• IDP Fantasy Football Instant Reaction & Waivers Week Two Edition (Part Two)

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    Taking a look at the NFL week 2 from a IDP perspective; notes on what our writer @Orangeman3142 saw this weekend.


    This weekly series is a quick diagnosis and reaction to the games each week. I will break down what happened and why, what I got right and what I got wrong. We'll look through each of the games and try and find the trends and figure out who will be good to keep around for your IDP purposes and who you should cut ties with. Let's get into it. This is the second set of 8 games from week two. I covered part one here

    Eagles @ Buccanneers

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    Philly: Jordan Hicks played 100% of snaps and had another really nice day with 9 combined tackles and 0.5 TFL. He remains the linebacker to own on the Eagles. Nigel Bradham came back from suspension this week and played 81% of snaps while recording 8 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1.5 TFL. Go get him if he's on your waiver wire he may not have been drafted due to the week one suspension. I expect his snap percentage to go up and he's always been a reliable playmaker.

    Ronald Darby played 93% of snaps and put up 8 solo tackles, 1 PD and 1 Int in an awesome week. He has traditionally been a reliable cornerback and his snap % is high enough that I would pick him up if you need cornerback help. Fletcher Cox continues his strong start to the season with a 79% snap share and 5 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL. Malcolm Jenkins played 100% of snaps again and had a decent game with 5 combined tackles. He's a reliable option for safety help but has not put up a huge game yet this season.

    Tampa Bay: Kwon Alexander, when healthy, is a top 5 IDP linebacker without a doubt. He played 100% of snaps and recorded 7 combined tackles, 1 sack and 3 TFL. LaVonte David also played 100% of snaps and had another solid game with 9 combined tackles, 0.5 TFL and 1 PD. Cornerback Ryan Smith saw time this week due to the Vernon Hargreaves injury that ended his season. Smith played 90% of defensive snaps and had a monster game with 9 combined tackles and 2 PD. He is a great candidate for a waiver wire cornerback since he'll likely be targeted often and seen as the weak link in the Tampa Bay secondary.

    Jason Pierre-Paul and Gerald McCoy both had excellent games and played 85% and 82% of defensive snaps respectively. JPP put up 5 solo tackles, 1 TFL and 1 sack. McCoy recorded 3 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL. Safety Chris Conte only played 54% of defensive snaps but still put up 7 combined tackles. That snap % worries me so I would look elsewhere for safety help. Safety Justin Evans, however, played 100% of snaps and recorded 6 combined tackles and 1 PD. He is a much better waiver wire options if you need safety help.

    Colts @ Redskins

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    Indianapolis: Darius Leonard played 100% of snaps and continues to be the front-runner for DROY and is currently on course for 216 combined tackles this season at the pace he's going. Leonard recorded 18 combined tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL and 1 PD. Doubtful at this point he's on your waiver wire but if he is, go get him! Clayton Geathers also played 100% of defensive snaps and had his second great game in a row with 12 combined tackles. It's more likely he's available on your waiver wire and I can think of no other safety I would want more than him in waivers this week. Get in on the ground floor of both of these guys if you can because their stock is going up like a rocket ship. Kenny Moore, cornerback, played 100% of snaps as well and put up 9 combined tackles and 1.5 TFL.

    Anthony Walker despite only playing 51% of snaps still put up a solid game with 8 combined tackles and 1 TFL. I still don't like his snap % but it would seem that with Andrew Luck still not 100% the Colts are going to be spending an awful lot of time on defense this season so Walker may not be the worst pick up from the waiver wire, especially in deeper leagues. Margus Hunt was rewarded for his week one production with an increase in his defensive snap count that was up to 91% this week. He also plays DT/DE in some leagues so he's flexible as far as your lineup is concerned. There is no one else I would recommend more this week if you need defensive line help than Hunt, who recorded 3 combined tackles and 2 TFL this week after a monster week one performance. Jabal Sheard played more this week with a 76% snap share and produced more as well with 3 combined tackles, 1 sack and 2.5 TFL. He's also a reliable option in deeper leagues and is listed as LB/DE in some leagues adding flexibility as well.

    Washington: Mason Foster played 98% of defensive snaps at linebacker this week and had a nice game with 11 combined tackles, 1 TFL and 1 PD. With Zach Brown still slightly dinged up Foster may be an option in deeper leagues for some linebacker help. Personally, I'm not pulling the trigger but the playing time is there. Brown was much improved this week playing 84% of snaps this week and recording 10 combined tackles and 1 TFL. Josh Norman played 100% of snaps and had a nice game with 7 combined tackles but is still a shutdown corner who won't be thrown at as often as others so I'm avoiding him.

    DJ Swearinger played 100% of snaps and recorded 3 solo tackles, 2 PD and 2 Ints. Those are nice stats but interceptions are impossible to predict and his tackle numbers haven't been impressive so far. I'm looking for other safety options personally.

    Cardinals @ Rams

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    Arizona: The shocker from this game was Deone Buchanon only played 35% of snaps for some unknown reason and as a result only recording 1 solo tackle. I have no idea what happened there and I'm personally benching him until we figure out what the hell is going on. It's too big a risk to start him with this kind of shenanigans going on. Josh Bynes though played 97% of snaps this week and put up 6 combined tackles and 1 PD. He continues to be a reliable option at MLB and is barely owned in smaller leagues. If he's available I would grab him if you need linebacker help. Plus their offense is hot garbage so he'll be on defense a whole lot every game.

    Antoine Bethea and Budda Baker both continue to take advantage of the inexperience at linebacker in front of them and keep cleaning up for easy points every week. They both played 100% of snaps and Bethea finished with 8 combined tackles while Baker put up 6 combined tackles and 0.5 TFL. Both remain top-level options at safety and I'm comfortable starting either all season.

    Patrick Peterson had a great game at corner and played 100% of snaps while recording 8 combined tackles, 1 TFL and 1 Int. He's a shutdown corner though and they don't play the Rams, who are without a doubt on another level of offense entirely, every week so I would steer clear personally. Chandler Jones and Hassan Redick both had bad games while playing 88% and 4% of snaps respectively. That's a surprise from Jones, who should be fine, and not a surprise from Redick who has gone from a hyped option to complete failure in two games.

    LA Rams: The Rams so completely destroyed Arizona in this game that television coverage switched games midway through the third quarter and the Rams defensive starters maxed out at 78% of defensive snaps played. They killed the Cardinals so efficiently that they pulled their defensive starters in the third quarter, amazing. John Johnson III was the one bright spot defensively for the Rams and that was mostly due to dominating time of possession and sitting starters in the third quarter. Johnson played 78% of snaps and recorded 7 combined tackles, 1 TFL and 1 PD.

    If your Rams IDP players didn't do so hot this week I wouldn't worry too much. This game was an anomaly. Not every team is as terrible as the Cardinals.

    Lions @ 49ers

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    Detroit: Jarrad Davis and Devon Kennard both played 100% of defensive snaps for the Lions and both had nice days. Davis finished with 6 combined tackles, 2 sacks and 2 TFL while Kennard recorded 4 combined tackles, 2 sacks and 2 TFL. The Lions secondary had a really nice day with Wilson, Quinn, Slay and Diggs. Diggs and Quinn played 100% of snaps while Slay played 64% and Wilson played 50%. Despite the smaller amount of snaps Wilson recorded 6 solo tackles. Quinn had 5 solo tackles and so did Slay. Diggs had 5 combined tackles and 2 PD.

    I'm avoiding this Lions defense like the plague, no real patterns of production have shown themselves yet so I'm steering clear where I can.

    San Francisco: Elijah Lee and Fred Warner both had solid days with Lee playing 94% of snaps while Warner played 100%. Lee finished with 12 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL. Warner put up 10 combined tackles. Lee will probably not be in the picture next week when Ruben Foster returns (pick him up if he's on waivers btw, he's going to be a huge producer) and Warner's role will certainly change since Malcolm Smith will most likely be ready to play next week as well. So as great as this Warner production has been I would bench him next week and see what happens before proceeding, or even better trade him to the guy in your league that has no idea what's going on.

    DeForest Buckner continues his monster season with an 83% snap share and recording 5 solo tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL. I put him as our #1 DT in the rankings for a reason, now you know why. Jaquiski Tartt got hurt in this game hence the 92% snap share instead of 100%, we'll have to monitor his situation he's been solid so far this year. He recorded 5 combined tackles in the game. Make sure you have a plan in place for the Warner situation this week.

    Raiders @ Broncos

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    Oakland Raiders: Tahir Whitehead once again led the Raiders in IDP production with a pedestrian 6 combined tackles while playing 95% of defensive snaps. Leon Hall played 83% of snaps at cornerback and recorded 5 solo tackles and 1 PD and might be a decent option if you need help at CB. Besides those two not much happened defensively for the Raiders. I might roster Maurice Hurst or Jonathan Hankins for the future at DT in super deep leagues or in dynasty but that's the extent of my IDP moves regarding the Raiders this week.

    Denver Broncos: Justin Simmons is a safety we talked about a lot in the offseason as a guy who may go up a tier this season and it's looking good so far. He played 100% of snaps and recorded 9 combined tackles. If he's available on your waiver wire I think this is a great option for safety help if you need it. Tremaine Brock, cornerback, had the next best day stats-wise for the Broncos but only played 35% of snaps so I won't even waste your time by listing his stats. Don't do it, that's not even remotely enough playing time to be a streaming cornerback and that production is a flash in the pan. Brandon Marshall had an off game with 4 combined tackles while playing 82% of snaps. He'll be fine.

    Von Miller had another nice game with 5 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1.5 TFL on 75% of defensive snaps played. He's still boom or bust but more reliable than most with that designation. Todd Davis increased his defensive snap count to 88% this week and recorded 5 solo tackles. I said last week I didn't like his defensive snap % but it's gone up and he's had decent production two weeks in a row so if you're in a super deep league and need linebacker help he may not be the worst option. I'm still worried about Josey Jewell breathing down his neck though so if you do pull the trigger make sure it's not in a money league. Bradley Chubb was up to 72% of defensive snaps played this week but still hasn't put together a solid game yet.

    Patriots @ Jags

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    New England: Jason McCourty led the Pats with 6 solo tackles and 1 TFL but only played 75% of defensive snaps at cornerback. There are better options for help at corner that play more. Devin McCourty played 96% of snaps but had a down game with only 3 solo tackles. Linebacker was a mess again this week with no sense being made at all with the snap percentages. Kyle Van Noy played 90% of snaps this week and recorded 6 combined tackles and 1 PD. Bentley who I talked about last week dove down to 42% of snaps played and only put up 2 solo tackles. Basically I'm steering clear of the Pats linebackers and you should too unless you absolutely have to play one of them.

    There is no pattern as to who will play how much and why. Trey Flowers got hurt early and had a dud game because of it but when he's healthy I'd play him. Devin McCourty and Flowers are still the only two I feel confident in.

    Jacksonville: Telvin Smith and Myles Jack both played 100% of snaps again this week and led the team in IDP production once again. These two are locked in all year for me. Smith finished with 8 combined tackles while Jack put up 8 combined tackles as well. Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue played 69% and 66% of snaps and both had dud games. They're both hit or miss, especially with Dante Fowler Jr returning and stealing 31% of defensive snaps.

    Fowler had a nice day with 1 solo tackle, 1 sack and 1 TFL but that snap % is concerning. All three of those guys don't play enough for my liking so I'm steering clear of the Jacksonville defensive line. Barry Church played 95% of defensive snaps and recorded 4 combined tackles in a so so day. He's a decent option if you need safety help but he's not flashy, he won't get you a monster day that often but he also won't screw you with a donut.

    Giants @ Cowboys

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    NY Giants: Alec Ogletree played 100% of snaps and led the Giants IDP production with 6 solo tackles. He's a start every week for me and should be a steady producer all year. Landon Collins and Jackrabbit Jenkins also both played 100% of snaps and both had decent days with each recording 6 combined tackles. Snacks Harrison only played 64% of defensive snaps this week but put up 4 combined tackles. He'll be fine this was a down week for him and it was still better than the majority of defensive tackles out there.

    Those were the only real producers on the Giants defense for IDP purposes this week. I would keep an eye out for Olivier Vernon if you need DELB help he's usually pretty solid and should be returning from injury soon.

    Dallas: Jaylon Smith played 84% of defensive snaps this week and had a monster game at MLB with 10 combined tackles and 1 TFL. Sean Lee and Kavon Frazier played 60% and 100% of snaps respectively and had decent weeks. Lee recorded 5 combined tackles in a down week, he should be fine. Frazier put up 4 solo tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL. He remains a decent safety option if you need help in that department. As long as Xavier Woods is injured he should remain a decent fill in guy but the second Woods is playing I would abandon ship or at least bench him and see what happens snap % wise. Chidobe Awuzie played 100% of snaps and is a solid option if you need cornerback help. He put up 8 solo tackles and is low % owned in most leagues.

    Demarcus Lawrence and Taco Charlton wrecked havoc on the Giants offensive line and both had great games. Lawrence played 76% of snaps while Charlton played 84%. Tank put up 2 solo tackles, 1 sack and 2 TFL while Charlton recorded 3 solo tackles, 1 sack and 2 TFL. Taco is low % owned in most leagues and has an ideal matchup next week against the Seattle Seahawks and their leaky offensive line. Russel Wilson is going to be running for his life and I expect the Cowboys defensive line to produce more than a couple sacks in that game.

    Seattle @ Chicago

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    Seahawks: Bradley McDougald played 100% of snaps again this week and had another monster game with 8 solo tackles, 1 TFL and 1 PD. He continues to do amazing work filing Kam Chancellors spot and putting up great numbers weekly, go grab him if you can. Austin Calitro filled in for Bobby Wagner and had a nice game but all the reports I've read say Wagner should be back this week so don't bother picking this guy up unless you see Wagner is doubtful later this week. Mychal Kendricks had a nice game as well but he was filling in for KJ Wright who should be returning soon as well. I would avoid these two if possible they're just fill ins until the studs come back which should be soon.

    Shaq Griffin the cornerback played 100% of snaps and had a great game as well with 4 solo tackles, 3 PD and 2 int. Frank Clark played 76% of snaps and had another nice game this week with 3 solo tackles, 1 sack and 2 TFL. He is a low % owned DE and the last remaining legion of boom member on that defensive line, pick him up if you need DL help. McDougald is the guy to own here and when Wagner and Wright return the other production here will disappear.

    Bears: Roquan Smith got his first start of the year and played 89% of snaps this week so you are full go to plug him into all your lineups. His first start produced some nice results with 7 solo tackles and 1 PD. Danny Trevethan, the other ILB, took advantage of all the chaos Khalil Mack caused and did some damage of his own while playing 88% of snaps. He recorded 8 combined tackles, 2 sacks and 1 TFL. Both him and Smith will be nice options at linebacker especially with the somewhat suspect offense ran by even more suspect Mitchell Trubisky. Khalil Mack caused havoc again while playing 73% of snaps and recording 5 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL.

    Both Adrian Amos and Eddie Jackson played 100% of snaps this week and had nice games. Amos put up 4 combined tackles while Jackson recorded 3 solo tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL and 1 PD. Kyle Fuller played 100% of snaps but had an off game with only 2 solo tackles due mostly to gamescript. Akiem Hicks played 73% of snaps this week and had an OK game with 3 combined tackles and 1 TFL. Fuller remains a solid CB option when going against opponents that throw more often and Hicks is a nice bye week or short term injury fill in guy unless you're in a super deep league where he could start.

    Good luck with all your matchups this week. If you have any questions feel free to hit me up on Twitter @orangeman3142 or fill out the "contact us" box on the website www.idpguys.org


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    Johny The Greek

    Non-delusional Cowboys Fan. Been playing Fantasy since 2003, IDP since 2004 and watching football for 35 years. Being a firm believer in "you should know if the person you're taking advice from actually knows or wins anything" I'd like to present exhibit A: I have a diamond rating in Yahoo (976) with 29 plus titles in redraft/dynasty across Yahoo, Sleeper, Fantrax and MFL and an additional 57 plus 2nd/3rd place in redraft/dynasty, same platforms. I also play in and have won several all-IDP leagues. I started playing FanDuel with a free entry and have won almost a grand since. I've also won many leagues on the draft app (RIP Draft App, we miss you) and play the maximum number of free college fantasy leagues on Yahoo every year as well with 3 titles and 9 trophies in just two years of playing before Yahoo discontinued those leagues. My profile includes multiple titles in survivor and pick em leagues as well. I was a finalist in the 2021/22 IDP Guys Invitational and the best ball tournament. Also a MFL & Sleeper best ball & eliminator degenerate with many titles there as well. I just started playing All-22 this season and I would bet the mortgage I'll be good at that too. (Update, I did fine, 9-5 first season and made playoffs). What does all that mean? Nothing except when I do something I tend to overdo it. I have been at this for a long time though so I'll help you with your IDP roster and questions however I can whenever I can. I write a weekly streaming IDP corners article (Johny The Greek's Cornerbacks Corner) and whatever I feel like in the offseason. You can find me @OrangeMan3142 on Twitter. Feel free to reach out for any questions or just to talk some football. Check out my articles on Friday mornings all season long. And new this season and going forward stick around for "Johny The Greek's Free Real Estate" where I interview the best and brightest from FF Twitter, and by that I mean the interesting people who actually help you win and not the useless engagement farmers. I am not an "analyst" I'm just a crazy person/degenerate who has been doing this a long time, has been pretty good at it and is dialed in because I have to be to not sound like an idiot writing all these articles and doing all these shows. My style is straightforward & conversational, IDP isn't complicated and you're not trying to win an argument on Twitter you're trying to win your league. Come join me weekly in season for Johny the Greek's Cornerbacks Corner, where we look at the fine art that is streaming corners or finding ways to maximize your production from your CB slots each week. Also in season check out the IDP Pros Podcast on SGPN network. I hope you enjoyed the article. Let us praise our Messiah Babu Frik and give worship to Baby Yoda. Jimmy G would make a fine husband. Thanks for reading. -Johny the Greek-
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