This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
We had another action-packed NFL weekend. Injuries to star offensive players dominated storylines, but once again, there were many big defensive performances and shifting roles. As was the case following Week 1, we'll go primarily with quick-hitting analysis on a high volume of players rather than in-depth analysis on a few. As players settle into more stable roles, that could change.
Risers
Aidan Hutchinson, DE 
Including Hutchinson on this list is admittedly not the most actionable. On the other hand, we can't fail to acknowledge his 4.5-sack effort against Tampa Bay on Sunday. His underlying metrics in 2023 (quarterback hits and TFL) suggested 2024 was going to be a breakout season, and so far he is delivering.
Pat Jones, DE 
Jones appears to be the next beneficiary of defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme. He's playing fewer snaps relative to last year, but he's been used as a pass rusher at a higher rate. The results have been clear, as he's already recorded four sacks compared to his 2023 total of one. Jones obviously won't keep that pace up, but he's a name to watch for in IDP leagues that require defensive linemen and reward sacks.
SirVocea Dennis, LB 
The Bucs don't officially list Dennis as a starting linebacker, but it doesn't really matter. He has 18 total tackles and a sack through two games. The Bucs' coaching staff appears to have taken note, as Dennis' defensive snap rate jumped from 34 percent to 51 percent from Week
We had another action-packed NFL weekend. Injuries to star offensive players dominated storylines, but once again, there were many big defensive performances and shifting roles. As was the case following Week 1, we'll go primarily with quick-hitting analysis on a high volume of players rather than in-depth analysis on a few. As players settle into more stable roles, that could change.
Risers
Aidan Hutchinson, DE
Including Hutchinson on this list is admittedly not the most actionable. On the other hand, we can't fail to acknowledge his 4.5-sack effort against Tampa Bay on Sunday. His underlying metrics in 2023 (quarterback hits and TFL) suggested 2024 was going to be a breakout season, and so far he is delivering.
Pat Jones, DE
Jones appears to be the next beneficiary of defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme. He's playing fewer snaps relative to last year, but he's been used as a pass rusher at a higher rate. The results have been clear, as he's already recorded four sacks compared to his 2023 total of one. Jones obviously won't keep that pace up, but he's a name to watch for in IDP leagues that require defensive linemen and reward sacks.
SirVocea Dennis, LB
The Bucs don't officially list Dennis as a starting linebacker, but it doesn't really matter. He has 18 total tackles and a sack through two games. The Bucs' coaching staff appears to have taken note, as Dennis' defensive snap rate jumped from 34 percent to 51 percent from Week 1 to Week 2. Meanwhile, K.J. Britt's snap rate fell from 68 to 46 percent and he has half the tackle production of Dennis through two games.
We can stick in Tampa Bay for another riser. Izien began the season as the projected slot corner, which typically doesn't carry much IDP fantasy value. With the injury to Antoine Winfield (foot), he's since moved to safety. In Week 2, he played 98 percent of snaps and tallied 10 tackles. Izien's spike of value may be short-lived, but Winfield looks unlikely to return in Week 3.
Alontae Taylor, CB 
Taylor is an example of a slot corner who has the chance to be fantasy relevant. He's undoubtedly gotten off to an excellent start (15 tackles, two sacks), but he was a full-time starter in 2023 so there's no real change to his outlook. That said, it's more likely we're highlighting a hot start more than sustainable production, but Taylor does deserve props for the way his campaign has begun.
Ernest Jones, LB 
The case for Jones is pretty straightforward. The Titans acquired him to be a mainstay in the middle of their defense. He didn't play a full snap count in Week 1 because he was acquired at the conclusion of training camp, but he played 100 percent of defensive snaps in Week 2. Jack Gibbens was the clear loser, playing only five percent of defensive snaps.
Zack Baun, LB 
The Eagles were among the most frustrating linebacker corps to evaluate last season due to a near-constant rotation. So far, both Baun and Nakobe Dean have defied that and played over 90 percent of defensive snaps in both games. Both could be risers, but Baun has been the far more productive player.
Daiyan Henley, LB 
We mentioned Junior Colson as a faller last week due to Henley's playing time, and we got confirmation of that in Week 2. Henley saw his snap rate jump from 68 to 88 percent, while Colson is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Troy Andersen, LB 
Andersen and Nate Landman (calf) began the season in an almost exactly even split at one linebacker spot for Atlanta. Landman is now injured reserve, and unsurprisingly Andersen played 98 percent of defensive snaps in Week 2 and recorded nine tackles. Expect more of the same for at least the next four games.
Fallers
Elandon Roberts, LB 
Roberts had a big first season in Pittsburgh in 2023, delivering 101 total tackles. So far in 2024, he has two tackles in two games. In part, he's lost work due to rookie Payton Wilson, but the bigger issue is how the team is utilizing strong safety DeShon Elliott. Elliott has played a combined 25 snaps in the box across two games and tallied 13 tackles. He's taken away opportunity from Roberts and also taken him off the field occasionally.
Overshown was impressive in Week 1, recording 11 tackles in a dominant victory over the Browns. There was a warning sign in that he played only 51 percent of snaps. In Week 2, that snap rate dropped to 29 percent and his production took a corresponding fall. He explanation was two factors. First, Overshown will see most of his snaps in sub-packages due to his athleticism. In Week 1, he was utilized to spy Deshaun Watson. That role wasn't necessary against Derek Carr. In addition, Overshown is returning from a serious ACL injury, and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer acknowledged the team is monitoring his workload.
Devin White, LB
We mentioned above that the Eagles ditched their typical rotation at linebacker. The short side of that decision has landed on White, who was a healthy scratch in Week 2. Perhaps he still hasn't truly recovered from his ankle injury, but it certainly hasn't been a good start to his tenure in Philadelphia.
