highsmith helped lead the way this week with a huge game against a rookie quarterback. He collected 4 tackles, 2 sacks, and 5 quarterback hits in the game and remains a strong DE2 option.

DE Byron Young, LAR (8 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 QH, 1 FF on 85% of snaps)
The Packers' offense had one of their most productive games of the year with 38 rush attempts and 62 tackle opportunities generated. That helped boost the numbers for the Rams IDPs, but it was a couple of defensive linemen who stood out. The rookie Young has been one of the year’s most pleasant surprises and his 2-sack outing brings the 3rd-round pick up to 5 in 9 games.

DE Cameron Jordan, NO (3 solos, 4 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QH on 82% of snaps)
At 34 years old, Jordan no longer appears to be the impact player he used to be and now has just 2 sacks through nine games played. He now has 12 combined tackles and a sack over his last two games and should be able to build on those numbers next week against Minnesota.

DE Za'Darius Smith, CLE (3 solos, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 2 QH on 58% of snaps)
Smith had not been able to take full advantage of all the attention that Myles Garrett draws, but there have been some signs of a turnaround. He picked up a sack this week to give him 2 in the past 3 games and has a couple of key divisional matchups coming in the weeks ahead.

DT David Onyemata, ATL (5 solos, 5 asst, 1 sack, 1 FF on 68% of snaps)
The Vikings offense generated 33 rush attempts and 62 tackle opportunities in this game, which helped boost the numbers for many Falcons IDPs. Onyemata stood out, however, with 10 tackles and a strip-sack. He now has 17 tackles and 2 sacks over his last three games.

DT Cameron Heyward, PIT (4 solos, 2 asst, 1 TFL on 55% of snaps)
The Steelers got some much-needed reinforcement on their defensive front this week as Heyward was activated from IR. He suffered a groin injury in week 1 and underwent surgery, but looked good over 41 snaps on Thursday night against the Titans.

DT Kobie Turner, LAR (7 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 86% of snaps)
The rookie 3rd-round pick has averaged more than 40 snaps per game as part of a rebuilt Rams defensive front. While Aaron Donald still attracts most of the attention, players like Turner can take advantage. The Packers offense generated a lot of tackle opportunities in this game, contributing to Turner playing a season-high 86% of the snaps.

DT Deatrich Wise Jr NE (3 solos, 5 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 69% of snaps)
One week after Wise played just 42% of the snaps, he was back to a more normal 69% of the workload this week against the Commanders. He had his most productive game of the season, too, with 8 tackles and a sack, which should be enough to hold off the rookie Keion White for a bit longer.

DT Calais Campbell, ATL (4 solos, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 53% of snaps)
Campbell is 37 years old but doesn’t look ready to retire anytime soon. He picked up another sack this week to give him 3 in his last five games, and he’s proving to be a quality addition to a young Falcons defense.

DT Calijah Kancey, TB (4 solos, 1 sack, 3 TFL, 1 QH on 82% of snaps)
Kancey was a first-round pick who needed some time to recover from a calf injury he picked up early in training camp. He has been playing a key role in Tampa since week 6 and now has a pair of sacks over his last four games with more likely to come.

DT Kentavius Street, ATL (2 solos, 3 asst, 1 TFL, 1 FR on 63% of snaps)
Street went from barely playing as a backup with the Eagles to a 63% workload with the Falcons. He was picked up via trade to replace the injured Grady Jarrett and quickly made an impact with 5 tackles and a fumble recovery on 47 snaps.

DT Dalvin Tomlinson, CLE (2 solos, 2 asst, 2.5 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 QH on 63% of snaps)
This has been a very quiet year for Tomlinson as he came into this week with just 3 solo tackles, 7 assists, and half a sack in eight games played. He exploded for 2.5 sacks against an overmatched Cardinals team but will find things much more difficult next week against Baltimore.

LINEBACKERS

LB T.J. Edwards, CHI (10 solos, 5 asst, 1 TFL, 1 QH, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
With Tremaine Edmunds out this week, Edwards helped to pick up the slack. With a huge 15-tackle game this week against the Saints, he now has 19 solos and 9 assists over the past two games and looks like a clear top-10 fantasy option.

LB Jordan Hicks, MIN (9 solos, 2 asst, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QH, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
The veteran inside linebacker just continues to fill up the stat sheet each week and put together a very productive season. He is averaging just under 9 combined tackles per game and has been more of a big-play threat of late with a sack, interception (returned for a touchdown), and 4 passes defensed in the last four games.

LB Ja'Whaun Bentley, NE (10 solos, 3 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QH on 100% of snaps)
Bentley suffered a hamstring injury last week and seemed likely to miss the game this week or at least play at less than full strength. He responded with his best game of the year, however, and was credited with 13 tackles and a pair of sacks in a close loss to the Commanders.

LB Demario Davis, NO (8 solos, 2 asst, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH, 1 FF on 100% of snaps)
At 34 years old, Davis is still contributing at a high level. He has 23 tackles over his last two games and just picked up his third sack of the year.

LB Nate Landman, ATL (5 solos, 5 asst, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QH, 1 PD on 99% of snaps)
Landman has been one of the most consistent linebackers in the league since replacing Troy Andersen in the lineup in week 4. Over the past six weeks, his lowest output was 8 tackles and his highest output was 12 tackles, plus he added his first sack this week.

LB Zach Cunningham, PHI (8 solos, 2 asst, 1 TFL, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
With Nakobe Dean leaving the game early this week with a foot injury, Cunningham moved back into a full-time role and collected 10 tackles plus a pass deflection. The Eagles have a bye coming up, but also have what looks like a very challenging schedule that could keep their linebackers on the field more often.

LB Damone Clark, DAL (8 solos, 3 asst, 1 TFL on 92% of snaps)
Despite the addition of Rashaan Evans, Clark looks like the top linebacker in Dallas as long as Leighton Vander Esch remains sidelined with a neck injury. He’s averaging over 90% of the snaps in the past three games and has 19 solos and 6 assists.

LB Elandon Roberts, PIT (4 solos, 5 asst, 1 TFL on 50% of snaps)
Roberts has been a part-time player in a rotation at inside linebacker this year, but a season-ending injury to Cole Holcomb will likely move him into a full-time role. He only played half the snaps on Thursday but was highly productive with 9 tackles on 37 snaps. Kwon Alexander will also see a boost in playing time.

LB Jack Sanborn, CHI (8 solos, 2 asst, 1 TFL on 98% of snaps)
Sanborn was highly productive for the Bears last year but lost his spot in the starting lineup when the team signed several big-ticket free agents. With Tremaine Edmunds sitting out this week, he’s getting another chance to showcase himself and now has 15 solos and 3 assists over the past two games.

LB Tyrel Dodson, BUF (8 solos, 2 asst, 2 TFL, 1 QH on 96% of snaps)
The Bills had been using Dodson on early downs and replacing him with Jordan Poywer on passing downs. With Terrel Bernard leaving the game early this week with a concussion, however, Dodson moved into a full-time role alongside rookie Dorian Williams. He’s a productive player against the run and is often targeted in the passing game, which could make him a promising short-term option if Bernard is not cleared for next week’s game.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

S Grant Delpit, CLE (8 solos, 2 asst, .5 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 83% of snaps)
Delpit continues to lead the Browns in tackles and has been trending up of late with 20 solo tackles and 6 assists over the past three games. This defense doesn’t give up many opportunities in most weeks, and he has been the only reliable fantasy option in the back seven.

S Xavier McKinney, NYG (7 solos, 3 asst on 100% of snaps)
McKinney has not played up to his potential this year and has likely been held back at times by a lack of talent around him. His 10 tackles this week were a season-high, however, and he does have 6 pass deflections to indicate he’s been around the ball quite often.

S Tre'Von Moehrig, LV (5 solos, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 100% of snaps)
One week after setting a career-high with 10 tackles against the Giants, Moehrig followed it up with a sack. He’s been one of the few bright spots on the Raiders this year and has been a big play threat while also contributing impressive tackle numbers.

S Jordan Fuller, LAR (3 solos, 5 asst, 1 FF on 100% of snaps)
Although he hasn’t had the big weeks that can win you a fantasy matchup on his own, Fuller has been a steady presence in the Rams secondary and is quietly having a very strong year. He’s averaging 6 combined tackles per game and has 3 forced fumbles plus an interception on the year.

S Markquese Bell, DAL (6 solos, 2 asst on 94% of snaps)
Bell is a former safety who Dallas has converted to linebacker. He has seen a clear uptick in playing time over the past two weeks to help replace Leighton Vander Esch and saw a season-high 94% of the snaps this week. He’s grading out very well in coverage and has been solid in run support despite being undersized for the position.

S Eddie Jackson, CHI (5 solos, 1 asst on 100% of snaps)
Jackson missed a lot of time this year with a foot injury that he suffered back in week 2, but he made his return to the lineup on Sunday. He may not be the playmaker he was earlier in his career, but there’s an opportunity for him to contribute, particularly with Jaquan Brisker sitting out the past two games while dealing with concussion symptoms.

S Jonathan Owens, GB (5 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 1 QH, 1 FF on 100% of snaps)
The Packers were without both of their starting safeties this week as well as a starting linebacker in Quay Walker, but Owens helped pick up the slack and contributed 8 tackles plus a strip-sack. Owens was highly productive in Houston last year and should get more chances with Darnell Savage on IR.

CB Kenny Moore II, IND (7 solos, 1 asst, 2 INT, 2 PD, 2 TDs on 100% of snaps)
Moore has been upgraded several times over the past month and now seems to be well-established as the top fantasy cornerback in the league once again. He took things to a new level this week, however, with a pair of defensive touchdowns. He can fill up the stat sheet in a variety of ways and now has 60+ tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, and 1.5 sacks.

CB Paulson Adebo, NO (5 solos, 2 asst, 2 INT, 3 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR on 100% of snaps)
Adebo had a quiet start to the season and missed some time due to injury, which allowed Alontae Taylor to briefly surpass him in the lineup. Adebo has played every snap over the past three games, however, and has been all over the ball with 3 interceptions, 8 passes defensed, and a pair of forced fumbles.

CB Tavierre Thomas, HOU (7 solos, 2 asst, 1 TFL, 1 FF on 67% of snaps)
The Texans' nickel corner has been very productive during his time on the field this year. While he had some very costly penalties late in the game last week after returning from a broken hand, he responded with 9 tackles and a forced fumble this week and now has 29 combined tackles across the four games he has played.

CB Nate Hobbs, LV (3 solos, 4 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD on 79% of snaps)
One of the knocks on Hobbs has been a lack of big plays, but he contributed a sack last week and added on an interception this week. He’s a physical tackler at the cornerback position and looks like a clear top-10 cornerback when healthy.

CB Mike Hilton, CIN (10 solos on 100% of snaps)
Hilton is a very good nickel corner and warrants an upgrade after collecting 10 solo stops, but this game looks like an outlier.

Downgrades

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN/EDGE RUSHERS

DE Brian Burns, CAR (2 solos, 2 asst, 1 TFL on 75% of snaps)
Burns came into the game this week with an elbow injury and has not made much of an impact in recent games. Unfortunately, however, he suffered a concussion late in the game that is likely to also keep him out for next week’s game against the Bears on Thursday night.

DE Von Miller, BUF (0 tackles on 34% of snaps)
Although he’s not himself and perhaps limited by the knee brace he’s playing with, Miller has been remarkably ineffective. He’s been active for the past five games and has played 104 snaps in that time, but he has just 1 assisted tackle and very little pressure to show for it.

DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, TB (1 asst on 67% of snaps)
His playing time hasn’t changed much, but Tryon-Shoyinka has not been as effective rushing the passer of late. He has just 1 sack in his last six games and only averages 3 tackles per game.

DE Yannick Ngakoue, CHI (1 asst on 65% of snaps)
The Bears traded for Montez Sweat and quickly signed him to a contract extension, which figures to provide an upgrade at defensive end. Ngakoue has played 436 snaps for them this year but has just 11 solo tackles and 2 sacks. Maybe the combination will work better, but it’s also likely that he will see a drop in playing time here.

DE Sam Hubbard, CIN (1 QH on 69% of snaps)
Chalk this one up to a tough matchup as Josh Allen has done a good job of avoiding sacks this year, and the Bills offense only ran the ball 16 times in this game. Hubbard has been playing very well this year and still has 4 sacks over his last six games.

DT Chris Jones, KC (1 asst, 1 QH on 84% of snaps)
Jones has a well-earned reputation as one of the league’s best interior pass rushers and had a 5-game sack streak earlier this year. Over the past three games, however, he’s been very quiet from a fantasy perspective with 2 tackles, 3 assists, and no sacks.

DT Daron Payne, WAS (2 asst on 78% of snaps)
With Washington trading away their two young defensive ends, it will be interesting to see how their star defensive tackles do. Payne has just 1 sack on the season so far and has gone very cold of late with just 1 solo and 3 assists over his past two games.

DT Jonathan Allen, WAS (1 solo on 77% of snaps)
It will be interesting to see how Allen does now that Washington has shipped out their top two defensive ends. The early returns were not promising as Allen was credited with just a single solo tackle this week, and he’s been very quiet for three games in a row now.

DT Kenny Clark, GB (1 solos on 26% of snaps)
While his tackle numbers have been underwhelming, Clark came into this week with 4 sacks on the year and would have had a great matchup against the Rams. Unfortunately, he left the game early with a shoulder injury and did not return.

LINEBACKERS

LB Cole Holcomb, PIT (2 asst, 1 QH on 22% of snaps)
Holcomb has been the top linebacker in Pittsburgh this year, but he was carted off the field on Thursday night with a serious knee injury. He’s going to need season-ending surgery and will be placed on IR, which means that Kwon Alexander and Elandon Roberts will likely both become 3-down linebackers.

LB Terrel Bernard, BUF (2 solos, 2 asst, 1 QH on 43% of snaps)
Bernard is having a breakout season as the new starting middle linebacker in Buffalo, but he left the game early this week with a concussion. The Bills play the Broncos on Monday night next week, but it might be tough for him to clear the protocol in time to suit up. In that case, Dorian Williams will move into the lineup alongside Tyrel Dodson.

LB Nakobe Dean, PHI (1 solo, 2 asst, 1 QH on 28% of snaps)
One week after posting 11 solo tackles against Washington, Dean was forced to leave the game after playing just 28% of the snaps with a foot injury. He already missed four games this year with a foot injury, so it seems like this might not be a short-term injury but worth monitoring as more details emerge. Expect Nicholas Morrow to become fantasy-relevant again if Dean has to miss more time.

LB Jerome Baker, MIA (2 solos on 100% of snaps)
Baker played the entire game but had a very quiet game in Germany against the Chiefs with just 2 solo tackles. The Chiefs offense did not generate many tackle opportunities, but he’s also posted 5 or fewer tackles in five of his last seven games, so this wasn’t too unusual.

LB Anthony Walker Jr.CLE (2 asst, 1 PD on 62% of snaps)
This game was never really close, so the Browns got a chance to rest their starters late. Walker wound up playing just 32 snaps in a matchup where the Cardinals' offense generated just 21 rush attempts and 39 tackle opportunities. Walker has just 17 solos and 17 assists through 8 games and has only had one good start in his last four games.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

S Donovan Wilson, DAL (1 solo on 84% of snaps)
Wilson’s 52 snaps this week ranked 5th on the Cowboys defense but was mostly a non-factor in the game with just 1 solo tackle. With Markquese Bell playing at linebacker, Dallas has four safeties in their lineup, and all were far more productive than Wilson this week. He’s been very quiet all season with just 21 solos and 8 assists through six games and no big plays after a huge season in 2022.

S Jimmie Ward, HOU (2 solos on 35% of snaps)
Ward has played well for Houston this year but hasn’t been productive enough to be considered a fantasy starter. Unfortunately, he was forced to leave the game early this week with a hamstring injury and only played 35% of the snaps. DeAndre Houston-Carson replaced him but only added a pair of tackles on 42 snaps.

S Ryan Neal, TB (2 solos on 28% of snaps)
Neal has been struggling in coverage for the Bucs this year and contributing to several big plays against them, including a 75-yard touchdown for Noah Brown this week. Given his playing time dropped to just 28% of the snaps, it looks like he may be losing his starting job to Dee Delaney (who only picked up 1 assisted tackle on 48 snaps).

S Jamal Adams, SEA (2 solos, 1 asst, 1 TFL on 86% of snaps)
This was a disappointing game for Adams as the Ravens dominated on both sides of the ball, but he was unable to help. The Ravens offense generated 41 rush attempts and 68 tackle opportunities, so there should have been plenty of chances to make a bigger impact.

S Dax Hill, CIN (2 asst, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
After a highly productive first month of the season, Hill’s numbers have trailed off considerably. He averaged 6 solos per game over the first four weeks of the year with a pair of interceptions but has just 10 solos and no interceptions in his last four games.

CB Jamel Dean, TB (0 tackles on 14% of snaps)
Dean came into this week with 17 solo tackles over his previous two games but only lasted 10 snaps before leaving the game with a concussion. That seems likely to keep him out next week against the Titans as well.

CB Marco Wilson, ARI (1 asst on 82% of snaps)
Wilson played less than 100% of the snaps this week for the first time all year, which could be a sign that the coaches are looking to replace him in the lineup. He’s been a weak link in their secondary all year, and the rookie Garrett Williams is pushing for a bigger role.

CB Marlon Humphrey, BAL (1 asst on 100% of snaps)
Humphrey has been an elite fantasy corner in the past, but he has not looked like himself since returning from injury in week 5. Over five games this year, he has just 9 solo tackles and none in his last two games.

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, TEN (1 asst on (14% of snaps)
Murphy-Bunting was productive earlier this year but has mostly been a non-factor over the past month. To make matters worse, he only played 14% of the snaps before leaving with a thumb injury, further depleting a secondary that was already missing Roger McCreary.

CB CJ Henderson, CAR (1 asst on 31% of snaps)
Henderson had some productive games this year and looked like a viable streaming candidate at cornerback, but he left early this week with a concussion. It seems highly unlikely that he’ll be cleared to play by Thursday night’s game against the Bears.

CB Marcus Peters, LV (1 solo, 1 asst, 1 PD on 76% of snaps)
Peters has not always played up to his abilities so far this year, but he did record a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown last week against the Lions. He had a quiet game this week before leaving late with a knee injury, but it wasn’t immediately clear how serious the injury was and whether it would keep him out for next week’s game against the Jets.