Never in doubt
Welcome to “The Monster”. Those of you who aren’t new here skip down to the “Week Five Questions” section for the start of the article, this preamble is for any new people. There are always a few.
The vast majority of you are already familiar with this article but if you aren’t this is where we come every Thursday morning to read a bible length article about every IDP relevant player and their performance, playing time, etc from the previous week of games. We look at things like snaps, role, production, opportunity, injuries, replacements for those injuries (waivers) and real football performance since that can lead to huge changes in all of those factors listed above (see Jaylon Smith).
If things didn’t go how we thought they would we’ll try and figure out why that was, if someone we’ve never heard of went off for a massive week we’ll find out if they’re worth picking up on waivers or if they’re just barely playing and just lucked into a sack or splash play and it likely won’t happen again any time soon. We’ll follow up on weird or iffy situations with information from beat writers and whatever else I can find to connect the dots. The idea behind this article is that the “why” is just as important as the “what”.
I am most certainly not an analyst, this isn’t my job, and while our site does pay it’s writers this is just another hobby for me. So I won’t be following the standard fantasy football article rules and I will keep this fun. Besides no one is an analyst around here, Twitter people just love to throw that into their Bio to feel better about themselves, I’m a realist, Matthew Berry is an analyst. I’m just a guy who’s been doing this for a long time and is pretty good at it.
I’m another degenerate like you are. I’ve been playing IDP fantasy football for the better part of two decades and am working on crossing the 30 championship threshold this season so while I don’t call myself a professional I surely do know how to win these leagues and will mix in some of the things I’ve learned over those years in an effort to further make this article a key piece of your weekly information that helps you take home your titles this season. More qualifications and credentials are available in the author bio at the bottom.
You’ll understand by the end of the article if your bathroom break at work is long enough to get through it. And if you decide this article isn’t for you that’s cool too, thank you for giving it a try and we hope you’ll be able to find what you need elsewhere on the site or with our team. Also we don’t expect anyone to wait for Thursday for waivers information etc, that is available from @KBellf54 every Tuesday morning just like every other site runs theirs on that day as well. This article is a deep dive into everything relevant for each team’s IDP production and the waivers mentioned are typically for deeper leagues only, we cater to the 32 team single copy type leagues as well as shallow leagues here at the site. The obvious guys will be obvious, you can come here for help in those leagues where your options are fewer.
We all have the freedom to choose who we trust and follow for our information and really all I can say is the team we have here and the people we work with in the community are the best of the best and our trophy cases back that up. Regardless thanks for giving this article a shot today. Alright let’s get into it.
The Week Five Questions
We began week five with a divisional showdown between the Rams and Seahawks that ended in a Rams victory and Russel Wilson with one finger pointing the wrong direction. We had some interesting things happen in this one including a Troy Reeder (LB) sighting, Kenny Young (LB) losing snaps and a really awful day from Bobby Wagner (LB) despite plenty of opposing offense from the Rams. We'll have a look at those situations as well as talk about the elephant in the room, the Jamal Adams (S) trade that continues to look better and better for the Jets as he records yet another stinker and got roasted and toasted in coverage all night long. We'll also check up on Darious Williams (CB) who was hurt in this one and have a look at the right cornerback slot for the Seahawks that's been in flux recently. Plenty to look at with this one.
We then headed to England for a morning affair between the Jets and Falcons that was a pleasant surprise in terms of offense but disappointing for the Falcons IDP production, we'll find out why for sure. For the Jets was Quincy Williams (LB) able to have another excellent week and how did Ashtyn Davis (S) look in terms of playing time and production in his second week back from the short term IR and without both Marcus Maye (S) and Adrian Colbert (S) who were injured and out? We'll also get a chance to check out how AJ Terrell (CB) looked his second game back from the concussion and give this entire matchup a once over as well.
Out in Cincy the Bengals and Packers played in an instant classic that ended in overtime after five missed field goals in a row! We'll definitely check in on Logan Wilson (LB), Vonn Bell (S) and Jessie Bates (S) for the Bengals, Bates was banged up in this one so we absolutely need to find out what we can about that. The Bengals secondary also saw a shake up as Chidobe Awuzie (CB) came back from injury and displaced some unlucky streaming corner option so we'll find out who that was and I'll formally apologize to my readers for missing that news earlier this week and not having him and his excellent box score this week as a streaming corner option. For the Packers Krys Barnes (LB) was back, Jaylon Smith (LB) was inactive and DeVondre Campbell (LB) was injured, plenty to check in there as well as seeing if Eric Stokes (CB) was still the option there with Jaire Alexander (CB) injured and out.
Next up is the Lions and Vikings who also played in a wild one with the Lions pulling ahead with less than a minute left only for the Vikings to drive late and stun them with a long field goal the second week in a row. Trey Flowers (DE) was back, and in a big way, for the Lions this week so we'll check in on that frustrating dumpster fire of a defense and for the Vikings we got the first week this season of both Nick Vigil (LB) and Anthony Barr (OLB) being active at the same time so we'll see how that worked out for both. Absolutely an important question to answer with those two plus we'll see if anything else stood out between these two divisional opponents this week.
Over in Pittsburgh the Steelers got the train back on track and we got another week of a decent offense in the building for the Broncos IDP production, were guys like AJ Johnson (LB) and Justin Simmons (S) able to produce for us with a real offense across the field from them? For the Steelers where was TJ Watt (OLB) this week and how did the Schobert/Bush snaps shake out? This game also gave us another look at Justin Strnad (LB) the new inside linebacker with significant playing time and a popular waiver wire option after Josey Jewell (LB) was knocked out for the season, plenty to look at with this one.
Down in Tampa Bay the Bucs destroyed the Dolphins as predicted by all, for the Dolphins we'll have a look at that circus of a defense and see what there is to see and move on as fast as possible. However for the Bucs we got an injury to Lavonte David (LB) that we absolutely need to find out what we can about and we also get to see how JPP looked in his first week back in a while returning from injury plus another chance to see the cornerback corps now that it's been massacred by the injury grim reaper.
In our nations capital the Saints got things back on track by beating the Football team and this will give us an opportunity to check and see if Jamin Davis (LB) is indeed now a thing or if we all got the rug pulled out from under us, for the record I advised to add and sit, see how this week plays out and take it from there, and I am beyond glad that's how I played it after looking at this box score and getting the early snaps from @PFF_Macri and @Mike_Woellert in our Marvel & IDP chat on Twitter, the early news is not good. We'll also check in on Landon Collins (S) and see if he was able to maintain 100% of snaps like last week and we'll also see if Chase Young (DE) was able to get his sack production going as well. For the Saints most things are set in stone but we'll give their defense a once over as is tradition.
Out in Carolina the Eagles were able to stun the Panthers late in this one and we'll check on the usual suspects, how did Jeremy Chinn (S) and company do with a mediocre Eagles offense across from them this week, also what did the post Shaq Thompson (LB) linebacker landscape look like and is there a possible waiver wire move there in deeper leagues? A cascade effect type thing. For the Eagles we'll adhere to tradition and find out if it was Eric Wilson (LB) or Alex Singleton (LB) this week and make sure everything else looked normal as well.
Down in Jacksonville the Titans righted the ship and destroyed the Jags and we got some injuries to the Jags known and relied upon producers, Myles Jack (LB) being the most urgent one to look at, there was also a report that Josh Allen (DE) got his season back on track so we'll check that out as well. For the Titans I saw Rashaan Evans (LB) was hurt early in this one but we did get an excellent David Long (LB) box score so let's hope the playing time came along with it like it has all season and we'll check in on the fluctuating (due to injury) safety situation as well. Plenty to look at here, mostly due to the injury grim reaper unfortunately.
Over in Houston the Texans jumped out to a big lead against the Patriots and David Mills (QB) of all people ruined the Bill Belichick rookie quarterback killer narrative. They were able to come back and edge out the Texans though and there was some huge news in regards to the Zach Cunningham (LB) situation that we've been monitoring since last season, we'll also give both of these defenses a once over and see what there is to see including things like is Desmond King (CB) still starting over Vernon Hargreaves (CB) for the Texans after displacing him in last weeks game and whatever else is of interest in this one.
In the death star the suddenly dangerous Bears took out the Raiders in a low scoring affair, for the Raiders we haven't seen a ton of movement on this defense but Maxx Crosby (DE) has been quiet since week one so we'll check in on that as well as the ever risky linebacker situation. For the Bears it was all systems go for the usual suspects but we also theoretically could have had Danny Trevethan (LB) back this week so we'll check and see if he displaced Alec Ogletree (LB) or not as well as anything else noteworthy between these two.
The Chargers and Browns smashed the over and we've got tons of IDP relevant options to check in on between these two defenses. The injury grim reaper struck early for the Browns with Denzel Ward (CB) going down and for the Chargers Drue Tranquil (LB) may have gotten dinged as well so plenty to look at there plus the all important answer to what happened this week with Anthony Walker (LB) eligible to return from IR, was JOK able to maintain his playing time and just how badly did Malcolm Smith (LB) come crashing back to earth if at all?
Out in Jerry-World the Cowboys continue their winning ways and we got another excellent game from Trevon Diggs (CB) and company. There was talk that Micah Parsons (LB) was back to actually playing linebacker this week and also some increased Leighton Vander Esch (LB) usage to tons to look at there. For the Giants how did Tae Crowder (LB) look in his second game as the Dollar store version of Blake Martinez (LB) and what did this secondary look like without Peppers giving up easy completions in pass coverage?
Down in Arizona the Cardinals remained undefeated and we'll check on Isaiah Simmons (LB), Jordan Hicks (LB) and Zaven Collins (LB) as is tradition and add Jalen Thompson (S) to that list with his excellent start to the season. Was Chandler Jones (OLB) able to get back to parting opposing quarterbacks butt cheeks like Moses parted the red sea and did JJ Watt (DE) do anything this week? For the 49ers most things are settled but the Azeez Al Shaair (LB) shareholders were up in arms in the slack chat so we'll find out what happened with his week as well.
Sunday night we got an excellent affair with the Bills and Chiefs, Chris Jones (DT) was a late scratch so we'll see if there was a short term waiver wire move there if his injury lasts more than a week plus we'll check in on Willie Gay (LB) who was eligible to return from IR this week and if he did how did it effect Anthony Hitchens (LB) and Nick Bolton (LB)? For the Bills they were without Matt Milano (LB) this week so was it AJ Klein (LB) or Tyrell Adams (LB) as the preferred backup option and we'll check on Jordan Poyer (S) who was back from injury this week as well.
We round out the week with the Ravens and Colts in Baltimore in a picture perfect matchup for Darius Leonard (LB). Was he able to return on the utterly ridiculous investment most shareholders had to put up to acquire him? Was DeForest Buckner (DT) able to get back to his productive ways and how did Khari Willis (S) look after being banged up recently and missing last week. For the Ravens many are panicking in regards to Patrick Queen (LB) with his poor play and production recently, was he able to turn it around tonight and how did DeShon Elliot (S) look in his first game back from injury as well? Plenty to talk about in this one as well.
All that and more as we look at all things IDP from week five, if it's going to help us win our leagues or explain something that doesn't make sense or get us out in front of something that could help or hurt us down the line we're sure as shit going to find it. We'll crawl through all of these matchups one by one and find the information that will get us locked in for playoffs and those title runs this season just like we do every season. You already know what it is, no one stumbles into almost twenty thousand words about individual defensive players, let's get into it.
The Week Five Answers
Aaron Donald (DT) put up yet another magnificent box score for his shareholders this week
Rams @ Seahawks
Los Angeles Rams
Produced as expected: Aaron Donald (DT) Sebastian Joseph Day (DT) Jordan Fuller (S) Leonard Floyd (OLB) Jalen Ramsey (CB) Darious Williams (CB) *somewhat*
Flash in the pan: Terrell Lewis (LB) and Nick Scott (S) played 63% and 29% of snaps respectively this week, for Lewis he appears to be part of the linebacker shuffle going on here, more below on that, but the short version is none of them are super safe currently and in order of "safe" it would be Young, Reeder and Lewis is in another solar system, we'll keep an eye on it but I doubt this was anything other than outlier playing time and therefore production. For Scott would you play a safety who's not even seeing one third of the defensive snaps week to week? Exactly.
Possible waivers: Troy Reeder (LB) and Sebastian Joseph Day (DT) played 78% and 77% of snaps respectively this week and both had nice box scores, Reeder's majority of his points came from an interception and this is more of a "get out in front of it" thing and less about right now, more below on this but there appears to be some fluctuation with Kenny Young (LB) as the inside linebacker of choice here and if it's not him then it's Reeder until they give the rookie a chance possibly later this season. For Joseph Day he's always had these random huge games but this season he's had three of them already in five games, I'm still not going out of my way to chase this but if you do need defensive tackle help in deeper leagues this could be a nice option since this is the best start he's had to a season that I can remember.
Misc notes: The Kenny Young (LB) experiment appears to be in trouble, with just 65% of snaps this week and a PFF grade of 59 we're not talking terrible to be honest, Troy Reeder (LB) is at a 70.3 PFF grade so he is an upgrade and we saw that this week with the shift in playing time, Reeder with 77% and Young with only 65%. It probably won't be cut and dry for a while, unless one of these guys really stands out and wins that position completely we're probably getting a little of both each week which will hurt both of their values, I'd start looking for a backup option for Young or if you think Reeder can be the guy maybe grab him and hope it works out that way. Regardless it's a mess, we'll see what happens after this week.
Taylor Rapp (S) played 100% of snaps this week as always, just an off week it looks like, the Seahawks put up a decent amount of offense but with all the excellent IDP options on the Rams this happens most weeks to at least one of the guys we wanted to produce for us. This week it was the two defensive tackles who ate up fifteen combined tackles between them that likely impacted production for the defenders behind them, Young, Reeder, Rapp and Fuller. We still got a good game from two of those four so not the end of the world and Rapp will be fine, on these loaded (IDP talent-wise) defenses not everyone will give us what we need every week, too many mouths to feed and too much competition for tackles etc. No need to panic with Rapp though.
Darious Williams (CB) suffered a mild ankle sprain, no timetable for return yet, although Sean McVay said it "could be this week or next" so it doesn't sound serious, it would be David Long Jr (CB) it appears from what I'm seeing on NFLGSIS if Williams can't go. Regardless they have the Giants and their shattered offense next week so we can skip that corner stream to begin with. Everything else looked good here this week.
Seattle Seahawks
Produced as expected: Jordyn Brooks (LB) DJ Reed (CB) Rasheem Green (DE) Sidney Jones (CB) Quandre Diggs (S/CB) Jamal Adams (S) *somewhat*
Flash in the pan: Darrell Taylor (DE) has been red hot recently so I can't argue if you want to play him, especially in deeper leagues, but he only played 33% of snaps this week so that can and will come back to bite you at some point, fewer opportunities means fewer times rushing the passer means fewer sacks. He's producing at a level of efficiency that isn't likely sustainable.
Possible waivers: No new producers this week but Sidney Jones (CB) was someone I talked about last week and was in for 100% of snaps with six combined tackles, very nice streaming corner option if the matchup is correct. His PFF grade of 39.9 is worse than Tre Flowers (CB) 52.2 PFF grade but he's only played one game and Flowers has been bad for a minute, I don't think they'll pull the plug unless that grade sticks for another couple games, for now he's a safe corner stream if the matchup makes sense.
Misc notes: Bobby Wagner (LB) played his customary 100% of snaps but only had four combined tackles despite the Rams dominating time of possession and providing plenty of opposing offense (to the tune of 358 yards through the air and 118 on the ground on 29 rushing attempts). This one just is what it is, I'm looking at this and everything lined up for a really nice day for him but it just didn't happen, that's part of IDP production, everyone has an off week once in awhile even this excellent combined tackle floor guys like Wagner. The reason we like these guys is because they have these weeks exponentially less often than the guys who need sacks or splash plays for the majority of their production because tackles happen all the time while sacks and splash plays do not. He'll be fine, just an off week. If I had found something weird to explain this I'd shout it out, there's nothing here, just an outlier.
Jamal Adams (S) played his normal 100% of snaps but only had five combined tackles and one tackle for loss and was torched in coverage early and often. Local Seattle beat writers have said that he "lacks a feel for coverage" and that was clearly on display for the huge DeSean Jackson (WR) catch this week where Adams was clearly lost. The Seahawks defense is on pace to give up the most yards in NFL history, that's another nugget I found while looking up Adams stuff, that's insane. Combined with the Troy Aikman (QB) commentary about Adams getting beat by Tyler Higbee (TE) for a touchdown in one on one coverage it hasn't been a great week for Adams or his shareholders. With a coverage grade of 46.9 (PFF) this week and 53.7 (PFF) overall that's in the orange/red section for grading which is color coded that way to indicate danger (lol). Not what you'd expect from a player that warranted two first round picks in the trade he forced out of New York.
As the overall safety one drafted in most leagues, not by me I'd rather wait and grab Bates or Simmons as is tradition, the return on investment this season has been far less than ideal and the sack production that was a key part of his Seahawks production last season and since he came there has also been missing, coach Peter Carrol commented that those opportunities have been "limited" by their opponents and gamescript but once again if we're relying on a strong safety to have double digit sacks this season as the floor for his production that was a pretty dumb idea in the first place. Safeties and linebackers can have a combined tackle floor to work with so why wouldn't you draft with that in mind? The sacks, picks, forced fumbles and passes defended will happen but relying on solely those events for your IDP production is never a good idea. If Adams can't give us that tackle floor it's going to be a long season and so far not great. Maybe he'll be able to get it back on track and grab some sacks or splash plays for his shareholders but if he's not landing those splash plays like he did last season and he's a liability in coverage that's not a great recipe for someone who was supposed to be the safety one this season. Nothing we can do about it now, no one, not even me, is benching him for a waiver wire safety but it is something to think about for next season's start ups and redraft, maybe consider using that draft capital elsewhere and grab someone like Harrison Smith (S) or Vonn Bell (S) who was available multiple rounds later and can give you similar (better this season) production week to week.
Carlos Dunlap (DE) only saw 30% of snaps this week as the Seahawks defensive line fluctuations continue, it appears that Rasheem Green (DE) and Poona Ford (DT) who played 72% and 67% of snaps respectively this week are the two safest options in terms of playing time from what I've seen these first five games, beyond that it fluctuates all over the place. A true rotation if you will. We'll see if next week brings any more stability. Everything else looked good beyond those notes, Wagner will be fine and bounce back next week I'd bet, Adams will finish the season as a top twelve safety I'm sure but also will not be the return on investment that many in IDP land wanted, not even close, and beyond that the issues are far less urgent. We'll check back in again after this week.
At this rate Jarrad Davis may be an afterthought when he returns from IR
Jets @ Falcons
New York Jets
Produced as expected: Quincy Williams (LB) CJ Mosley (LB) Bryce Hall (CB)
Flash in the pan: Jamien Sherwood (LB) only played 44% of snaps this week and they were out of nowhere, the six combined tackles were nice but we've only seen a week of this and the playing time is anything but ideal so we'll pass for now and keep an eye on it.
Possible waivers: No new producers this week but see below for updates on Ashtyn Davis (S) and Quincy Williams (LB).
Misc notes: Ashtyn Davis (S) was up to 47% of snaps this week, so we're still not there yet in terms of ideal playing time but this was an increase of about 10% of snaps this week so it's heading in the right direction, we'll keep an eye on it, between the Marcus Maye (S) injury and DUI charge and the injury to Adrian Colbert (S) that kept him out this week we probably should have seen more playing time than this so still not great overall, we'll see what next week brings.
Quincy Williams (LB) was up to 92% of snaps this week and had another monster game in the box score, his PFF grade of 44.1 is worse than Jarrad Davis (LB) 62.2 grade from last season but between the feel good story of the brothers (Quinnen and Quincy) playing together on this defense and the monster box scores he's recorded the last two weeks this is feeling less and less likely like it did a month ago where we all thought Jarrad Davis (LB) would just automatically take this other inside linebacker starting job back upon return from IR. That's less set in stone now it feels like, regardless we'll keep an eye on it, for now I didn't see anything anywhere discussing Davis returning to the lineup and technically he was eligible to return in week four so the fact we haven't heard a peep yet is probably good for Quincy. We'll find out soon enough.
Quinnen Williams (DT) played his usual 64% of snaps but came back to earth this week after a monster performance the week before, nature of the position, he'll be fine.
Javelin Guidry (CB) and Brandin Echols (CB) seemed to switch playing time this week with 31% and 76% of snaps played respectively this week, which is strange considering the praise that was heaped upon Guidry after the win against the Titans a couple weeks back. I looked for any news or for an injury, nadda. So no idea. For now we should just consider anyone not named Bryce Hall (CB) somewhat risky to roll out as a streaming option, that includes Sharrod Neasman (CB), 86% of snaps out of literally nowhere, as well. We've only seen one week of it so for now that's an outlier. We'll see what next week brings.
Atlanta Falcons
Produced as expected: Deion Jones (LB) & Foye Oluokun (LB) *somewhat* AJ Terrell (CB)
Flash in the pan: Jacob Tuioti Mariner (LB) and Adetokunbo Ogundeji (LB) played 14% and 54% of snaps respectively this week and neither is a name I've mentioned much in past editions of this article, lucky outlier sack for both, nothing to see here.
Possible waivers: No new producers however Richie Grant (S) did see his first significant playing time of the season with 50% of snaps played, clearly not enough to play him yet but at least finally some movement in the correct direction, we'll keep an eye on it. Jaylinn Hawkins (S) played 100% of snaps for the injured and out Erik Harris (S/LB) this week and lucked into an interception, but this is short term and likely not going to be a thing next game and even if it is he had one tackle beyond that pick, without that combined tackle floor we can pass on this.
Misc notes: Grady Jarret (DT) was in for 79% of snaps and recorded three solo tackles on the day, no sacks or splash plays so a down day overall but once again just nature of the position and something that works if in the correct perspective, as your defensive tackle two preferably three in deeper leagues it's perfect, relying on him for anything more than that will result in disappointment.
The Falcons defense spent only 24 minutes on the field this week due to winning the time of possession battle so handily, the Jets offense only recorded 230 total yards and 17 first downs, many of those coming late as the Jets scored in garbage time and made this one look closer than it really was. That's a long winded way of saying there wasn't a ton to eat for this defense this week, the Falcons have been getting crushed by any team remotely resembling good all season long so this kind of outcome could have really only happened against a team like the Jets and isn't likely to happen again soon. So weird result for our Deion Jones (LB) and Foye Oluokun (LB) shares but they'll be fine, they've got a bye next week but follow that with the Dolphins, less than ideal but should be better offense from them than the Jets, the Panthers, Saints and Cowboys. Those three games should be excellent for our Falcons defenders for IDP production, plenty to eat with those teams in town. At least we know why the down day overall happened and that good news if just over the horizon for these producers.
Kyle Dugger was one of the few bright spots during the living nightmare that was the Patriots trip to Houston
Patriots @ Texans
New England Patriots
Produced as expected: Kyle Dugger (S) Adrian Phillips (S) Donta Hightower (LB) JC Jackson (CB) Matt Judon (OLB)
Flash in the pan: Jamie Collins (LB) managed a sack in his first game back in a Pats uniform playing only 5% of snaps this week, many an uninformed IDP manager will fall for this without a doubt, just make sure you aren't one of them.
Possible waivers: No new producers this week.
Misc notes: Jamie Collins (LB) only played 5% of snaps his first game back for the Patriots after heading here after being cut by the Lions as mentioned above. Chase Winovich (DE) only played 12% of snaps and is still useless. Kyle Dugger (S) had a monster game but topped out at 76% of snaps so it remains far less than ideal, the playing time fluctuations on this defense are maddening. Nothing else of note here this week, this defense remains far less than ideal for IDP purposes.
Houston Texans
Produced as expected: Christian Kirksey (LB) Desmond King (CB) Terrence Mitchell (CB) Justin Reid (S) Lonnie Johnson (CB/S)
Flash in the pan: NA, all the names at the top of the box score make sense this week.
Possible waivers: Kamu Grugier Hill (LB) was in for 100% of snaps this week and looks to have completely displaced Zach Cunningham (LB). That's what I'm seeing all over Twitter but it hasn't been confirmed by coach speak or beat writers, more below, regardless Hill did play every snap at linebacker next to Kirksey so if he's still out there you should grab him regardless just in case this is actually it and it's really over for Cunningham.
Jonathan Greenard (DE) was in for 53% of snaps this week and landed a sack and struck the fancy of many on IDP Twitter this week with his play, not a bad option in deeper leagues if you need defensive end help.
Misc notes: Zach Cunningham (LB) was only in on 52% of snaps this week and mostly just on three linebacker sets, when asked about this the Texans coach, I don't even know who that is and don't care to look honestly, said "He's played well for us and is most comfortable on first and second down" and less comfortable in nickel situations, translation he's crap in coverage, he also had three more missed tackles this week despite playing far less than usual and has seven missed tackles for the season plus all the other red flags I've discussed in the past as well. It's been trending this way, it's possible that he was just eased back into things after having Covid but it's also possible that he's really been displaced this time. Regardless how much longer do you all feel like playing this game? How many times now this season has he magically lost a ton of playing time out of nowhere and it's impacted his production? When is it time to blow him out the airlock and find a better option off waivers? I've already made that move, if I were you I'd seriously consider getting off the merry go round and doing the same.
Desmond King (CB) led all corners in playing time with 97% of snaps this week (along with Terrence Mitchell) and had a monster game in the box score, he's definitely not someone I would bet on keeping this job all season but while he is in there opposing teams are targeting him specifically because he stinks and will give up tons of easy catches, if the matchup looks good we may as well take advantage of that until the rug gets yanked out from under us like it did with Vernon Hargreaves (CB) a couple weeks back, it's a dangerous game to play but Jesus Christ the guy had ten combined tackles as a corner and his PFF grade is 65.3 so he is hovering just around that "good enough to maybe keep playing but definitely bad enough that opposing quarterbacks will throw at him all game long" sweet spot. With the Colts (Poopy), Cardinals (Nice) and Rams (Nice) coming up next three games we've got a couple really nice streams in store if he can keep his job another three weeks at least, we shall see. Beyond those couple notes everything else was normal here this week.
Harrison Smith quietly back to top twelve safety status this season
Lions @ Vikings
Detroit Lions
Produced as expected: Tracy Walker (S) Amani Oruwariye (CB) Trey Flowers (DE) Charles Harris (OLB) Alex Anzalone (LB)
Flash in the pan: AJ Parker (CB) and Derrick Barnes (LB) played 54% and 46% of snaps respectively this week, for Parker that's not even close to ideal so we can pass on that outlier production. As for Barnes most believe he will eventually be the best linebacker option here at some point this season so it's worth holding on to him or even grabbing him and sitting him in deeper leagues and betting that's how it plays out but for now he's a sit, wait, and see.
Possible waivers: No new producers this week, or at least any I would be crazy enough to recommend of talk about, this defense is cursed along with the Pats and Dolphins, I'm not going to help you make bad decisions, do the research yourself if you want to go down that road.
Misc notes: Tracy Walker (S) was up to 84% of snaps this week as his rollercoaster playing time continues week to week, it was good this week but could be bad next week, we just never know. That makes him, along with the majority of options on this defense, less than ideal week to week. Trey Flowers (DE) returned from injury this week and played 78% of snaps while recording five combined tackles and a sack long with all the fixings, this is not the norm for him but he is capable of weeks like this from time to time and makes a perfectly acceptable defensive end three or so in deeper leagues, he is one of the few options here that should see the same (acceptable) playing time weekly although they did reportedly have some attempts at dealing him earlier this season when both him and Jamie Collins (LB) were on the trade block. It's fine for now though unless we see something that tells us he's going to lose that playing time and so far nothing of the sort beyond that report a few weeks back. The rest of this defense remains basically unusable. Let's move on.
Minnesota Vikings
Produced as expected: Eric Kendricks (LB) Harrison Smith (S) Xavier Woods (S) Bashaud Breeland (CB) Patrick Peterson (CB) Danielle Hunter (DE) Everson Griffen (DE) DJ Wonnum (DE)
Flash in the pan: Nick Vigil (LB), as predicted here, saw a massive reduction in playing time this week with the return of Anthony Barr (OLB), 100% of snaps played this week, to the lineup. Vigil only saw 37% of snaps this week! Even though he was able to record six combined tackles do we really think he'll be able to maintain that kind of efficiency playing approximately one third of the defensive snaps weekly? Probably not, time to abandon ship if you haven't already done so.
Possible waivers: Anthony Barr (OLB) was finally back from injury this week and played 100% of snaps, and while the playing time has always been perfect when he's healthy this is a good time to remind everyone that his production has traditionally been sack or splash play dependent whereas Vigil has had a nice combined tackle floor during his tenure as the injury replacement here as the other linebacker next to Eric Kendricks, so it will be boom or bust for Barr just remember that.
Everson Griffen (DE) saw 72% of snaps this week and appears to be completely back to the form he was in the last time he wore a Vikings uniform and he and Hunter took the league by storm, rock solid waiver wire defensive end if you need it, grab him now while you still can. Sure a little old for dynasty purposes but for this season it's a beautiful option.
Misc notes: Dalvin Tomlinson (DT) and Sheldon Richardson (DT) completely split time at the other defensive tackle slot this week, 50% of snaps each. That's the fist time I've seen that this season, it's been Tomlinson as the clear winner in playing time every week so far but he has been losing snaps bit by bit for a minute now, this week it was a pure rotation at that defensive tackle slot which isn't great for either of these guys for IDP purposes. Defensive tackle is already difficult to find this makes that even worse for everyone so not great at all, we'll see what next week brings but it is what it is big picture, there aren't a ton of options at defensive tackle waivers in most leagues but regardless you should probably keep an eye out for one just in case that does happen if you're relying on Tomlinson weekly at this point. Beyond those few notes everything else looked good here for the Vikings this week.
Haason Redick blew up this week
Eagles @ Panthers
Philadelphia Eagles
Produced as expected: Alex Singleton (LB) Josh Sweat (DE) Javon Hargrave (DT) Fletcher Cox (DT) Darius Slay (CB) Steven Nelson (CB)
Flash in the pan: Marcus Epps (S) and Genard Avery (LB) played 28% and 51% of snaps respectively this week, for Epps that's not even remotely close to enough playing time for any kind of consistency but for Avery this could be the start of something where he could end up displacing Eric Wilson (LB) as the other inside linebacker with acceptable playing time and production, more below.
Possible waivers: Genard Avery (LB) outsnapped Eric Wilson (LB) this week 51% to 41% of snaps respectively, I just looked and didn't find anything about an injury for Wilson and his playing time has been dropping each week, this could be the first time of many where we see Avery take that other inside linebacker role and spend more time at it than Wilson does, the playing time for Avery would still need to increase a decent amount for him to be playable anywhere other than the deepest of leagues. It's something to monitor though and if you need linebacker help in those crazy deep leagues adding Avery now with the hopes that his trend continues isn't a bad idea.
Misc notes: Javon Hargrave (DT) was in for 69% of snaps this week and landed another sack, the hot streak continues and shows no signs of slowing down. Maybe he will smash the Strahan record as a defensive tackle only playing like 70% of snaps each week, crazier things have happened. It is what it is at this point, we ride the hot hand until it cools down. Especially if you have him in a defensive tackle specific slot and have him paired with someone like Donald, Buckner or Quinnen, that would be a thing of beauty. Everything else here this week looked normal, Alex Singleton (LB) was only in for 75% of snaps but did plenty with them much like most other weeks this season, the playing time isn't ideal but he's been producing when he's on the field so I can't argue with that either. Not a ton of fluctuation here beyond that one issue with the other inside linebacker next to Singleton and we'll circle back on that next week. Onwards.
Carolina Panthers
Produced as expected: Haason Redick (OLB) Donte Jackson (CB) AJ Bouye (CB)
Flash in the pan: NA, all names that make sense at the top of the box score this week.
Possible waivers: Jermaine Carter (LB) did indeed see a huge spike in playing time up to 100% of snaps played this week with Shaq Thompson (LB) injured and out, the production was nonexistent but then again so was Jeremy Chinn's (S) and so was Shaq Thompson's (LB) before he got hurt, this defense doesn't spend a ton of time on the field overall since the Carolina offense is currently ranked number one in time of possession week to week spending 35 minutes a game on offense on average, that means the defense is spending about five minutes less a game than the league average on the field and this has effected their production obviously. Combined with how well this defense actually plays most weeks and the less than stellar opponents they had to start the season you can see why guys like Jeremy Chinn (S) are down for production for the season, it doesn't get much better honestly I've checked their schedule and the only games that looked like locks for IDP production were smack in the middle of fantasy playoffs when the Bills and Bucs are in town. Just something to keep in mind.
Misc notes: There were no fluctuations here in playing time with any of the known and relied upon options, they all played their normal snaps they just didn't produce for us beyond Redick and a couple others. We will get Stephon Gilmore (CB) in all likelihood this next game at least in some capacity, even if the matchup looks good and it would be a good stream I'd probably wait and see what his playing time looks like first before committing to that idea. Beyond that lets' just hope this offense loses some time of possession battles here soon and this defense is able to increase it's combined tackles numbers week to week.
Pete Werner, so hot right now
Saints @ Football Team
New Orleans Saints
Produced as expected: Pete Werner (LB) DeMario Davis (LB) Malcolm Jenkins (S) Chauncey Gardner Johnson (S/CB) Paulson Adebo (CB) Cameron Jordan (DE)
Flash in the pan: Carl Granderson (DE) and PJ Williams (CB) played 37% and 22% of snaps respectively this week, not enough playing time for either for anything resembling consistency so we can pass here on both unless you're in a wildly deep league in which case Granderson might make a decent bye week stab but that's it.
Possible waivers: No new producers this week but Pete Werner (LB) continues to see his playing time increase weekly, he was up to 99% of snaps this week! He also had a monster game in the box score and is looking like a rock solid waiver wire linebacker, I've been recommending grabbing him for a minute now so I hope you were able to do so before this monster week, both in terms of production and playing time.
Misc notes: No real significant changes or notes here this week, the Pete Werner (LB) playing time rising to 99% of snaps is the best kind of news and beyond that everything else remained the same as it's been most weeks this season so we're looking good here. Moving on.
Washington Football Team
Produced as expected: Cole Holcomb (LB) Landon Collins (S) Montez Sweat (DE) & Matt Ioannidis (DT) *somewhat* Chase Young (DE)
Flash in the pan: NA, all the right names at the top of the box score this week.
Possible waivers: No new producers this week but Kamren Curl (S) did see his playing time shoot up to 89% of snaps so that's something worth noting, it's still only one real acceptable week of playing time this season so far but at least this week was movement in the correct direction. We'll see what next week brings but I wouldn't go plugging him in after seeing this just once.
Misc notes: Jamin Davis (LB) was only in for 23% of snaps this week and only recorded two solo tackles on the day. It appears that Washington altered their defensive scheme without Jon Bostic (LB) around anymore and the beneficiaries of that were Kamren Curl (S) who saw more snaps and Landon Collins (S) who played 100% of snaps yet again and also dropped into the box more along with Curl. The Washington beat writers are pointing towards the front office as well, Davis was drafted more as a "long term project" instead of an immediate producer, he can and will own this inside linebacker slot but it may not be immediately. Also these defensive adjustments they came up with this week didn't exactly work out so well so who's to say this doesn't change again next week, that's a short way of saying hold on to Davis this is just the beginning. Also what if something happens to Holcomb? They would be out of options at that point and he'd see a massive jump in playing time and production immediately at that point. There's also the "season may swirl the toilet" factor that is rapidly approaching, once they all know the playoffs have exited the building who's to say they don't plug in Davis as that point to see how he does in real game situations? There are many ways he could end up being the guy here so if you have the room definitely hold on to him, this story is just getting started. Beyond that everything else here looked good, Chase Young (DE) bounced back because of course he did, great things to come from him this season, no worries there. We'll see what next week brings.
David Long is the most recent example of "you can fix linebacker in season"
Titans @ Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
Produced as expected: David Long (LB) Kevin Byard (S) Harold Landry (OLB) Dane Cruikshank (S) Kristian Fulton (CB) Jeffrey Simmons (DT)
Flash in the pan: NA, all the right names at the top of the box score this week.
Possible waivers: No new producers this week but David Long (LB) continues to look like yet another excellent addition to the yearly crop of waiver wire linebackers that play every snap and produce almost as good as the real thing.
Misc notes: Dane Cruikshank (S) appears to have "earned a starting role" on this defense according to local Titans beat writers, Amani Hooker (S) has apparently lost his role as the starting safety next to Kevin Byard (S). We'll keep an eye on this going forward but for this week that's the story, if it were me I'd probably not play either until there's some stability that's been demonstrated for a couple few weeks, it's just not worth plugging one of them in expecting a full time safety only to find out they've been benched that week and eating the zero.
Rashaan Evans (LB) suffered a quad injury in this one on top of the issues he already had heading into it. I did not find any timetable for his return when investigating this at the time of writing, regardless we've seen that David Long (LB) is definitely the linebacker to have here so even if and when Evans returns we're probably looking at 60% or 70% of snaps and a handful of combined tackles just like we've seen all season. Kristian Fulton (CB) saw a decrease in snaps down to 65% played this week but I couldn't find anything explaining this, we'll see what next week brings for now it's just an outlier strange event. Everything else was excellent here in Tennessee this week.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Produced as expected: Josh Allen (DE) Andrew Wingard (S) Reyshawn Jenkins (S) Damien Wilson (LB) Du'Wane Smoot (DE)
Flash in the pan: Javon Hamilton (DT) and K'Lavon Chaisson (OLB) played 55% and 52% of snaps respectively this week, for Hamilton that's acceptable it's just that I don't think I've ever typed his name so this type of production isn't something I could count on again any time soon. For Chaisson he's been a massive disappointment since he was drafted, is this the start of a total turn around? Maybe? Probably not, you be the judge there but I'm not rushing to acquire him anywhere after seeing this.
Possible waivers: Shaquille Quarterman (LB) is listed as the backup to Myles Jack (LB) according to at least some of the depth charts I consulted to try and figure out who his backup would be if the back injury, more below, is something that lasts more than just this week.
Misc notes: Myles Jack (LB) suffered a back injury and lost the green dot this week, he was only able to play 53% of snaps before suffering the injury and leaving for the day. The loss of the defensive playcalling responsibilities (the green dot) is also something of note here, the Jags staff concluded that "he plays better without that additional responsibility" and that he has plenty on his plate already. We have seen in the past that there is a legit difference between his production as the defensive playcaller and when someone else has that duty and he's able to just concentrate on making plays, last season with Joe Schobert (LB) being the most obvious example of that. This second part could end up being a good thing for Jack but we need to get past the first part first, we'll see how bad the injury is and take it from there. Also beyond Shaq Griffin (CB) the cornerback corps here is in serious flux, recommending anyone beyond Griffin seems incredibly risky at the moment so that's exactly what I'll not be doing. I'll adjust in my streaming corners article just like we should all adjust if we're starting any Jags corners weekly that aren't named Shaq Griffin (CB). Moving on.
Jerome Baker ate all game long as Tampa Bay provided tons of opposing offense this week
Dolphins @ Bucs
Miami Dolphins
Produced as expected: Jerome Baker (LB) Jaelen Phillips (DE) Xavien Howard (CB)
Flash in the pan: Jevon Holland (S) was up to 97% of snaps this week but was playing almost zero a couple weeks ago, truly wild.
Possible waivers: Jevon Holland (S) is playing 97% of snaps now but could be playing almost none next week, entirely your call on this. I'm all set.
Jaelen Phillips (DE) is up to 77% of snaps played this week and had a really nice box score, this I would trust a little more, Miami is less inclined to screw around with defensive line snaps traditionally.
Misc notes: Jaelen Phillips (DE) seems to be the only option that is heading in a good direction here that wasn't already set in stone before the season. The draft capital is there as well so I would feel more comfortable about plugging him in than most other options here.
Brandon Jones (S) went from playing almost zero snaps last week to 74% this week totally out of the blue, Jevon Holland (S) same deal, these are two of the most recent examples of what this defense, along with the Pats and Lions, does week to week. Massive fluctuations in playing time and therefore production for any player that isn't "set in stone", of which there are very few of those week to week, thereby making most of the IDP options on this defense extremely risky to play and impossible to trust on a weekly basis. Even Jerome Baker (LB) saw a decent chunk of his snaps go missing this week with just 89% played after playing every snap every game this season if I recall correctly. This has been a pattern for this defense for years and is just one of the many reasons I tend to try and not use the Dolphins IDP options whenever possible. Let's keep it moving, the less time spent on this defense, the Lions and Pats the better.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Produced as expected: Devin White (LB) Shaq Barrett (OLB) Lavonte David (LB) Jamel Dean (CB) Vita Vea (DT) & Richard Sherman (CB) *somewhat*
Flash in the pan: NA, all names that make sense at the top of the box score this week.
Possible waivers: Mike Edwards (S) saw 98% of snaps filling in for the injured and out Antoine Winfield Jr (S) this week and Kevin Minter (LB) is the replacement for Lavonte David (LB) for the next game at least as well, so a short term waiver wire linebacker option there for sure, at least one game, and possibly a short term safety option for one game depending on Winfield clearing concussion protocol or not by Thursday, more below.
Misc notes: Lavonte David (LB) and Antoine Winfield (S) are currently banged up, David this week and Winfield the week prior. David will miss at least one game while recovering from an ankle injury and the latest on Winfield is still in concussion protocol but has a decent chance to clear that in time for the game Thursday night against the Eagles, so nothing long term for either.
We're going to try something new for the second part of the monster this week in an attempt to make this more easily digestible to the masses, get it out earlier in the week for waiver purposes for those of you in deeper more degenerate leagues that could use this information sooner rather than later and also to help me not lose my mind as I juggle a career and writing this article, another one and several podcasts during the season. If this works out it could end up being a win across the board for everyone so let's see how it goes.
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