NFL defenses have taken the field for the 2023 season's first regular season game. Some deployed personnel similarly to preseason action. Others showed starting personnel for the first time outside of practice. As is the case every year, Week 1 was full of surprises.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins' new defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, blindsided depth-chart trackers with not just one but two positions widely targeted in IDP leagues. The first surprise is relatively mild. Brandon Jones, listed as the starting strong safety on the Dolphins' opening-day depth chart, played just two snaps on defense.
Fangio explained that Jones is still working his way back into form after an ACL injury 11 months ago. Fantasy gamers chasing DeShon Elliott's 13 combined tackles on waivers should be wary of Jones' role as the season progresses.
Fangio further explained that the front office's prize free-agent signing, David Long, earned a starting linebacker role in base sets but was beaten out by Andrew Van Ginkel for a nickel role. Van Ginkel was a SAM linebacker who spent most of his time rushing the passer in his previous four seasons as a pro. At 28 years of age, Van Ginkel's transition to a new position seemed more likely to put him on the roster bubble than in a regular rotation for playing time.
Most fantasy football platforms overlooked Van Ginkel's position change. Even though he's a part-time player (63% of snaps in Week 1), he's a cheat code as a defensive end in tackle-heavy true-position leagues.
According to Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Andrew Van Ginkel is the nickel starter, so don’t be surprised if you see him more. pic.twitter.com/RzRcUyChyB
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) September 14, 2023
New England Patriots
Despite Adrian Phillips' appearance on the Patriots' depth chart as a starter, he played just 17 snaps in Week 1. The starting safety alongside Kyle Dugger was Jabrill Peppers.
Peppers was a darkhorse Heisman Trophy candidate as a multi-purpose defender and returner at the University of Michigan in 2016. He never lived up to fantasy gamers' excitement as a pro and was last relevant as an IDP in 2020 with the Giants.
In the meantime, Dugger played full-time, as did linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley. These two players, together with pass-rusher Matt Judon, provide IDP gamers with a viable fantasy asset at each level of the Patriots' defense for the first time in memory. Bentley's line of 3 solo tackles, 6 assists, and 1 tackle for loss will vary in value based on the scoring system. However, his tackle and snap totals already demonstrate potential for a high return on investment relative to his average draft position last month.
"We talk about him & we praise him but I think outside these walls he's not given the respect that he should be given"
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) September 14, 2023
Matthew Judon speaks highly of LB Ja'Whaun Bentley pic.twitter.com/Klpif6ExjB
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Minnesota Vikings
IDP preseason sensation Ivan Pace Jr Jr. did not appear as a starting linebacker on the Vikings' Week 1 depth chart. He was, nevertheless, the clear LB2 over sophomore Brian Asamoah and led all rookie linebackers in snaps.
Minnesota's LB1 Jordan Hicks played nearly full-time in new defensive coordinator Brian Flores' defense. Long a practitioner of aggressive man-to-man defense, Flores did not have the personnel to execute it in Week 1. Hicks benefited from a surprisingly zone-heavy approach in Minnesota. He played 66 snaps (97%) but accounted for just 3 assisted tackles in Week 1.
Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, meanwhile, leads the team in tackles through two weeks. Phillips occupies a role similar to that of Miami's Christian Wilkins in Flores' defense. The Vikings won't face forty-something rushing attempts again this season, but Phillips is clearly on a trajectory for a top-twenty finish at his position with the upside for more if he can find a consistent pass rush in this defense.
San Francisco 49ers
The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Nick Bosa, held out until the brink of the regular season. The 49ers' depth chart thus omitted Bosa and indicated Drake Jackson and Clelin Ferrell as their starting defensive ends.
Preseason reports had the Raiders' former fourth-overall pick well ahead of the sophomore Jackson. Ferrell is widely regarded as a bust and a reason for the downfall of former Raiders' general manager Mike Mayock.
Ferrell indeed outsnapped Jackson 31 to 28 in Week 1, but it was Jackson who scored 3.0 sacks of quarterback Kenny Pickett. Beat writers are revising their eternally optimistic perspectives, suggesting that Ferrell and Jackson are a dynamic duo by phase.
Jackson is the upside player that fantasy gamers should chase. Ferrell recorded a single tackle despite being tabbed as the superior run defender of the two. The modern game is pass-focused; the best pass rusher will play more snaps.
Bosa's 2022 bookend Samson Ebukam played 59 percent of snaps in 15 starts. Jackson should grow toward that mark as the season evolves and solidify himself as a regular option in big-play-scoring formats on a dominant NFL team. Fantasy gamers would be wise to cite snap counts and allow a week to pass before chasing Jackson in the trade market.
A look at all of Drake Jackson’s sacks from yesterday😮💨
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) September 11, 2023
Drake will have __ sacks in 2023? pic.twitter.com/PZi0mi2pKM
Conclusion
While fantasy gamers chase DeShon Elliott, Jabrill Peppers, and Ivan Pace Jr Jr. on waivers, some of their teammates fly under the waiver wire as free additions or low-cost trade targets. Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, defensive end Drake Jackson, linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, safety Kyle Dugger, and Andrew Van Ginkel are all viable starting options depending on the format for little investment by fantasy gamers.
Footballguys brings the reader abundant resources to pick players off waivers and for line-ups each week. This column helps the reader better understand the reasoning behind these moves. Reading the Defense will track trends and analyze anomalies each Friday. Future editions will tackle the impacts of press coverage, two-high-safety sets, and other evolutions of the game on defenders' fantasy values. Readers and subscribers are welcome to follow along and engage this writer in conversation on the Footballguys' IDP Forum or writer @DynastyTripp on the website formerly known as Twitter.