We are now into week 2 of the NFL season. Injuries are already piling up, but no worries, here are some sleepers to fill your roster holes.
Were you left with a sour taste in your mouth after the first week of the NFL season? Well so were many of us. There were some injuries that happened, some unexpected depth chart deception, scheme differences, as well as some unexpected big games. It can be tough to figure out what you need to do with your lineups after a week like the one we just had, but we here at idpguys.org are here to help. I will be dropping a weekly IDP sleepers article to help you out of a bind.
I know many of you are in deep leagues, as so am I, and will need to look for some weekly gems to help you win from week to week. Here are some sleepers you can grab in hopes to perform at a high level for week 2.
Defensive Line IDP Sleepers
D.J. Wonnum - DE - Minnesota Vikings
Week One Stats: Two tackles, one solo.
D.J. Wonnum looks like the defensive end who will be getting most of the playing time across from stud Danielle Hunter. He was tied for 2nd in snap percentage across the defensive line after Hunter, playing on 68% of the team's snaps, which tied nose tackle, Dalvin Tomlinson. Wonnum made only two starts in 2020, though still produced 24 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 9 QB hits, and a forced fumble.
The Vikings play the Cardinals in week 2, and though they only gave up two sacks in week 1, they also faced a pretty lackluster pass-rushing group. Kyler Murray is known for holding the ball too long at times, and Wonnum has the benefit of facing one-on-one matchups due to the attention that Hunter will garner.
Gregory Rousseau - DE - Buffalo Bills
Week One Stats: Two solo tackles and one pressure.
Rousseau has mouth-watering potential with his combination of size and athleticism. In the Bills' week 1 loss to the Steelers, the team only mustered two sacks against a depleted offensive line from a year ago. One of the two sacks also came from the team's safety Jordan Poyer. In order for this defense to get on the right track, they will need to create more pressure.
Rousseau already is pushing veteran Jerry Hughes for snaps, as Hughes out-snapped Rousseau 57% to 52%. If the team wants to be successful rushing the passer then they need Rousseau on the field. The Bills take on the Dolphins in week 2, and though the 'Fins just beat the Patriots, Tua Tagovailoa still looked a bit uncomfortable in the pocket. Rousseau has a good shot to get to the unsettled signal-caller making him one of my potential IDP sleepers.
Linebacker IDP Sleeper
Zack Baun - LB - New Orleans Saints
Week One Stats: Five solo tackles.
The Saints to start the season looked like they still had not fully entrusted Zack Baun into being an off-ball linebacker. Because of this, they re-signed Kwon Alexander before the season started and he received the start alongside Demario Davis. What happened next though was not expected.
Though Baun played on 20% fewer snaps than Alexander, it was Baun who actually led the entire team in tackles with five. Baun played on only 40% of the team's defensive snaps, though found himself around the ball often. The Saints get the Panthers in week 2 who gave Christian McCaffrey 30 total touches in week 1. This could lead to some nice production from Baun, especially if the team rewards him with more playing time making him one of the top IDP sleepers.
Defensive Back IDP Sleepers
Anthony Harris - Safety - Philadelphia Eagles
Week One Stats: Four tackles, two solos.
Anthony Harris was a nice under-the-radar signing for the Eagles this off-season. He was coming off of a career-high 104 tackle season and is only two years removed from having six interceptions. Harris was one of only two defensive players on the Eagles to play every single snap, the other being cornerback Steven Nelson. He was also targeted four times and only gave up one reception.
Harris gets the 49ers in week 2. The 49ers just gave up 14 tackles, one for a loss and a sack to Tracy Walker and Will Harris of the Lions. Jimmy Garoppolo averaged the most yards per attempt of any quarterback in week 1, making the value of Harris all the more tempting and one of my favorite week 2 IDP sleepers.
Patrick Surtain Jr. - CB - Denver Broncos
Patrick Surtain Jr. was a first-round pick for the Denver Broncos, though he landed in a crowded cornerback room. He played on fewer snaps than Kyle Fuller (100%), Ronald Darby (100%), and Bryce Callahan (84%) while Surtain Jr. only played 26% of the team's snaps. The good news is that there is now an opening in the starting lineup for the rookie to take a hold of. Starter Ronald Darby is on IR and out for at least three weeks with a hamstring injury.
Surtain Jr. likely gets the start on the outside across from Kyle Fuller, while Bryce Callahan mans the slot. This could mean a high volume target share for Surtain Jr, as the Jaguars would rather test the rookie than perennial ball hawk Kyle Fuller. Speaking of the Jaguars, they just threw the ball 51 times in week 1, including three interceptions. To boot the Jaguars are likely to be playing from behind again. Surtain Jr could be in for a big week.
Summary
We had plenty of sleepers show up in week 1 of the NFL season. I had a list compiled of five sleeper targets including Dee Ford, Darrell Taylor, Christian Kirksey, Hamsah Nasirldeen, and Kendall Fuller. I would say I hit on the first three, missed on Nasirledeen and you could take or leave Fuller.
This week is a little tougher looking for some legitimate sleepers, as most of the depth charts are no longer a secret. Either way, these five targets are in lien to potentially have big weeks, if you have holes to fill, here you go.
Thank you for reading! Follow me on Twitter at @JoeyTheToothIDP, and check out all of my IDP, Devy, and Offensive work on my IDP Guys author page. Stay up to date with the latest breaking news in fantasy football with The IDPGuys!
