This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
RISING
Eric Wilson, LB, MIN
A humble special teams player for most of his career to this point, Wilson has made quite an impression as a three-down player in the Minnesota defense lately. Playing in the place of the injured Anthony Barr, Wilson has shown upside both in coverage and as a blitzer, while his high snap count otherwise has led to a healthy total of tackle production, too. After posting six tackles and a sack against the Seahawks on Monday, Wilson is up to 30 tackles, two sacks and one interception in his last four games. An explosive athlete who's faster than most safeties, Wilson appears to have a realistic path to provide LB2 utility or better in IDP leagues for the rest of 2020.
Mike Hilton, CB, PIT
Hilton has always been a good player for the Steelers, but in 2020 they've used him differently, and in this new role he's propelled himself toward the top of the IDP lists at defensive back. The Steelers have blitzed Hilton relentlessly early on in 2020, leading him to pile up tackle and sack counts basically unprecedented for NFL nickel corners. Hilton's 2020 application in the Steelers defense more so looks like Tyrann Mathieu during the peak of his LSU days. After posting another eight tackles and a sack against the Eagles, Hilton is up to 29 tackles and three sacks in four games. Perhaps Hilton's production falls off from this point, but to this point the results
RISING
Eric Wilson, LB, MIN
A humble special teams player for most of his career to this point, Wilson has made quite an impression as a three-down player in the Minnesota defense lately. Playing in the place of the injured Anthony Barr, Wilson has shown upside both in coverage and as a blitzer, while his high snap count otherwise has led to a healthy total of tackle production, too. After posting six tackles and a sack against the Seahawks on Monday, Wilson is up to 30 tackles, two sacks and one interception in his last four games. An explosive athlete who's faster than most safeties, Wilson appears to have a realistic path to provide LB2 utility or better in IDP leagues for the rest of 2020.
Mike Hilton, CB, PIT
Hilton has always been a good player for the Steelers, but in 2020 they've used him differently, and in this new role he's propelled himself toward the top of the IDP lists at defensive back. The Steelers have blitzed Hilton relentlessly early on in 2020, leading him to pile up tackle and sack counts basically unprecedented for NFL nickel corners. Hilton's 2020 application in the Steelers defense more so looks like Tyrann Mathieu during the peak of his LSU days. After posting another eight tackles and a sack against the Eagles, Hilton is up to 29 tackles and three sacks in four games. Perhaps Hilton's production falls off from this point, but to this point the results are by design – the Steelers really are just blitzing him like crazy, and it's working.
Patrick Queen, (3-4) ILB, BAL
I'm nervous about listing Queen in the 'risers' given that I listed him in the 'fallers' just a couple weeks ago, but I think both entries are more or less justified. Queen really did get lit up against the Chiefs, and he really did lose snaps to L.J. Fort, but since then it might be fair to say that Queen has improved his play, protecting his job security in the process. Even if Queen still has holes in his game, there's no doubt that the rookie was a smash hit for his IDP investors in Week 5, as the first-round pick out of LSU finished Baltimore's victory over Cincinnati with nine tackles (six solo) and a sack, but he recovered two fumbles, returning one for a touchdown. As much as he might still need to brush up on his fundamentals, Queen has at the very least proven highly useful for IDP purposes in the meantime, and the Ravens don't seem to have the personnel necessary to give him a meaningful demotion anytime soon.
Duke Riley, LB, PHI
This is a very temporary entry on the 'riser' list – Riley only has his current role because of T.J. Edwards getting hurt – but Edwards is on the short-term IR and out for at least a couple more weeks. If so, then it appears to make certain Riley's status as a three-down player for the Eagles, especially after he piled up 13 tackles against the Steelers on Sunday. The fact that three-down linebacker Nathan Gerry has struggled a bit probably adds further reassurance for Riley's workload. Riley had eight tackles on only 47 snaps the week prior, so he should be a plug-and-play option as long as Edwards remains out, assuring Riley's snap count for now.
Sheldon Rankins, DT, NO
Rankins' talent is well established, so it's not from the discovery of new abilities that he finds himself on the 'riser' list this week. Rather, Rankins secured this entry because he hopefully showed a turned corner in Week 5 as he attempts to work his way back from the complications of a January 2019 Achilles' tendon tear, one that complicated his 2019 season and resulted in an additional surgery to his other leg. With an abysmal three tackles and zero sacks on 158 snaps going into Week 5, it appeared that Rankins had lost the disruptiveness that led him to total eight sacks on just 641 snaps in 2018. But the old Rankins showed up against the Chargers on Monday, with the veteran tackle posting five tackles, one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. Hopefully he can continue recapturing his past form.
Troy Reeder, (3-4) ILB, LAR
Reeder struggled in 2019 and only finds himself on the field because the Rams lost previously presumed starter Travin Howard back in training camp and current starter Micah Kiser sat out in Week 5, but against Washington on Sunday Reeder posted a compelling performance all the same. Playing 48 snaps, Reeder somehow piled up 11 tackles (eight solo) and three sacks, making it fair to wonder if the Rams will make him a starter even when Kiser returns from injury. Reeder played behind Kenny Young before Week 5, but Young (39.5 PFF) hasn't exactly earned his playing time. Although we dont' know which way the ball will break in the meantime, there's no doubt that Reeder will produce for IDP investors if he can get the snaps.
FALLING
Davon Godchaux, DT, MIA
An 80-tackle breakout IDP in 2019, Godchaux will miss most or the rest of 2020 due to a biceps injury suffered Sunday. The rare nose tackle to provide tackle production, Godchaux might be too uniquely productive for his replacement to offer analogous IDP utility. It's not clear who the replacement will actually be, furthermore – the next-most qualified player on the Dolphins roster is probably Christian Wilkins, who's currently at end and would simply be changing positions to nose tackle. In that scenario, Zach Sieler would likely replace Wilkins at the end spot, making Sieler the effectively promoted player as Wilkins simply shifts laterally. The Dolphins might also call up undrafted rookie Benito Jones from the practice squad. Jones was actually quite productive at Mississippi, so it might be worth keeping an eye on him in addition to Sieler if you're in a deep IDP league and in need of DL snaps.
Shawn Williams, S, CIN
A top defensive back IDP in recent seasons, Williams appears locked into a peripheral role for the Bengals defense as currently constructed. This was somewhat foreseeable when Cincinnati signed former Saints safety Vonn Bell in the offseason, and a training camp calf injury all but made the matter final. In his three games since the Bengals activated him from his calf issue, Williams has played only 30 defensive snaps, more so playing special teams. Bell hasn't been especially effective in the starting lineup, so Williams could conceivably earn a promotion at some point if the Bengals bench Bell, but it will likely take at least that for Williams to get back on the mainstream IDP radar.
