IDP Analysis: Al-Shaair Here to Stay

IDP Analysis: Al-Shaair Here to Stay

This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.

RISING

Kyzir White, LB

Kenneth Murray (15 percent snap share) probably isn't going to establish himself on this defense; White (81 percent) already has. He has produced 51 tackles (32 solo) over the last five games while playing nearly every snap. There used to be some lingering doubt that White would eventually be usurped by Murray, but White is a plug-and-play IDP option moving forward. 

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB

Owusu-Koramoah appears to be fully healthy after battling an ankle injury, as he logged a season-high 66 defensive snaps (86 percent), 12 tackles (six solo) and a half sack in Sunday's loss to Baltimore. The rookie second-round pick always had high potential, and it's exciting to see him finally reach it. The Browns will be on bye in Week 13, but Owusu-Koramoah is worth starting against the Ravens in Week 14. 

Christian Jones, LB

Jones enjoyed a bump in playing time when Roquan Smith exited during the Thanksgiving Day win over the Lions, recording six tackles (three solo) across 23 snaps. Hamstring injuries usually take some time to come back from, so Jones will likely be next in line for a starting role. Alec Ogletree is still a more dependable linebacker for IDP purposes, however. 

Dean Marlowe, S

Marlowe played every defensive snap in Week 12, while Will Harris worked as the nickelback because AJ Parker (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. He capitalized on the opportunity with 10 tackles (six solo) and a pass breakup. Parker

RISING

Kyzir White, LB

Kenneth Murray (15 percent snap share) probably isn't going to establish himself on this defense; White (81 percent) already has. He has produced 51 tackles (32 solo) over the last five games while playing nearly every snap. There used to be some lingering doubt that White would eventually be usurped by Murray, but White is a plug-and-play IDP option moving forward. 

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB

Owusu-Koramoah appears to be fully healthy after battling an ankle injury, as he logged a season-high 66 defensive snaps (86 percent), 12 tackles (six solo) and a half sack in Sunday's loss to Baltimore. The rookie second-round pick always had high potential, and it's exciting to see him finally reach it. The Browns will be on bye in Week 13, but Owusu-Koramoah is worth starting against the Ravens in Week 14. 

Christian Jones, LB

Jones enjoyed a bump in playing time when Roquan Smith exited during the Thanksgiving Day win over the Lions, recording six tackles (three solo) across 23 snaps. Hamstring injuries usually take some time to come back from, so Jones will likely be next in line for a starting role. Alec Ogletree is still a more dependable linebacker for IDP purposes, however. 

Dean Marlowe, S

Marlowe played every defensive snap in Week 12, while Will Harris worked as the nickelback because AJ Parker (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. He capitalized on the opportunity with 10 tackles (six solo) and a pass breakup. Parker will miss at least two more games, and Marlowe should be a steady contributor until he returns. 

Azeez Al-Shaair, LB

We weren't sure what Al-Shaair's role would look like with Dre Greenlaw back from injured reserve. However, Greenlaw aggravated his groin injury during Sunday's win over the Vikings, and Fred Warner suffered a hamstring injury and will have an MRI on Monday. Al-Shaair -- who led the team with eight tackles and recorded an interception and a fumble recovery Sunday -- may be the team's top linebacker for the immediate future. 

Shaquille Quarterman, LB

Damien Wilson, the Jaguars' leading tackler, left Sunday's loss to the Falcons with an ankle injury. It's unclear how much time he'll miss, if any, but Quarterman is the next man up. He recorded seven tackles (five solo) after Wilson left in Week 12. He's mostly untested, so Quarterman is best-fit for deeper leagues but should definitely be picked up if it's confirmed that Wilson will miss time. 

Julian Love, S

Logan Ryan has missed the last two games while in COVID-19 protocol, and Love has generated 12 tackles (five solo), three pass breakups and a half sack while starting in each of those contests. Ryan will likely be back next week against the Dolphins, but the Giants' secondary is looking thin after Adoree' Jackson suffered a quadriceps injury and Darnay Holmes went down with a chest injury in Sunday's win over the Eagles. It's possible Ryan shifts back to cornerback and Love starts again at safety. Love should provide some fantasy returns if he indeed starts against a struggling QB Tua Tagovailoa

FALLING

Josh Bynes, LB

We knew Bynes' tenure of fantasy relevance had an expiration date, and that time has come. Bynes never fully took over with Malik Harrison (calf) out of the lineup, leaving himself vulnerable to being hopped on the depth chart when Harrison returned. Harrison is back in action now, and while he didn't fully push Bynes out of the rotation this week, it's only a matter of time at this point.

Josh Allen, LB

Allen has put together some massive outings this season, but he leans heavily on sacks to reach his ceiling. It'll be tough to put up big numbers against the Rams, as QB Matthew Stafford ranks third in the league with a 3.7 sack percentage this season. Fantasy managers starting Allen this week are taking on more risk than usual, although he's always a boom-or-bust option. 

Deandre Houston-Carson, LB

Houston-Carson made four straight starts when Eddie Jackson (hamstring) and Tashaun Gipson (hip) were in and out of the lineup, and he averaged eight tackles per game while adding three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries in that stretch. However, both Gipson and Jackson are back to full health, and Houston-Carson logged a 13 percent snap share in Week 12. He won't be a usable fantasy option as long as Jackson and Gipson are healthy.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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