This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
Rising
Quincy Williams, LB 
Williams played fewer than 30 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the last four games, but he burst onto the scene with 15 tackles (10 solo), including two for a loss, while playing 88 percent of the snaps in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins. C.J. Moseley (head) could end up missing time, but it looks like Williams is in every-down player territory regardless.
Zach Cunningham, LB 
Cunningham entered the season as a coveted IDP asset and started off hot with 28 tackles (11 solo) through the first three games before taking a backseat to Christian Kirksey (thumb) and Kamu Grugier-Hill over the next four games. However, Cunningham has played every snap over the past two contests, recording 19 stops, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. Kirksey could return from IR in Week 13, but there's a decent chance Cunningham -- who generated 164 tackles last year -- retains his role anyway.
Alex Singleton, LB 
Singleton was one of the top IDP players through the first seven weeks with 76 tackles (44 solo), but he took a backseat to T.J. Edwards and Davion Taylor starting in Week 8. However, he could get a chance to reclaim his throne after Taylor appeared to aggravate an existing knee injury Sunday. We don't know if Taylor will miss any time, but if he does, Singleton has proven he can be an elite IDP option.
Chris Jones, DT 
Jones started the season on the
Rising
Quincy Williams, LB
Williams played fewer than 30 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the last four games, but he burst onto the scene with 15 tackles (10 solo), including two for a loss, while playing 88 percent of the snaps in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins. C.J. Moseley (head) could end up missing time, but it looks like Williams is in every-down player territory regardless.
Zach Cunningham, LB
Cunningham entered the season as a coveted IDP asset and started off hot with 28 tackles (11 solo) through the first three games before taking a backseat to Christian Kirksey (thumb) and Kamu Grugier-Hill over the next four games. However, Cunningham has played every snap over the past two contests, recording 19 stops, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. Kirksey could return from IR in Week 13, but there's a decent chance Cunningham -- who generated 164 tackles last year -- retains his role anyway.
Alex Singleton, LB
Singleton was one of the top IDP players through the first seven weeks with 76 tackles (44 solo), but he took a backseat to T.J. Edwards and Davion Taylor starting in Week 8. However, he could get a chance to reclaim his throne after Taylor appeared to aggravate an existing knee injury Sunday. We don't know if Taylor will miss any time, but if he does, Singleton has proven he can be an elite IDP option.
Chris Jones, DT
Jones started the season on the edge and never quite found his groove, but after moving back to the interior, the All Pro exploded. He racked up five tackles (four solo) and 3.5 sacks in Sunday's win over the Cowboys. Jones had such a dismal start to the season that it wouldn't be surprising if he was on many waiver wires, so give it a check. You can start him confidently in leagues that use a DL spot.
Patrick Queen, LB 
If you drafted Queen early, you're probably underwhelmed with the results lately, as he hasn't posted more than seven tackles in a game since Week 2. However, he's still the team's top linebacker, and he could be busy stuffing the run in Week 12. The Browns rank fourth in the league with 30 rushes per contest, so plug Queen in this week if he's been stuck on your bench in recent weeks.
Elijah Riley, S
Riley was signed off the Eagles' practice squad a couple of weeks ago, and he has now secured a starting role with the Jets after Marcus Maye (Achilles) was ruled out for the season, handling 90 percent of the defensive snaps Sunday. The 23-year-old is likely just a placeholder for the rest of the season, but the value of his playing time can't be understated, and he'll have some solid turnover opportunities in Week 12 against the Texans.
Falling
Chiefs Linebackers
Is this Linebacker by Committee? No Chiefs linebacker has played more than 54 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the last two weeks. Willie Gay has led the team in snaps in that stretch, but the limited snap count means limited upside. The Chiefs are on a bye in Week 12, so feel confident dropping any of these players in redraft formats.
Kenneth Murray, LB 
Murray came back from IR last week and logged 72 percent of the defensive snaps, recording four tackles. However, he didn't produce a stop in Week 11, while Kyzir White led the team with nine tackles. The 2020 first-round pick will probably get more leeway, but it's tough to trust him right now, and White probably has the edge for the rest of the season.
Vander Esch posted 12 tackles (seven solo) in Week 9 on a 64 percent snap share. That was a smokescreen, as he has registered more than five tackles just once since Week 2. We can't trust him on a weekly basis as long as Micah Parsons and Keanu Neal are healthy, so Vander Esch can be safely dropped in redraft formats.
