UPGRADES
DE Jurrell Casey, TEN (7 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks)
After being shut out by the Browns a week ago, Casey exploded for 9 tackles and a pair of sacks in a tight win over the Jaguars. The Titans defense doesn’t get many chances to play with a lead like they did here, but they do see plenty of snaps almost every week. The next two games (@WAS, HOU) look somewhat winnable so Casey might be worth another look.
DE Rob Ninkovich, NE (4 solos, 2 asst, 3 sacks)
Ninkovich played all 69 snaps in a win over the Bills this week and took advantage of an offensive line that has been struggling. After posting just a single sack in the first 5 weeks, he racked up 3 of them against his college teammate Kyle Orton. Next week’s matchup against the Jets also looks pretty favorable so keep him in your lineups.
DE Ezekiel Ansah, DET (4 solos, 1 asst, 2.5 sacks, 1 FF)
Ansah showed off his potent skills with a huge game against the Vikings this week. He made things very difficult for rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater all game and was credited with 2.5 sacks, although that number could easily have been higher. While he is still developing and needs to become more consistent, the potential is clearly there for him to become an elite pass rusher.
DE George Johnson, DET (4 solos, 2 asst, 1.5 sacks)
Although Johnson doesn’t start, he sees almost as much playing time as the starters do in the dominant Lions defense. He posted 1.5 sacks and 6 tackles in just 35 snaps this week and looks like a potential matchup play when the Lions face a team vulnerable to pressure.
DE Olivier Vernon, MIA (5 solos, 2 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF)
Vernon posted a pair of sacks in the first three games, but his play and production didn’t jump out. That wasn’t the case this week in a tough home loss to the Packers as he was credited with 7 tackles, along with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Cameron Wake also posted 1.5 sacks and the two should combine to make things tough on Jay Cutler in week 7.
LB Connor Barwin, PHI (5 solos, 3 sacks, 1 FF)
Barwin continued his ascent up the sack charts this week with 3 takedowns of Eli Manning in a blowout win over the Giants on Sunday night. That gives him 6 sacks in the last 3 games, but he’ll have to wait through next week’s bye before taking on the Cardinals in week 8.
LB Tahir Whitehead, DET (6 solos, 1 asst, 2 INT, 2 PD)
The Lions lost what many assumed was one of their better defenders in Stephen Tulloch, but it doesn’t look like they are missing a beat. While he may not be as good against the run, Whitehead likely provides an upgrade in coverage and maybe even as a playmaker. He has been credited with 15 solos and 11 assists over the past two weeks, while also adding 2 big interceptions this week.
LB Koa Misi, MIA (8 solos, 1 asst)
The Dolphins got some reinforcements back in their lineup this week, including their MLB in Koa Misi. Although he sat in some subpackages, Misi was very active and finished the game with 9 combined tackles. Considering Miami has one of the tougher stat crews in the league, that’s a strong number and likely well earned.
LB Justin Tuggle, HOU (4 solos, 5 asst, 1 INT, 2 PD)
This was one of the more puzzling stat lines of the week, but is probably worth discussing for fantasy owners who may be looking at Tuggle as a potential upgrade. He started alongside Brian Cushing and nearly doubled his previous season-high of snaps with 51, but that was still over 30 snaps less than Cushing. Despite the disparity in playing time, Tuggle posted 9 combined tackles along with a pick and pass defense while Cushing only managed 4 combined tackles. In most weeks, Tuggle has been just a part-time player with limited snaps so don’t overreact in case this game was just an outlier.
LB Alex Okafor, ARI (4 solos, 2 sacks)
Okafor was a fourth round pick a year ago who has struggled to get healthy enough to make a contribution. He replaced the injured Matt Shaughnessy in the starting lineup this week, however, and provided a spark with 4 solos, 2 sacks, and 2 QB hits. He has a good chance to keep things going next week against Oakland and could be worth a pickup in big play scoring leagues.
LB Deontae Skinner, NE (3 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack)
With the loss of Jerod Mayo to a season-ending injury, it was the former practice squad player Skinner who was forced into action. He posted 6 tackles and a sack in just 36 snaps on Sunday and could be very busy against the Jets next week. Most likely, the Patriots will rely heavily on Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower (when healthy), but they don’t have much depth.
S Rashad Johnson, ARI (6 solos, 2 asst, 2 INT, 2 PD, 1 TD)
Arizona has perhaps the deepest group of safeties in the league, and it’s looking like Johnson may be the best of the bunch. He had a huge hand in the win over Washington this week with 8 tackles and a pair of interceptions, including one that was returned 28 yards for a touchdown. Tyrann Mathieu and Deone Buchanon saw a lot of playing time this week, but it didn’t keep Johnson off the field as he played every snap.
S Reshad Jones, MIA (9 solos, 1 PD)
Jones returned from suspension this week and played all but 3 snaps for the Dolphins. With the matchup against Aaron Rodgers, he saw a lot of action and wound up with 9 solo tackles. The Dolphins defense is seeing a lot of snaps in most weeks and Jones figures to be a reliable every week starter.
S Quintin Demps, NYG (9 solos, 1 asst)
Demps has mainly been a role player to this point in his career, but he is getting a chance to be a full-time player for the Giants and making the most of it. He has started the past 3 games and compiled 15 solos, 7 assists, and 2 interceptions in that time span. The Giants like to use one of their safeties up near the line of scrimmage to help against the run on most plays, and that figures to keep help Demps active each week.
S Tyrann Mathieu, ARI (4 solos, 1 FR, 1 PD)
After seeing no more than spot duty in the past few games, Mathieu got a start this week and was on the field for 50 of 65 snaps in a win over Washington. He said he wasn’t completely comfortable as he’s still wearing a knee brace, but he gives the Cardinals a natural playmaker that they can use as an extra safety or slot corner. His playing time may still fluctuate depending on the matchup and how well his knee holds up, but he’s generally productive whenever he’s on the field.
CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson, TEN (10 solos, 1 asst, 1 INT, 2 PD)
The Titans have a history of producing very productive fantasy cornerbacks in recent years, so maybe Wreh-Wilson could become the next member of that group. He sat out last week while recovering from a concussion, but was extremely active on Sunday in a win over the Jaguars. He was credited with 11 tackles while also adding his first career interception. Probably worth a look in CB-required leagues given how many snaps the Titans defense have been playing lately.
CB Jason Verett, SD (6 solos, 1 INT, 2 PD)
The Chargers took Verett with their first round pick this year and are relying on him rather heavily so far. Brandon Flowers left with an injury this week, and Shareece Wright has also missed time. Every fantasy owner knows about the rookie corner rule so look for QBs to test him repeatedly, which could make weeks like this a regular occurrence.
DOWNGRADES
DE Mario Addison, CAR (1 asst)
Addison was expected to benefit the most from the suspension to Greg Hardy, but he was nearly invisible on Sunday despite playing 48 snaps in a 5 quarter tie to the Bengals. He had 4 sacks in his previous 3 games, however, so don’t write him off just yet.
DE Robert Ayers, NYG (0 tackles)
Ayers has been a solid role player for the Giants this year, but his production has tailed off after a quick start. He posted a sack in the first two games of the year, but has just 2 solos and a tipped pass over the past 3 games combined. With a tough upcoming schedule as well as a bye, it doesn’t look like there’s much to get excited about here.
DE Cliff Avril, SEA (1 solo)
Avril is averaging a little under 50 snaps per game with the Seahawks, but he hasn’t gotten to a QB since week 1. Over the past 4 games, he’s managed just 2 solos and 2 assists. Doesn’t seem to do enough against the run to be worth much in fantasy circles, and the Seattle defense isn’t suffocating teams as much as they did last year.
DE Armonty Bryant, CLE (1 solo, 1 asst)
Bryant was a popular pick up a week ago and he got the start against the Steelers, but he only lasted 6 snaps before his season came to an end with a torn ACL. This should provide some additional pass rush opportunities for last year’s first round pick Barkevious Mingo.
LB Jerod Mayo, NE (5 solos)
Mayo was obviously one of the league’s elite fantasy linebackers, but he was knocked out of the game this week with a season-ending injury. The nature of the injury wasn’t completely clear, but it looks like the Patriots will have to rely very heavily on Jamie Collins and will hope to get Dont’a Hightower back in the lineup soon.
LB Danny Trevathan, DEN (0 tackles)
Trevathan left the game early this week with an injury that was later revealed to be a crack in a bone just above his knee. He recently missed time due to an injury to the same knee, but this one is not expected to be as serious. Regardless, it looks like he’ll be out for at least a few weeks and that should open up more playing time for Brandon Marshall and Nate Irving again.
LB Prince Shembo, ATL (0 tackles)
Although Shembo had apparently surpassed Joplu Bartu on the depth chart in recent weeks, it was Bartu who got the start at ILB this week. Shembo was limited in practice last week so the coaches appear to have kept him out as a precaution, but they did let him play on special teams. Tough break for fantasy owners, and this could be a difficult situation to rely on going forward if the coaches feel comfortable with either player in the lineup.
LB Preston Brown, BUF (1 solo, 1 asst)
Looks like the Preston Brown breakout year is back on hold as he saw just 35 snaps against the Patriots this week, which ranked 4th among Bills linebackers. They still like him coverage so the potential is there for him to become a 3-down player again, but they seem more comfortable playing their veterans on early downs. Nigel Bradham looks like the only reliable starter from the group.
LB Bobby Wagner, SEA (3 solos, 4 asst)
Wagner suffered a toe injury this week in a loss to the Cowboys. He tried to play through it, but was only out there for 52 of 77 snaps after only missing 2 snaps all year. He was in a walking boot after the game, but it’s unclear if this is something he’ll be able to play through or if he’ll need some recovery time. K.J. Wright figures to see a bump in tackle opportunities if Wagner is limited.
S George Wilson, TEN (1 solo, 1 asst)
Wilson replaced Bernard Pollard in the starting lineup this week as expected and played 72 of 78 snaps, but he was not around the ball much at all. He was only credited with 2 tackles in the game, but didn’t seem to play particularly poor. While he’s not the same player he was during his time with the Bills, anyone with 70+ snaps is probably worth holding onto another week.
S Tony Jefferson, ARI (2 solos)
Jefferson was very productive early this year as the Cardinals often used him like an extra linebacker in the box. He posted 22 solo tackles in the first three weeks, but he saw a huge drop in playing time this week. It may have just been a matchup issue as they used other options to try and handle the spread offense of Washington, but it’s a cause for concern about his role going forward. May only want to start him during weeks when you think the opponent will run the ball early and often.
CB David Amerson, WAS (2 solos)
Amerson is the type of corner who tends to make a good fantasy option as opposing QBs certainly aren’t shy about throwing in his direction. He’s got good size and is a willing tackler, and the loss of DeAngelo Hall likely means that he could see a matchup with the opposing team’s best WRs rather often. Unfortunately, he suffered a concussion this week so his status for next week is uncertain.