This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
With rosters of all shapes and sizes, IDP advice can be a bit tricky, so the purpose of this article is to point out players whose values are elevated for the upcoming week. Some of these players will be superstars while others will be players found on many waiver wires. Whether you're streaming IDPs each week or have a stocked roster, this "one size fits" all approach will hopefully help most everyone find a weekly edge.
Defensive Linemen
Leonard Williams – Jets: This is an ideal situation for Williams, as he's facing a Browns passing attack that gives up five sacks per game, but they also run the ball more than 30 times a game. As a result, he could have a massive fantasy day as both a pass rusher and a run stopper.
Sheldon Richardson, Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter – Vikings: Yes, the entire four-man defensive line is in position to prosper along the Buffalo freeway, er, offensive line. The Bills have allowed their QBs to get sacked 11 times in two games, and with the Vikings as heavy home favorites, this could be a productive day for the Vikings pass rush.
Chris Jones (along with LBs Justin Houston and Dee Ford) – Chiefs: Jimmy Garoppolo could be in trouble this week because he'll be playing at Arrowhead in a game in which he'll likely have to match the torrid pace of Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. That might not be a
With rosters of all shapes and sizes, IDP advice can be a bit tricky, so the purpose of this article is to point out players whose values are elevated for the upcoming week. Some of these players will be superstars while others will be players found on many waiver wires. Whether you're streaming IDPs each week or have a stocked roster, this "one size fits" all approach will hopefully help most everyone find a weekly edge.
Defensive Linemen
Leonard Williams – Jets: This is an ideal situation for Williams, as he's facing a Browns passing attack that gives up five sacks per game, but they also run the ball more than 30 times a game. As a result, he could have a massive fantasy day as both a pass rusher and a run stopper.
Sheldon Richardson, Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter – Vikings: Yes, the entire four-man defensive line is in position to prosper along the Buffalo freeway, er, offensive line. The Bills have allowed their QBs to get sacked 11 times in two games, and with the Vikings as heavy home favorites, this could be a productive day for the Vikings pass rush.
Chris Jones (along with LBs Justin Houston and Dee Ford) – Chiefs: Jimmy Garoppolo could be in trouble this week because he'll be playing at Arrowhead in a game in which he'll likely have to match the torrid pace of Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. That might not be a bad situation in terms of watching a shootout, but since the 49ers have already coughed up nine sacks, that's the recipe for the Kansas City pass rush to come to life.
Matt Ioannidis and Jonathan Allen (along with LB Ryan Kerrigan) – Washington: We all know that Aaron Rodgers is now a statue in the pocket due to his knee injury, but in a road game against an underrated Washington pass rush, that could catch the Packers off guard, especially after the emotionally draining divisional contest against the Vikings last week. This is a solid set of pass rushers playing on their home field, which is certainly a plus spot for them.
Linebackers
Darron Lee and Avery Williamson – Jets: The Browns have run the ball more than any other team in the league to start the year, and whether those runs come from the running backs or Tyrod Taylor, they're all opportunities to pile up tackles. Also, with the Jets on the road, this should be a close game that should keep the Browns from going pass-heavy.
Blake Martinez and Oren Burks – Packers: Before targeting Burks, know that he missed last week's game with a shoulder injury, but hopefully he'll be back this week. At their heart, the Washington offense wants to keep things as conservative as possible, which means they'll either run the ball or throw short passes, and either way, the Packers LBs should be quite busy piling up tackles in what could be a lower-scoring contest.
Denzel Perryman and Jatavis Brown – Chargers: Certainly, Rams coach Sean McVay has no issues throwing the football, but his rushing attack has already churned out 59 rushing attempts in two games, so there should be enough opportunities for the Chargers LBs to flirt with double-digit tackle totals. This also should be a close game, which should ensure that the Rams need to run the ball throughout the entire contest.
Derrick Johnson and Emmanuel Lamur – Raiders: The Dolphins have rushed the ball 30 times per game, putting them in the top-three in the league, and with the Raiders playing without their starting duo of DTs, Miami will be highly motivated to give both Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore the ball early and often. That should set up the Oakland LBs to pile up one of their better tackle totals of the season.
Defensive Backs
Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty and Eric Rowe – Patriots: The Pats will likely come out looking to annihilate the Lions after their embarrassing loss last week, and once they get a lead, the Lions will have little choice other than to throw the ball. Of course, it's not like they're looking for an excuse, as they've thrown 105 passes in two games with five of those being picked off. Look for the New England DBs to post solid tackle totals with a chance for a takeaway as well.
Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes – Vikings: If this wasn't business, I'd feel bad picking on the Bills, but this game could be a feeding frenzy for the Vikings. Not only will they likely fall behind, forcing them to throw the ball, but the Buffalo QBs have already taken 11 sacks while throwing five picks. There should be plenty of ill-advised passes thrown, which makes either (or both) of these CBs excellent IDP plays this week.
Chris Harris, Bradley Roby and Adam Jones – Broncos: Looking at this game on the surface, one would think it profiles as a slugfest with plenty of running. However, the Ravens have thrown 93 passes in two games, so there's plenty of reason to think they'll continue to do so. Look for these CBs to get a solid number of stops while always possessing the ability to make a game-changing play.
Brandon Carr, Marlon Humphrey and Eric Weddle – Ravens: It's clear after two games that the Broncos have issues running the football, so that leaves them little choice but to attack through the air. The problem is that Case Keenum has already thrown four picks, so not only will these DBs be in position to collect tackles, but Keenum is very capable of making mistakes that lead to INTs.
