Taking a look at the NFL Week 8 from a IDP perspective; notes on what our writer @Orangeman3142 saw this weekend.
This is a continuation of our weekly article series that breaks down what we saw this week in IDP fantasy football. What happened and why, what we got right and what we got wrong and more importantly how to move forward and get better next week. We look at possible waivers and trends, snap counts and issues that affect production for your IDP team. Part one will cover the first four games of week eight. Keep an eye out for part two. Let's get into it.
Miami Dolphins @ Houston Texans
Dolphins:Â For the second week in a row it's been Raekwon McMillan (LB) on top of the box score for the Dolphins with 9 combined tackles on 87% of snaps. He once again out snapped up and comer Jerome Baker (LB) who only played 59% of snaps this week putting up 6 combined tackles.
After a really quiet start to the year it looks like McMillan could be turning into what we all thought he could be, he may be worth an add here real soon. The other IDP relevant linebacker here, Kiko Alonso (LB) had 9 combined tackles as well playing 100% of snaps, he remains a weekly auto start and is having a career year.
Cameron Wake (DE) had a surprisingly good day with 6 combined tackles playing only 54% of snaps this week, he was hyped somewhat, him and Robert Quinn (DE) but neither has really played up to their potential this season. Reshad Jones (S) had another solid game with 5 combined tackles and 1 TFL playing 100% of snaps, he remains a weekly auto start who's due for a monster game soon here.
Davon Godchaux (DT) had a disappointing game with only 2 combined tackles on 80% of snaps, which to my knowledge is his high mark for playing time this season, too bad the production hasn't caught up yet. He's a prospect for the future though, it's clear the team believes in him and both Gary (@HBogart27) and Sam (@FFStompy) and I agree with that assessment. He'll be good eventually, it just may not be this year.
TJ McDonald (S) had an off day with 3 combined tackles playing 100% of snaps but is still a good end of tier two safety with better days in front of him.
Texans: Outstanding second year IDP linebacker Zach Cunningham (LB) got hurt early in this one so he had a bad day, it doesn't appear to be serious though so we should see him after their bye week at the latest. His counterpart, Bernardrick McKinney (LB) picked up some of the slack with 7 combined tackles and 2 PD playing 95% of snaps, he's been a nice tier two linebacker all season.
Kareem Jackson (S, CB) and Tyrann Mathieu (S) both had great games with Jackson recording 9 combined tackles and 1 TFL on 100% of snaps while Mathieu had 7 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1.5 TFL also playing 100% of snaps this week. Jackson is sneaky cause you can get some safety-like production from your corner slot and honey badger has been great all season.
The third safety, Justin Reid (S), also had a great game with 9 combined tackles, 2 PD and 1 INT on 100% of snaps this week, he's been up and down but mostly up this season as a decent safety tier two. JJ Watt (DE) continues to stay healthy and produce like he used to with 4 combined tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL and 1 PD on 80% of snaps this week, he remains a tier one defensive end and a weekly must start.
The other sack-master, JaDaveon Clowney (DE, LB) had a decent week as well with 3 combined tackles and 1 TFL playing 77% of snaps, he's had some monster games this season so while this wasn't his best effort it's still serviceable when considering the bigger picture.
DJ Reader (DT) had a terrible game with 1 solo tackle playing 59% of snaps this week, he's really slowed down since the beginning of the season.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars (London)
Eagles:Â This game was ideal for standout IDP linebacker Jordan Hicks (LB) who had another spectacular week with 12 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks and 1 TFL on 100% of snaps this week. He remains a weekly must start.
Nigel Bradham (LB) also had a nice week with 7 combined tackles and 1 PD playing 97% of snaps this week. Bradham has been very good since returning from suspension in the beginning of the season. Malcolm Jenkins (S) was next with 4 solo tackles and 2 PD on 100% of snaps, this is around his floor but he's certainly capable of bigger games.
Chris Long (DE) and Fletcher Cox (DT) both got it done on the defensive line this week. Long had 2 solo tackles, 2 sacks and 1 TFL playing 62% of snaps this week, he could turn into a decent option with Derek Barnett (DE) being lost for the season to injury last week, let's see a little more production and consistency first though before pulling the trigger. Cox recorded 2 solo tackles, 1 TFL and 1 PD on 83% of snaps which isn't a bad game for defensive tackle, he'll have bigger ones down the line.
Ronald Darby (CB) had 4 combined tackles playing 97% of snaps this week and Jalen Mills (CB) recorded 3 combined tackles playing 36% of snaps. This wasn't an ideal game for either corner with the Jags inability to throw the ball effectively but they remain good options when the matchup is right.
Jaguars:Â Both of the IDP relevant linebackers for the Jags had nice weeks, Telvin Smith (LB) had 8 combined tackles on 94% of snaps while Myles Jack (LB) put up 5 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL playing 100% of snaps this week. Smith has been an auto start and Jack has been spotty all season.
Calais Campbell (DE) continues his hot streak with 7 combined tackles, 1 sack and 2 TFL on 84% of snaps played this week, he's been on fire this entire month it seems like and is back to being a weekly auto start tier one defensive end. Tashaun Gipson (S) had 7 combined tackles playing 100% of snaps this week but has been more bad than good this season so I'm not recommending any moves in regards to him.
Jalen Ramsey (CB) had a great game in an ideal matchup recording 3 solo tackles, 1 PD and 1 INT on 100% of snaps this week and is a good option against teams like the Eagles that can pass well. The other IDP player on the Jags we track is Yannick Ngakoue (DE) who had a nice game with 2 solo tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL playing 71% of snaps this week. He's a short term or injury replacement option for me and that's about it though, he's nowhere close to the pace he was on last season.
New York Jets @ Chicago Bears
Jets:Â With the return of a healthy Marcus Maye (S) this week it was the safeties kicking butt and taking names for the Jets defense this week. Maye had 7 solo tackles on 100% of snaps and is probably on the waiver wire if you need safety help, remember the absolute tear he was on before getting hurt a few weeks back? I do, go get him.
Jamal Adams (S) is the other safety for the Jets and is always awesome, he had 6 solo tackles on 100% of snaps this week and that was a "down" week for him compared to his stats from other games this season, I can't say enough about him, he's great.
Avery Williamson (LB) continues to stay hot with 7 combined tackles playing 100% of snaps this week while his counterpart Darron Lee (LB) had a stinker with 4 combined tackles playing 100% of snaps. Williamson caught fire after a terrible first two weeks of the season and doesn't seem to be cooling down, if anything this was a "bad" game for him and it was still more than serviceable. Lee has had two great games this season and the rest have been essentially shit, I'm all set with him.
Leonard Williams (DE) is the other IDP relevant guy I track on the Jets since there's no way to predict which one of their corners will have a good game every week. Williams had yet another stinker with 2 combined tackles and 1 TFL on 82% of snaps and is still best used as a short term spot play.
Bears: Speaking of spot-starting Leonard Williams (DE), I had to for the injured and out Khalil Mack (DE, LB) this week and man did it not work out so well. Hopefully Mack will be back in action soon. Danny Trevethan (LB) and Roquan Smith (LB) soaked up most of the production in this one with Trevethan putting up 7 combined tackles and 1 PD playing 91% of snaps while Smith recorded 5 combined tackles and 1 PD playing 94% of snaps this week. Trevethan has been on the edge of a tier one guy this year and Smith and his production style reminds me of Nigel Bradham (LB) very much, he's a tier two guy.
Safeties Eddie Jackson (S) and Adrian Amos (S) had 3 tackles between them in an awful game this week while both played 100% of snaps, they've been up and down all season I've never been a fan.
Akiem Hicks (DE) and Kyle Fuller (CB) are the other two IDP relevant guys from the Bears I track week to week and both had pretty terrible games. Fuller will perform better against teams that can throw the ball effectively and Hicks is expected to have a bad game fairly often being just an end of tier two defensive end playing a position that is up and down week to week for even the best players in the league. They'll both be fine.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Bucs:Â With the shattering loss of Kwon Alexander (LB) last week this was our first look at who might pick up the slack for the Bucs IDP production for the rest of the season. Besides LaVonte David (LB) who had 8 combined tackles and 2 TFL on 100% of snaps the answer was pretty much everyone except the other linebackers. Justin Evans (S) recorded 8 combined tackles playing 100% of snaps and has been great all year, he now has the chance to produce even more with Alexander out for the year.
Brent Grimes (CB) and Jordan Whitehead (S) both had serviceable games with grimes recording 5 combined tackles and 1 PD on 100% of snaps while Whitehead had 4 solo tackles and 1 TFL on 79% of snaps this week. Grimes is starting to emerge as a trustworthy corner option for the Bucs and Whitehead was being looked at in IDP circles as a possible waiver wire guy but just hasn't looked great so far.
Adarius Taylor (LB) who is currently replacing Alexander had a terrible game with 3 combined tackles on 80% of snaps this week. With Kendell Beckwith (LB) returning in the near future and Taylor most likely returning to SLB it may be wise to just shitcan Taylor and pick up Beckwith and wait for him to get healthy and into the lineup.
Jason Pierre Paul (DE) had a quiet game for the majority of this one but managed a late two sacks to salvage his week and continue his month long hot streak. He finished with 3 combined tackles, 2 sacks and 2 TFL on 97% of snaps this week. He remains an awesome tier one defensive end.
Bengals:Â With awesome producer Nick Vigil (LB) and sometimes awesome producer Vontaze Burfict (LB) both injured and out this week we knew it was going to be the Preston Brown (LB) and Jordan Evans (LB) show. They both did pretty terrific. Evans put up 11 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 PD and 1 INT on 98% of snaps.
He's been trending up with Vigil out and it seems no Burfict this week just added to the production he could soak up, beware though the return of either Vigil or Burfict could totally screw this up so tread carefully with Evans. Brown had 7 combined tackles, 1 PD and 1 INT on 83% of snaps and has been bad all season, this is probably his best game so far.
The Bengals safeties, Jessie Bates (S) and Shawn Williams (S) both had monster games as well. Bates has been doing this all season and had 6 combined tackles, 3 PD and 1 INT on 100% of snaps while Williams has been far more spotty but had 7 combined tackles, 3 PD and 1 INT on 94% of snaps played. While those numbers for Williams are nice he's had far more bad games than good, Bates is the one to own here.
Carlos Dunlap (DE) and Geno Atkins (DT) are the other two guys I've been tracking on the Bengals and had very opposite days. Dunlap had 5 combined tackles, 2 sacks and 3 TFL on 73% of snaps while Atkins only had 1 tackle assist playing 64% of snaps this week. Atkins has cooled off some but there are still great games in his future and as far as I'm concerned both are tier one guys from what they've done so far this season.
Dre Kirkpatrick (CB) took advantage of an ideal matchup to record 5 solo tackles on 89% of snaps, he's a decent option against teams that pass a ton.
Make sure you catch part two dropping tomorrow and keep an eye out for my start or sit article dropping Saturday. My bad habit of going too far into detail means this article is in multiple parts instead of one novel.
If you have any questions or need some advice feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@OrangeMan3142) or use the "Contact Us" box on our website (idpguys.org) to reach us. Our team of writers has over 100 combined years of experience in IDP fantasy football and we are always accessible and transparent with both our hits and misses. We've got you covered with player profiles, waivers, analysis, snap counts and injury updates all with no paywall @ idpguys.org.
