Eyes of the Guru IDP Info: Week 2

The fallout from the opening round of NFL games always creates a whirlwind of both disappointment and opportunity. The decisions we make this week and next will go a long way toward determining the level of success we will have this year or lack thereof.

Those who have read The Eyes of the Guru over the years have heard this before. The advice is always the same: Week 1 is a liar. Make decisions based on situations that can be explained, not just on the raw numbers from one week of games.

Flukes happen every week of the season. They shine brighter in Week 1 because we are hyped up and desperate to add the player that will win the championship for us. He might be out there, just be sure you're not the manager who cuts the guy who would have won the championship for you, to pick up this week's shiny object.

Guru's IDP Notes on Arizona

A handful of teams had no linebacker reach 70% of the snaps in Week 1. That emphasizes the fact that many managers will have no choice but to start someone at the position who is not on the field full-time. Mack Wilson could end up being one of those guys. Kyzir White is the every-down guy. He managed eleven combined stops while playing every defensive snap. Mack was limited to 63% of the playing time but made the most of it, going 8-1 with a pass breakup. Mack never gave us much value while with the Browns or Patriots, so the solid output in Week 1 could be a mirage. It is enough to get his name on the waiver wire list though.

Guru's IDP Notes on Atlanta

There is good news and bad news with Atlanta's linebackers. The good news is they had two backers on the field for every defensive play. The bad news is that Troy Andersen and Nate Landman shared time at one of those spots. Anderson put up a respectable 5-1, which is fairly impressive considering he played 31 snaps. Meanwhile, Landman was 5-2 on 37. The position produced a strong 10-3, but unless one player can claim the majority of the playing time, neither of these guys can be trusted in our lineups.

One game is not confirmation, but so far, so good for Matthew Judon. His totals were not huge but he tied Grady Jarrett for the most playing time among Atlanta's defensive linemen with 68% while recording five total stops and half of a sack.

Jesse Bates picked up where he left off last year, posting six solo tackles. He and recent addition, Justin Simmons, played every snap but Simmons was credited with a disappointing three assists. If you picked him up, give Simmons another week to show us something. The Eagles should be a much stronger matchup.

Guru's IDP Notes on Baltimore

Most of us expected Trenton Simpson to slide right into the every-down role that Patrick Queen vacated. He might eventually get there but it didn't happen in Week 1. Simpson saw 70% of the action with Malik Harrison getting the rest. The good news is that Baltimore kept two backers on the field in virtually all situations. Now we need Simpson to earn the rest of the snaps.

Kyle Van Noy left last week's game with a fractured orbital socket. He will miss some time but should return in a few weeks.

Eddie Jackson got on the field in a limited role as the third safety. The Ravens fielded three safeties on about 40% of the snaps. 

Guru's IDP Notes on Buffalo

In last week's column, I talked about the potential of Greg Rousseau if he could get a bigger slice of the pie, and the fact that the team was thin at the. If Rousseau is available in your league, grab him. He had the biggest game of his career versus the Cardinals, going 6-0-3 with a forced fumble. Most importantly, Rousseau fell one snap short of 80% of the playing time.  

The Bills fielded at least five defensive backs on every play against the Cardinals. Taron Johnson suffered a forearm injury on the seventh play and was replaced by Cam Lewis, who went on to finish 7-3. So far, all we know about Johnson's injury is that it will keep him out of Week 2.

Terrel Bernard looked great, finishing at 10-1 on 100% of the snaps. Dorian Williams didn't get every snap, but he saw 85% which was enough to post a respectable 5-3 with a fumble recovery. It is a small sample but so far, Williams looks much better than he did as a rookie.

Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin played every snap at safety.

Guru's IDP Notes on Carolina

Carolina took a beating from the Saints. On Monday they poured salt in the wound with the announcement that Derrick Brown is headed to IR with a torn meniscus. Brown is the fourth player at the position to land on IR, leaving the team paper thin. According to their depth chart, third-year man Jayden Peevy would be the next man up.

Josey Jewell had modest production in the opener with three tackles and four assists but he was on the field full-time. The numbers will come, especially if this team continues to struggle as badly as they did against New Orleans.

Guru's IDP Notes on Chicago

The Bears were in a nickel on 61 of 64 plays with Kyler Gordon working in the slot. His numbers were not eye-catching, but this is a fantasy-friendly role, similar to the ones that have produced IDP studs for us in recent years.  

The Bears were in dire need of a bookend to pair with Montez Sweat. In Darrell Taylor, they might have one. Chicago went with the three-man rotation on the edge in Week 1. DeMarcus Walker got the start opposite Sweat and saw an 83% play share, but many of those snaps came from Walked sliding inside on passing downs. Taylor logged almost 60% of the snaps and was nothing short of impressive, going 7-1-2 with a forced fumble. Taylor has shown signs of IDP potential in the past but like many other players, his production has been limited by a lack of playing time. It would be risky to plug him into your lineup right away but it might be a good idea to stash him on your bench until we get confirmation that last week was not a fluke.  

It was a painfully slow day for Kevin Byard III who managed two tackles. This may well be a fluke from a game with a strange script but it is concerning enough to at least land him on the bench for Week 2.

Guru's IDP Notes on Cincinnati

The move to corner might be a good one for Dax Hill. The former safety made a lot of plays in the opener. His size and physical approach are a plus in run support and give the play caller options. Hill finished at 7-1-1 with a pass breakup, making him look like a potentially great pickup for managers in corner-required leagues.

Cincinnati fielded two linebackers on 61 of 63 snaps. Logan Wilson was 7-6 with a forced fumble and Germaine Pratt was 3-5 with a pass breakup. Pratt will be available in some leagues and should be a solid addition.

Guru's IDP Notes on Cleveland

Just when it looks like the Browns might finally give us a good linebacker option, they pull the rug out from under us. Instead of the strong numbers we were hoping to get from Jordan Hicks, he turned in a modest 3-4. More importantly, instead of securing the three-down role, he was limited to a 71% play share. We will get some good weeks from Hicks but unless his role expands, he will be hit or miss.

There was a three-down linebacker for the Browns in this game. The problem with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is that he will play every snap for a game or two then spend half of a game on the sideline the next week. When he plays, he produces so hopefully this year will be different. So far it looks like the same old Browns though.

Juan Thornhill had a productive Week 1 but landed on IR Wednesday with a calf injury. Rodney McLeod and Ronnie Hickman are the lead candidates to replace him.  

Guru's IDP Notes on Dallas

It's been a long time since the Cowboys gave us a top-shelf option at linebacker. If what we saw from them in Week 1 was real, we might get two from this year's team. DeMarvion Overshown kicked off the season with a mark of 5-6-1 while Eric Kendricks was even better at 6-3-2 with an interception. What makes these numbers even more impressive is that Overshown played 58% of the snaps and Kendricks 67% before they were pulled from the blowout win. A closer look reveals that, unlike the 2023 Cowboys, this coaching staff had two linebackers on the field for virtually every snap. 

Another deviation from Dallas teams of the past few years, was on the edge. Instead of a multi-player rotation that kept anyone from getting enough playing time to produce with consistency, the Cowboys used a three-man rotation with DeMarcus Lawrence (4-1-2 FF on 68%) and Micah Parsons (3-1-1 PD on 91%) as the starters, and rookie Marshawn Kneeland (2-1 PD on 58%) as the third wheel. The last time Lawrence played abound 70% of the snaps in a season was in 2018. That year he finished 42-21-10 and forced four turnovers.  

Guru's IDP Notes on Denver

I always preach caution when reacting to a big game from a corner. The nature of the position promotes inconsistency, making it easy to get caught up in chasing points. That said, I am a bit more optimistic that the eight tackles and four assists put up by Riley Moss, may not be a one-week flash. A third-round pick in 2023, Moss played very little as a rookie. Thus he is for all practical purposes, a rookie corner starting opposite one of the best in the game, Patrick Surtain II. It is the rookie corner rule in play and could make Moss a major IDP factor.  

Many managers had Brandon Jones as a strong sleeper candidate during the draft season. I was on that bandwagon for a while but the closer we got to the season, the more my gut feeling told me to get off. After Week 1, it looks like that was a good idea. Jones started and put up a respectable six total stops but he played less than 70% of the snaps. There are plenty of options on the waiver wire this week. If you have Jones on your roster, it might be a good idea to swap him out with one of them.

Cody Barton makes a lot of tackles when he plays. The concern going into the season was all about his role. Those concerns were justified in Week 1 when Barton played 24 snaps in a timeshare with Kristian Welch. Ultimately, the Broncos fielded two linebackers on just 43 of 67 snaps. So even if Barton were not sharing time, he would not be on the field enough to be a factor.

Guru's IDP Notes on Detroit

The Lions had a pair of productive corners in the opener. Rookie Terrion Arnold stepped up with eight solo stops and veteran Carlton Davis was 6-4. This is a winning formula with the rookie corner rule on one side and one of the more consistently productive veteran corners on the other, along with a good matchup. We could see a repeat this week when the Buccaneers come to town.  

There was a shocker in Detroit that will have some managers talking to themselves this week. Everyone anticipated Jack Campbell stepping into a full-time, or at least near full-time role. What we got instead was Derrick Barnes going 3-1 on 82% of the snaps and Campbell 2-5 on 56%. Time to regroup and maybe make a move for one of the surprise linebackers.   

Guru's IDP Notes on Green Bay

The stats from Week 1 might lead us to believe there was a big-time share for the role of LB2. Quay Walker stood out as expected, going 7-4 while Eric Wilson went 3-1, Iasaih McDuffie was 3-3, and Edgerrin Cooper finished 3-1. The timeshare was an illusion though. McDuffie logged a 97% share while Wilson played 15 snaps and Cooper 11. With production like that, McDuffie has to be looking over his shoulder.

It was one game but I am a little concerned about Xavier McKinney. There is always a risk when a star player changes teams. Mckinney lined up deep most of the time, all but removing him from run support duties. He bailed us out with an interception but we are going to need more than three tackles and an assist from him every week. If this approach continues, rookie Javon Bullard will be the guy to roster. He spent much of the game near the line in a box safety role and was 7-4 on the day.

Guru's IDP Notes on Houston

There was optimism for Jalen Pitre going into Week 1. The kind of numbers we were hoping for did not materialize but we should give him another week before throwing in the towel. The Texans played three safeties on every snap with Jimmie Ward working mostly in the deep role, Pitre at strong safety, and Calen Bullock and Eric Murray splitting time evenly as the third. The reason I'm not ready to give up on Pitre is that his three solo stops were tied for second on the team in this game, behind Derek Stingley Jr. with four. There was no shortage of scoring in this contest but the Colts were a horrible matchup. They completed 9 passes and ran the ball 22 times. Take away the scoring plays and 27 offensive plays resulted in a tackle.

Guru's IDP Notes on Indianapolis

On the other side of the Colts/Texans matchup, there were plenty of big numbers to go around. Houston ran 60 offensive plays that resulted in a tackle. Unfortunately for the Colts, too many of them were made by the secondary. Safeties Julian Blackmon (10-3) and Nick Cross (8-6) had big games, as did corner Jaylon Jones at 7-2 and a pass breakup. With Blackmon on rosters in most leagues, Cross is at the top of many waiver lists this week. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but the only player in this group that is sure to be consistently productive is Blackmon. Cross is playing free safety and will likely be, at the least, inconsistent. Jones could be an option but needs to show us another good outing before anyone is convinced.

Guru's IDP Notes on Jacksonville

Jacksonville threw us a curveball at safety. Andre Cisco saw a lot of work at strong safety over the summer and was listed as the starter there on the team's unofficial depth chart. Likewise, Darnell Savage worked mostly as the starting free safety and was listed as the starter. When the team took the field in Week 1, Cicso worked largely in the deep role with Antonio Johnson in the box and Savage as the third wheel in nickel packages. As a result, the only useful production came from Johnson who played every snap and totaled nine combined stops. The moral of this story? If you need a safety, Johnson might be your Huckleberry.

Travon Walker, who is not an elite pass rusher, was 2-4-2 versus Miami, while Josh Hines-Allen, who is an elite pass rusher, went 0-2. Don't get too excited if you have one of these guys as this was a fluke. Both played at least 73% of the snaps so there is nothing to see here.

I am not sure what to read into this one, if anything, but neither Foye Oluokun (85%), nor Devin Lloyd (75%), played every snap. They both put up strong numbers so there is no reason for concern.

Guru's IDP Notes on Kansas City

It was a slow Thursday night game for Kansas City linebackers. The numbers for Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill were sub-par, which was unexpected considering the matchup. The breakdown of playing time, however, was right in line with expectations. The team rolled with a lot of straight 4-3 to match up with the Ravens' offensive style. Nick Bolton played every snap and was joined by Tranquill on 84% of them. At 60%, Leo Chenal probably saw more playing time than he will against most teams.

When the Chiefs went to a nickel, it was safety Chamarri Conner covering the slot. He managed a solid six solo stops on a 58% play share in this one. Conner should have a bigger role on most weeks, especially when the Chiefs face teams that like to pass.

Guru's IDP Notes on Las Vegas

Malcolm Koonce was a late-week scratch with a knee injury that landed him on IR. That opened the door for last year's first-round pick, Tyree Wilson. He got the start but promptly left in the first quarter with a knee sprain. That leaves the Raiders paper thin on the edge. Undrafted rookie Charles Snowden and 2023 fourth-round pick Janarius Robinson split time the rest of the game and are likely to continue doing so until Wilson can return.

Christian Wilkins had a fairly quiet debut with his new team, going 4-1. It is worth mentioning that he played 95% of the snaps. With that volume of playing time, it is hard to imagine that Wilkins would not give us good production.  

Guru's IDP Notes on LA Chargers

The Chargers got us yet again. Most of us, including myself, expected to see Daiyan Henley in an every-down. Nope, not gonna happen. Los Angeles is one of the teams that had no three-down linebacker. Henley saw the most action, logging 40 of a possible 60 plays while rookie Junior Colson played 35 and Denzel Perryman 30. The result, as we would expect, was no IDP useful linebacker. This is one we will keep an eye on going forward as there is speculation Colson could emerge. Until that happens, Keep all of these guys out of your lineup.

Guru's IDP Notes on LA Rams

We heard reports out of the Rams' camp this summer about how impressed they are with rookie Omar Speights. When the team traded Ernest Jones a little more than a week before the start of the season, there was a mass movement among managers to grab Speights. If you checked out last week's EOTG, you let someone else have him and picked up Troy Reeder instead. Reeder not only started against the Lions, he was the every-down linebacker over Christian Rozeboom who played 74%. Reeder's mark of five tackles and three assists was not particularly impressive but he is a serviceable starter and is worthy of a roster spot in most leagues.

Rookie Jared Verse landed his first sack in his first game. There was a three-man rotation in Week 1 with Michael Hoecht in the third slot behind Verse and Byron Young. Hoecht was a decent DL2 over the last couple of years but the demotion to a lesser role should put an end to that.

One of the situations we were looking for clarity on was the Rams' secondary. The answer is that Kamren Curl (4-1) played every snap, mostly at strong safety while Quentin Lake (5-5) also played every snap and John Johnson (2-4 INT) was on the field for 62%. When Johnson was in the game he lined up at free safety and Lake moved into the productive slot role. Lake is available in many leagues and is a worthy addition.       

Guru's IDP Notes on Miami

There is some discrepancy about the positional designation of Emmanuel Ogbah. For those who can play him as a tackle, Ogbah could have good value. He went 2-2-1 in Week 1 and played 75% of the snaps.  

Jordyn Brook and David Long both played every snap in Week 1. Long put up solid numbers at 7-1 but Brooks was a major disappointment at 1-3. This was a concern entering the season as the Dolphins' defense has been a black hole for linebackers over the last few years. Those with Long are feeling pretty good at this point but it will take another week or two to get a good read on these guys.

Don't miss the chance to play Jordan Poyer against his old team this week.

Guru's IDP Notes on Minnesota

None of the Vikings' safeties put up good tackle numbers. Josh Metellus was 3-0, Harrison Smith 3-3 with a pick, and Camryn Bynum 1-2. The good news is that they all played at least 90% of the snaps. It's safe to put them in our lineups this week.

The concerns about playing time for Ivan Pace proved to be real. Neither he nor Blake Cashman put up great numbers but it was Cashman in the lead role with an 89% slice of the playing time, while Pace was on the field just over half of the game.

The safeties were disappointing, the linebackers were no better, and the team's best edge defender was shut out. Jonathan Greenard saw the most playing time of the defensive linemen at 73%. While the Giants were making sure he was blocked, Patrick Jones (2-2-2 on 48%), Dallas Turner (3-0-1 on 51%), and  Andrew Van Ginkel (2-2-1 int/TD on 58%) all had good games. Greenard will get his but this week's matchup with the 49ers is a tough one. Trent Williams may be the best left tackle in the game.

Guru's IDP Notes on New England

Keion White was a wrecking ball against the Bengals. He moved around the formation, keeping the offensive line guessing, and was highly disruptive all day. White's numbers were impressive at  3-1-2.5 with a forced fumble. The most surprising thing to note here is that White played 80% of the snaps. This is something that would never have happened under Bill Belichick, so maybe it is safe to go back in the water and consider more New England defenders.

One Patriot that should be getting more attention after Week 1, is Ja'Whaun Bentley. He played every snap, leading the team with seven tackles and five assists. Bentley has been a marginal starter for us over the last three seasons. This could be the year he becomes an every-week play. 

Guru's IDP Notes on New Orleans

Put the Saints on the short list of teams that had no linebacker reach 70% of the snaps.  Pete Werner was invisible (1-0) despite leading the team's linebackers in playing time. Demorio Davis (2-2-1) had one fewer snap than Werner but somewhat salvaged his day with the sack. Meanwhile, Anfernee Orji went 3-1 on eleven snaps and Willie Gay had two tackles on his nine plays.

There is an asterisk on the shortage of snaps for the starters. The final score was 47-10 and the Panthers offense was abysmal, running 32 plays that ended with a tackle being recorded. I have not yet watched all of this game to see if Werner and Davis played full-time in the first half but it was a plus to see Werner lead the position in snaps. That may not be enough to instill confidence in managers but it should be enough to keep him on our rosters for another week. There will be no blowout against Dallas so a more conclusive answer is coming.    

We know that at age 35, Cameron Jordan is not the player he once was. Even so, it was a bit surprising to see him slip into the third-man role on the edge. Carl Granderson and Chase Young played 68% and 63% of the snaps respectively, while Jordan logged 46%. It is probably time for IDP managers to cash out on Jordan.

The biggest surprise that came to light was at safety where Will Harris got the call and played every snap. I certainly did not see that coming and anyone who says they did, is probably lying. It doesn't end there though. Jordan Howden played 80% of the snaps at the other safety spot while Tyrann Mathieu was relegated to a part-time role at 46%. It will be interesting to see if this becomes the norm. If so, Harris could be a waiver target after this week's games.

Alonte Taylor lit up the stat sheet at 5-1-3 and Paulson Adebo (4-1 PD) led the Saints corners in snaps. The sacks are not something that will be repeated but with Marshon Lattimore nursing a hamstring, we could see good numbers from Taylor and Adebo again this week. First-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry had a role and is in line to be the nickel corner this week.

Guru's IDP Notes on NY Giants

His numbers were respectable at 5-2 but the most important news is that Tyler Nubin played every snap at safety. Coincidentally, Nubin led the team in tackles. If the Giants are as bad as they looked against Minnesota, Nubin is going to make a lot of tackles this year.

It was a slow day for Bobby Okereke who was 2-1 in the tackle columns but salvaged his point total a bit with a fumble recovery. This was a fluke and Okereke should bounce back strongly in Week 2. The potential opportunity for IDP managers here comes from the surprise start by sixth-round rookie Darius Muasau. At 4-2 with an interception, he led New York's defenders in fantasy points.

The question here is, did Muasau get the start because Micah McFadden is gimpy, or has the rookie earned the starting job? There were conflicting reports out of New York last week about McFadden. On Wednesday it was reported that he was still dealing with the groin injury that sidelined him for a while. He was limited on Friday and was active for the game but did not play. The combination of a rebuilding team, the fact that McFadden will never be more than a marginal starter, and the production by Muasau, is a formula that suggests the young man will get at least one more opportunity. The fact that he saw an 82% share of the playing time on a team that is going to struggle, is a good reason to slip him onto your roster.      

Guru's IDP Notes on NY Jets

Chuck Clark is a player I talked about as a sleeper all summer because I expected him to be the Jets' strong safety. Instead, it was Tony Adams in that role. It looked like New York was working more of a right and left safety than strong and free. The bottom line is that both played saw snaps from a box alignment but Adams got significantly more of them. The result was a big game for Adams that included 8-4-1 and a pass breakup. He is available in most leagues and, as the number two safety entering Week 2, should be at the top of our waiver lists at the position.  

It doesn't look like Haasan Reddick will report anytime soon so the Jets will have to make due at the edge position. Jermaine Johnson had a poor statistical game against San Francisco. That was expected considering the matchup, but he did see a 70% playshare. If he is on your roster, be patient. If he is not, consider adding him. With that kind of playing time, Johnson should be productive for us in the long run.  

Will McDonald and Michael Clemons split time nearly equally on the other side with Clemons getting most of the early down looks.

Guru's IDP Notes on Philadelphia

The biggest surprise of the week came in the Friday night game when Zach Baun exploded for 11-4-2. Yes, we have known pretty much all summer that Baun was running with the starters. Yes, we probably should have given him more consideration. But no, this did not look like the same player who could never land more than a part-time role while with the Saints. Baun was everywhere. His play and impact on the field were every bit as impressive as the stats. I don't know what the coaching staff did to flip the switch, but Baun should be the top IDP target on this week's waiver wire in any leagues where he is available.

There is some question about what came first at the other linebacker position. The team tells us that Nakobe Dean won the starting job before Devin White went down with an ankle injury. I'm not sure I believe that. Is it a coincidence that White was the starter all summer but was benched after the third pre-season game? We know White is a head case, was his ankle injured because he was benched? Something smells funny here but it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Dean had an up-and-down game on the field and was disappointing on the stat sheet. He made some good plays but was out of position and/or missed tackles on others. Dean will get the start in Week 2 but if he doesn't tighten it up, we might see a change here in a few weeks.  

Guru's IDP Notes on Pittsburgh

It was a slow day on the stat sheet for Patrick Queen but there is reason for optimism going forward. For the first time since Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh may have an inside linebacker that they trust to play every snap. Queen did so versus Atlanta.

The Steelers listed Elandon Roberts as the starter next to Queen. He was on the field for the first play but that was the highlight of his day. Roberts put up a goose egg while splitting time nearly evenly with rookie Peyton Wilson, who finished with three stops. The interesting note here is that the Steelers had two inside backers on the field for 84% of the snaps. If Wilson can earn the job without the timeshare, there should be enough playing time to provide IDP value.

Guru's IDP Notes on San Francisco

It was a slow day at the office for San Francisco's defenders. Not so much because the Jets offense was bad, but because the 49ers offense dominated the time of possession. Fred Warner was the only defender to reach double-digit fantasy points in this one, but it is noteworthy that DeVondre Campbell (2-3) also played every snap.

Guru's IDP Notes on Seattle

Seattle has been a goldmine of linebacker production for more than a decade. It doesn't seem to matter what name is on the jersey. Both Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker played every snap against Denver. Dodson was far more productive in this one at 9-1 with a pass breakup but we should not sour too quickly on Baker who salvaged his day with a fumble recovery to spruce up his five total stops. I like both players this week against a Patriots team that seems happy to ride their running game and play good defense.

One of my predictions for this season is that Julian Love will be the DB1 at the end of the year. He's off to a great start, going 10-2 with a pick and a forced fumble to take the lead out of the gate.   

There has been no shortage of talent at Seattle's edge positions in recent years. The problem had been just the opposite. With several good players, Seattle had one of those multiplayer rotations that kept anyone from getting enough snaps. There is a new scheme in town and several of those guys are gone. As a result, Boye Mafe was 3-1-1 on an 87% play share against Denver. If he keeps getting that volume of opportunity, we could see a breakout season from Mafe.

Guru's IDP Notes on Tampa Bay

Over the summer I talked a few times about the competition between SirVocea Dennis and K.J. Britt. The answer we got in Week 1 was the worst possible scenario. Britt got the start, going 3-2 on 66% of the snaps. Dennis got the rest of the playing time as the Buccaneers fielded two linebackers on every play. Dennis made the most of his opportunity, stepping up to be the team's highest-scoring defender at 5-2-1. Dennis looked better than Britt on the field as well, so hopefully he can eventually claim all the playing time. He is on a lot of waiver lists this week and deservingly so, but don't plug him into your lineup until he lands a bigger role.

Last year's IDP sensation, Antoine Winfield Jr., will miss at least a game or two with a sore ankle. So far, no one has said the ugly phrase high ankle sprain, so he may not be out for long. If Winfield were the only injury the team has to deal with, we might expect Christian Izien to fill in. With corner Bryce Hall landing on IR with an ankle, Izien could be the starting corner or the slot defender with rookie third-round pick Tykee Smith holding down the fort at safety.   

Guru's IDP Notes on Tennessee

With the late addition of Ernest Jones, we were unsure what to expect in Week 1. What we got was Kenneth Murray in the lead role with an every-down role while Jones shared time with Jack Gibbens. None of them put up useful numbers in the opener and the playing time could be shuffled once Jones is up to speed. The most important take from Week 1 is that Tennessee had two linebackers on the field for every snap. It might take a minute but we should eventually get some good value from one of these guys, and potentially two.  

On my Monday notes I jotted down this: Sebastian Joseph-Day 2-1-1 PD, the next Denico Autry? Upon further investigation, that's not going to be the case. Rookie T'Vondre Sweat started and played nearly 70% of the game while Joseph-Day saw rotational action.

Guru's IDP Notes on Washington

As my readers know, Jeremy Chinn is a guy I am high on this year. While I'm still optimistic about him, his stock took a hit in Week 1. It's not so much that he had just 3 combined stops, but he only played 80% of the snaps and I'm not sure how much work he saw as a strong/box safety. The stat sheet suggests it was not much. This game is high on my list to scout before the weekend. I'll pass along the findings before the weekend, hopefully. Meanwhile, keep Chinn on your bench and/or pick up Quan Martin who led the team with eight solo stops against the Buccaneers.  

Mike Sainristil had a solid rookie debut. I still need to confirm his role but he posted a solid 5-1 and was on the field for all but three snaps.

Dorance Armstrong had zero impact on 58% of the snaps in his Commanders debut. While that is enough to make me nervous about it, a Week 2 matchup with the Giants is difficult to pass up. Armstrong was one of my favorite sleepers entering the season. An invisible game can be forgiven. If he fails to produce with this matchup, the party is over, and it's time to move on.

That does it for this week's offering. Best of luck with those all-important waiver decisions.

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