Lawrence Timmons

If Shazier is too risky for your tastes, consider his teammate. Timmons is, by contrast, quite durable, missing just two games in eight years, and he's an excellent athlete in his own right. Although Timmons' average of roughly 121 tackles per season the last four years doesn't meet the standards set by previously ranked linebackers on this list, he makes up for it with reliable blitzing production, with 17 sacks over that span. With Todd Haley directing a new age of high scoring in Pittsburgh, Timmons should continue to get blitzing opportunities as teams try to catch up.

Timmons is one of the more volatile IDP linebackers, as his numbers fluctuate greatly year to year. Since 2009, his tackles have ranged from 78 to 135, failing to hit triple digits twice in that span, yet he also has three seasons of at least 126 tackles. The last three years, though, have produced 100-plus tackles, making him a reliable second-tier IDP. At his best, Timmons' standout athleticism allows him to make plays as a pass rusher, as he has at least two sacks in seven consecutive years, including two seasons with six or more.

Timmons is a bit more big-play dependent than most players in this range, as he's surpassed the 130-tackle mark just once in his seven-year career, and didn't make it to triple-digit tackles as recently as 2011. The good news is that he generally posts decent tackle totals (320 in the last three years), and he's among the league's most reliable sack and interception sources at inside linebacker. He has 26 sacks in his last six years, and eight interceptions in the last four. Playing in a run-heavy AFC North, Timmons should have one of his better tackle outputs in 2014, and his reliability is further aided by the fact that he's played in all but two of his 112 career games.

Pittsburgh's tendency to use Timmons occasionally at outside linebacker hurts his reliability a bit, but he's still one of the best high-upside IDP options at linebacker. In addition to approaching or surpassing the triple-digit tackle mark, Timmons is active in coverage and especially productive as a pass rusher, supplementing his 326 tackles from the last three years with 11 sacks and six interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Timmons also forced five fumbles and recovered three over that span. He might warrant a slight boost in leagues that give points for tackles for loss, because he posted 10 or more "stuffs" in three of the last four years. His tackle totals should be slightly more stable in 2013 given the team used its first-round pick on outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, who should be more durable than James Harrison was. As a result, Timmons should be able to spend more time strictly playing inside linebacker than he has in the last couple years.

After finishing 2010 as one of the top IDPs, Timmons was one of the biggest IDP disappointments in 2011. Part of that was due to the absences of James Harrison (eye/suspension) and LaMarr Woodley (hamstring), which forced Timmons to play outside at times, but Timmons underachieved even when he was playing exclusively inside. He finished the season with just 93 tackles (68 solo), which basically made him useless in most leagues. He’s still worth a gamble heading into 2012 as he might return to his 135-tackle 2010 form. Just don’t count on it.

It took him four years to get going, but Timmons finally arrived in 2010. The former first-round pick out of Florida State ended the season with 135 tackles (96 solo), three sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. His previous career high in tackles was just 78 (in 2009), so the difference was night and day last year. While Timmons is undersized for a traditional 3-4 inside linebacker, playing in the 230-pound range allows him to bring dynamic athleticism to the interior of Pittsburgh's defense. It wouldn’t be surprising if Timmons developed more of a pass rushing presence in 2011, as he totaled seven sacks in just 14 games in 2009, and the 2008 season saw Timmons finish with five sacks. If he can maintain his tackle production from last year while rediscovering his pass rushing production from a couple years ago, Timmons could conceivably join Willis in the top tier.

Timmons stepped into the starting inside linebacker spot vacated by Larry Foote last year. Foote has been brought back, but it will not be at the expense of Timmon's starting role. Timmons, despite being hampered by ankle injuries last year, set career highs in solo tackles (56), tackles (78) and sacks (7). Foote will bring valuable experience and relief to the linebacker corps, but Timmons is locked in as a starter.

Timmons is entering his third season but his first full season as a starter. With the team thin at inside linebacker, the job is his to lose. However, his play in 2008 showed that he is more than capable of taking over for Larry Foote, who was released due to the emergence of Timmons. Assuming he’ll have a better grasp of the playbook in 2009, he should be able to improve on his 65 tackles and five sacks.

Timmons will push Larry Foote for playing time as Pittsburgh's right outside linebacker and could win the starting gig at some point during the season. If so, he would have the potential to rack up a decent amount of sacks in Pittsburgh's 3-4 alignment.

It would be surprising to see Timmons not get off to a slow start in 2007 after missing most of spring practice with a groin injury. Some considered Timmons a reach as the draft's 15th pick in April but he should provide plenty of value over the course of his career. From a fantasy perspective Timmons will likely have more worth after his rookie season when he learns the defensive schemes.