UPGRADES
DE Robert Quinn, STL (5 solos, 2 sacks, 1 FF)
It took him awhile to get going, but Quinn finally seems to be playing up to expectations. After posting 19 sacks a year ago, he was one of the most highly sought after IDPs in the league. He went sackless in his first 5 games, but has rebounded with 3 sacks over his last two games. The Rams defense as a whole has underwhelmed, but the talent is there for this to be an elite unit.
DE Allen Bailey, KC (3 solos, 1 asst, 1.5 sacks)
Bailey picked up 1.5 sacks this week, which gives him 3 over his past 3 games. The 2011 3rd round pick hadn’t seen much playing time prior to this year, but he is up to 4 sacks on the year and is showing off some improved pass rush skills.
DE Ryan Davis, JAX (2 solos, 2 sacks)
The Jaguars got some nice production out of Davis earlier this year with 3 sacks in his first two games, but then he seemed to slip a bit and his playing time dropped as well. The recent injury to Andre Branch, however, has opened up more playing time for the pass rush specialist and he showed off his potential again this week with a 2-sack outing. May be worth taking a flier on him if you are desperate for DE help in deeper leagues.
DT Shariff Floyd, MIN (7 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack)
Last year’s 1st round pick was starting to make an impact with a pair of sacks over his last 3 games, but he exploded in a win over Tampa this week. With 8 tackles and a sack, he flashed his potential and is starting to look like a reliable fantasy starter in leagues that require a DT.
LB Anthony Barr, MIN (8 solos, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD, 1 TD)
It’s looking like a 2-way race for Defensive Rookie of the Year between Barr and Ravens LB C.J. Mosley. Barr may have pulled ahead this week with a huge game against Tampa that saw him rack up 8 solo stops with a sack, but he saved the best for last as he forced a fumble downfield and returned it for a game-winning touchdown in overtime.
LB Paul Kruger, CLE (4 solos, 1 asst, 3 sacks, 1 FF, 1 PD)
After posting 3 sacks in his first two games of 2014, Kruger looked like one of the year’s clear breakout candidates. He went cold for 4 straight games and was probably released by most fantasy owners before exploding for a 3-sack game against the Raiders this week. That gives him 6 sacks in 7 games, and he could easily add to those numbers with a home game against Tampa next week.
LB Quinton Coples, NYJ (5 solos, 2 asst, 1.5 sacks)
Coples has been a huge disappointment this year and he was limited to just 19 snaps a week ago, but he rebounded with a big game against the Bills on Sunday. He started and played a full-time role, finishing with 7 tackles and 1.5 sacks which were better than his numbers in the previous 7 games combined. The Jets would certainly like to get more use out of their 2012 first round pick, so perhaps this is a spark he needed.
LB James Thomas, JAX (3 solos, 3 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Thomas replaced Paul Posluszny at MLB this week and held up pretty well. He wasn’t as productive as his predecessor with just 6 combined tackles, but he came through with a huge play when he picked off a pass in the end zone. That type of effort will likely go quite a ways in building trust with the coaching staff and help ensure he remains in a full-time role going forward.
S Rashad Johnson, ARI (10 solos, 1 asst, 4 PD)
Johnson has been having an amazing year, but he was limited in practice last week with some knee issues and it looked like he could be headed for a disappointing week. He erased all doubts with a big 11 tackle, 4 PD game in a big win over the Eagles to take the Cardinals to 6-1 on the year. The veteran is averaging 6 solo stops per game this year and making it tough to take him out of the lineup. The other Cardinals safeties all put up pretty strong numbers this week, so it looks like there may be enough playing time and production for all of them to remain viable options.
S Dashon Goldson, TB (7 solos, 1 asst)
The veteran used the bye week to get healthy and returned to the lineup after missing just 2 games with an ankle injury. He posted 8 tackles in the game, which is typical of the type of production we can probably expect from him in most weeks given the issues Tampa has been having. There has been some speculation that he could be available in a trade at the deadline, but most players in Tampa are likely available and it’s likely very few will actually be moved. Look for him to remain a productive tackler as long as he’s healthy.
CB Corey White, NO (4 solos, 1 INT, 2 PD)
White was victimized by Golden Tate last week, but still posted impressive numbers for a corner (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack). He managed to make another big play this week when he picked off a pass of Aaron Rodgers in the fourth quarter. Offenses are probably not going to stop testing the young corner, which is helping him put up steady tackle numbers just about every week while also giving him chances to put up huge numbers in any given game.
CB Joe Haden, CLE (8 solos, 1 asst, 1 FR, 2 PD)
The shutdown corner has given up more receptions than many might expect this year, so QBs aren’t as afraid to throw in his direction. That appeared to be the case this week as he wound up leading the team in tackles while also adding 2 passes defensed and a big fumble recovery late in the game that seemed to turn the momentum in the Browns favor. Haden has yet to record an interception in 2014, but he’s averaging about 5 tackles/game and seems to be around the ball a lot.
DOWNGRADES
DE Vinny Curry, PHI (0 tackles)
Curry came into this week on a roll with 4 sacks in his last 3 games, but he was shut out by the Cardinals. He’s a high risk player as he only has 4 solo tackles this year that didn’t come on sacks, so you’ll want to keep that in mind before starting him in any given week.
DE Michael Bennett, SEA (4 assists)
Although playing well and generating pressure, Bennett has not been as productive rushing the passer this year. He posted 8.5 sacks a year ago while most lining up inside, but he was moved to defensive end this season. After posting a sack the first two games, he’s gone sackless for 5 straight games. His tackle numbers are clearly up, but probably not consistent enough to make him a reliable starter in most leagues.
DE DeMarcus Ware, DEN (0 tackles)
Although he has probably been one of the best free agent pickups of the offseason, Ware has relied very heavily on sack numbers for his fantasy value. Through 7 games, he has piled up 7.5 sacks but also has just 4 solo tackles on non-sack plays. Given that trend, it’s not surprising we saw a week like this one when he was shut out completely by the Chargers. Most owners will put up with some clunkers like this, however, when the potential reward is a 3-sack outing like he posted a week ago.
DT Chris Jones, NE (0 tackles)
Jones saw 50 snaps in each of the past two games and looked like he was ready to emerge as a core player on the Patriots line. He saw a dropoff in playing time this week, however, as the rookie Dominique Easley replaced him in the starting lineup. The Patriots took Easley in the first round this year and obviously have high hopes for him, so Jones could be reduced to more of a situational player.
LB Whitney Mercilus, HOU (0 tackles)
Mercilus looked dominant against the Steelers a week ago while playing every snap. The return of Jadaveon Clowney appears to have taken away from his playing time, but he still saw over 75% of the snaps in the game. It will be important to watch how things shake out here as Mercilus could certainly take advantage of offenses if they pay too much attention to J.J. Watt and Clowney, but consistent playing time is essential for a fantasy linebacker.
LB Sean Spence, PIT (1 asst)
Spence was temporarily promoted to the starting lineup following the injury to rookie Ryan Shazier a few weeks ago. Although he didn’t post great numbers in a 2-down role, his cameo came to an end this week as Shazier returned and Vince Williams also wound up seeing 30 snaps in relief while Spence barely played at all.
LB Mychal Kendricks, PHI (2 solos)
It was great to see Kendricks back on the field this week, but he only saw 23 snaps and claimed afterward he was not fully healthy. That is going to make it tough to count on him, until we see him get a full workload and prove that the calf injury is behind him.
LB Vontaze Burfict, CIN (1 solo, 6 asst)
Burfict continues to have a rough season as he left the game for awhile this week with a knee injury. He was able to return quickly and still posted 7 tackles, although 6 of them were just assists. In any event, he’s only played close to a full game in 2 of 7 games the Bengals have played this year.
S Husain Abdullah, KC (1 asst)
The Chiefs defense didn’t see a lot of snaps this week in an easy win over the Rams, but Abdullah still only managed 1 assist. It looks like Eric Berry is very close to returning, which could push Abdullah back to more of a free safety role and limit his fantasy value even further. It’s been a nice run for him this year, and the Chiefs issues at inside linebacker could help, but the Chiefs crew is also one of the toughest in the league when it comes to awarding tackles. Probably not a bad idea to start looking elsewhere for a long-term option.
S Devin McCourty, NE (2 solos, 1 asst)
It wasn’t long ago when McCourty looked like he could become an elite fantasy safety. The converted corner was always active, and was generally considered the best playmaker in the Patriots secondary. This year, things just don’t seem to be going his way. He’s missed some time with minor injuries and has managed just 18 solo tackles and 1 interception through the first half of the season.
S Tony Jefferson, ARI (11 solos, 1 asst, 1 PD)
Jefferson obviously doesn’t warrant a downgrade based on his production this week, but he suffered a concussion and will have to go through the league’s concussion protocol before he can return to action. The Cardinals have great depth at the safety position, so they may take things slow with him even if he’s cleared to play next week.
CB Kyle Fuller, CHI (2 solos, 2 asst)
Fuller actually posted solid numbers this week when you consider the fact that he only was in the game for 21 snaps. He was forced to leave early after aggravating his hip injury, however, and that looks like it could be an ongoing issue for him. The early favorite for defensive rookie of the year appears to be losing ground quickly.
CB Richard Marshall, SD (1 solo)
Marshall didn’t start against the Broncos on Thursday night, but he wound up playing most of the game. He has been torched repeatedly this year, however, and the Chargers appear to have decided they are better off with someone else. He was released on Monday and the former tackle machine could be reaching the end of his run at just 29 years of age, although there’s certainly a chance another CB needy team will take a chance on him.