UPGRADES
DE Corey Liuget, SD (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 FF)
Liuget hasn’t quite reached the level of a reliable fantasy starter at DE since he was taken in the 1st round of the 2011 draft. His sack numbers topped out at 6 in 2012 and are typically limited due to playing in a 3-4, but he posted his second strong start of the year this week and could be headed for a breakout of sorts. The Chargers lost Melvin Ingram III to injury this week, so they’ll need to rely even more on Liuget up front to help generate more of a pass rush.
DE Carlos Dunlap, CIN (6 solos, 1 sack)
Dunlap has long been considered a player on the verge of a breakout type year. He often rates highly in terms of pressure generated, but it hasn’t always resulted in sacks. So far in 2014, that doesn’t appear to be the case as he’s posted a sack in all 3 games so far. He’s already in his fifth year but is only 25 years old so he should be entering his prime.
DE Andre Branch, JAX (2 solos, 1 sack)
Branch was left for dead by most fantasy owners after his rookie year in 2012, but he has quietly been getting better and is starting to put up decent numbers. Gus Bradley appears to be having a positive impact on the former 2nd round pick, and even though he’s not seeing starter snaps he has been productive with the playing time he gets.
DT Bennie Logan, PHI (6 solos, 1 asst)
Logan plays Nose Tackle in the Eagles 3-4 defense, and that’s not typically a position that generates a ton of tackle opportunities. Logan has posted 7 tackles over the past two weeks in a row though so he’s worth taking a look at in leagues that require a starting DT. He’s a big body with good quickness who is still improving as a 2nd year pro.
LB Jelani Jenkins, MIA (11 solos, 4 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF)
Jenkins may wind up being one of the biggest breakout IDP stars this year. Not many people paid attention to him in the offseason even though the Dolphins were searching for answers at LB. An injury gave him a chance to play and he is making the most of it. Over the past 2 weeks, he has been credited with an amazing 20 solo tackles, 9 assists, and 1.5 sacks with a forced fumble. The Dolphins have a strong defensive line which should allow Jenkins to roam free and make plays all over the field. MLB Jason Trusnik is also playing an everydown role and putting up solid numbers.
LB Bruce Carter, DAL (9 solos, 3 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 TD)
Carter has not been as good as expected most of the time, but he came through on Sunday with solid production across the board. He picked up 12 combined tackles and also showed off some playmaking the Cowboys have been lacking without Sean Lee in their lineup. He picked off a hurried pass from Austin Davis of the Rams and returned it 25 yards for an easy touchdown.
LB Anthony Hitchens, DAL (10 solos, 3 asst, 1 PD)
The Cowboys started the rookie out of Iowa at MLB this week as Roland McClain sat out with a groin injury. Hitchens looked very comfortable as he piled up 13 tackles and a pass defense while playing just about every snap in the game. He also came up with 2 huge stops at key points in the game that will likely help build some trust in him from the coaching staff.
LB DeAndre Levy, DET (9 solos, 1 asst, 2 PD)
Levy established himself as one of the better cover linebackers in the league last year when he finished with 6 interceptions. The season-ending injury to MLB Stephen Tulloch likely means that he’ll be relied on even more heavily now. The Lions will probably move Levy inside to MLB as they did on Sunday, and that could result in a couple additional tackles per game as he’ll have less competition and be lined up in the middle of the field.
S Aaron Williams, BUF (9 solos, 5 asst)
Williams had a lot of pressure put on him coming into this season as he was expected to replace All Pro Jairus Byrd at free safety. He had to take on more responsibility on Sunday after starting SS Da’Norris Searcy left the game early. Williams responded with a 14-tackle effort as he helped keep Donald Brown and the Chargers running game in check. He may not have Byrd’s playmaking instincts, but he’s an active player who could wind up among the top-10 fantasy safeties at the end of the year.
S Tashaun Gipson, CLE (3 solos, 2 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Gipson has flown under the radar a bit for the Browns as he played with TJ Ward and Donte Whitner at strong safety. He may not put up big tackle numbers, but he’s clearly a ballhawk. Last year, he picked off 5 passes and he’s already picked off 2 in 2014. The Browns have a bye week coming up, but he’ll look to keep his interception streak alive in week 5 when they visit the Titans.
S Reggie Nelson, CIN (3 solos, 3 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Nelson is another player who fantasy owners often shy away from because he doesn’t post the type of tackle numbers that allow you to start him reliably each week. He’s a strong playmaker though, so he has added value in leagues that value big plays more heavily. Through 3 weeks, he’s posted 1.5 sacks and an interception to go along with 13 solos and 8 assists.
S Kendrick Lewis, HOU (11 solos, 1 asst, 1 FF)
The former Chief had a huge outing on Sunday in a tough loss to the Giants. He picked up 12 tackles in the game, including 11 solo stop while also adding a forced fumble when he stripped the ball from Giants TE Larry Donnell at the 4-yard line to prevent an easy score.
CB Greg Toler, IND (4 solos, 1 INT, 2 PDs, 1 TD)
The Colts have 3 corners they probably feel comfortable with but Toler got the start over Darius Butler this week and he responded with his second interception of the year. Toler posted 82 solo tackles back in 2010 when he was a starter with the Cardinals, but his career was derailed by injuries. It looks like he’s back and on his way to putting up solid production.
CB Byron Maxwell, SEA (9 solos, 2 asst, 1 PD)
There are few situations better for a corner than playing opposite a player like Richard Sherman who teams rarely throw at. That should result in a lot more targets and opportunities for Maxwell each week. Through 3 games, he seems to be doing pretty well with 17 solo tackles, 3 assists, an INT, and 3 passes defensed.
DOWNGRADES
DE Armonty Bryant, CLE (0 tackles)
Bryant looked dominant in the preseason and seemed like he could be headed for a breakout year as a pass-rusher in the new Browns defense. He saw 44 snaps in the opener as Desmond Bryant sat out, but he’s been reduced to a situational pass-rush specialist now. With just 15 to 20 snaps/game, he’s not getting enough opportunities to be a viable fantasy option.
DE Chris Clemons, JAX (1 asst)
Clemons missed some practice time this week with an illness, but he still managed to start and play most of the game. Despite playing a ton of snaps each week, he’s not making much of an impact on the stat sheets. Over the last two weeks, he’s managed just 4 combined tackles.
DE Mathias Kiwanuka, NYG (1 solo)
The Giants no longer have a wealth of talent at defensive end, but that figured to open up a nice opportunity for Kiwanuka to take on a full-time role at DE. He’s getting plenty of snaps each week, but not doing a whole lot with them. Through 3 games, he’s been credited with just 4 solo tackles and a half sack.
DE Robert Quinn, STL (2 solos, 1 asst)
Quinn posted 19 sacks last year and came into 2014 as one of the top-ranked IDPs overall. Through 3 games, however, he’s yet to post a single sack and his tackle numbers (6 solos, 1 assist) probably aren’t giving owners much comfort. Some regression was to be expected, but not nearly to this level. The Rams have a bye week coming up so hopefully they can figure out some ways to get their star pass rusher back on track in week 5 against the Eagles.
LB Melvin Ingram III, SD (DNP)
The Chargers outside linebacker was off to a strong start with 8 QB hurries in his first two games, but he was placed on IR over the weekend. He already missed most of 2013 to an ACL injury so this is a tough blow for him and the Chargers. He’s on the designated to return version of IR so he could return later this year.
LB Connor Barwin, PHI (1 asst)
Barwin is averaging almost 70 snaps/week for the Eagles, but he’s an example of why playing time isn’t everything. Despite all those opportunities, he’s been credited with just 3 solos, 3 assists, and a pass defensed. The Eagles secondary isn’t playing particularly well, but Barwin needs to do more to be worth a roster spot in most leagues.
LB Jamie Collins, NE (3 asst)
The problem with Collins is that it seems you’re never quite sure exactly how Belichick will use him. He played every snap in the opener before sitting out a week with an injury. This week, he was healthy enough to start but still only wound up seeing 20 snaps. There’s upside if he can settle into a full-time role, but you probably need to keep him on your bench until that happens.
LB Stephen Tulloch, DET (2 solos, 1 sack)
Tulloch left the game early this week with what turned out to be a torn ACL. It was an unusual injury, however, as it seemed to happen during a celebration of a sack. The Lions are expected to shift DeAndre Levy inside to MLB and have Tahir Whitehead take over on the weakside.
LB Jarvis Jones, PIT (1 solo, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 FF)
Jones suffered a wrist injury on Sunday night that will require surgery. He was placed on the IR/designated to return list, which means he’ll be out for at least 8 games and could return in week 13 to face the Saints. James Harrison is reportedly going to sign with the Steelers as a potential replacement.
S Da’Norris Searcy, BUF (1 solo)
Searcy was not having a good outing on Sunday but it got worse when he left the field with an ankle injury in the 3rd quarter. He seemed like a potential breakout candidate this year with the Bills questions at LB, but it just hasn’t worked out so far. Through 3 games, he’s been credited with just 8 solos and 2 assists. Duke Williams has put up similar numbers in fewer snaps and would be next in line to start if Searcy can’t go.
S Glover Quin, DET (0 tackles)
Quin is playing an everydown role for the Lions at strong safety but he’s not seeing a whole lot of activity. He was shut out this week despite facing Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense, and only picked up 4 combined tackles last week.
S Stevie Brown, NYG (1 solos, 1 asst)
The last time we saw Brown before this year was 2012 when all he did was make big plays. He missed 2013 after tearing his ACL in training camp, and it doesn’t look like the magic is still there. Through 3 games, he’s yet to post any big plays and he was benched in the second half this week after getting beat for a long touchdown.
CB DeAngelo Hall, WAS (3 solos, 2 asst, 1 FF, 1 FR)
Hall has been one of the most consistently productive fantasy corners for many years, but he suffered what could be a devastating injury on Sunday. He apparently ruptured his Achilles and will miss the rest of the season. That’s the type of injury that could limit his effectiveness in the future, and makes it two weeks in a row that we’ve seen an elite fantasy CB added to IR (Charles Tillman).
CB Ike Taylor, PIT (2 solos, 1 asst)
Taylor hasn’t put up the same type of fantasy numbers that Hall has, especially later in his career, but he was lost to a season-ending injury this weekend as well. He underwent surgery on Monday to repair a broken forearm and is expected to miss about 6 weeks.