RADIO
Sunday’s slate of games featured some amazing performances by defensive players and some crazy finishes (many of them facilitated by poor defensive performances). We got to see not only Aiden Hutchinson’s first NFL sack but also his second and his third. We saw four defenders march into the end zone after blocked kicks, interceptions, and fumble recoveries.
We saw the Bucs' defense do to Jameis Winston what the Saints' defense usually does to Tom Brady. They sacked him six times, picked him off three times, and returned one of those picks for a touchdown, helping the old man notch his first regular-season win over the Saints since coming to Tampa Bay.
Baltimore was an orgy of fantasy scoring. Ravens safety Marcus Williams continued the tear he has been on ever since arriving there in the offseason. He made 10 tackles and two interceptions, for his second straight double-digit tackle and interception showcase. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there to stop Tyreek Hill when it mattered in the end.
I watched it all from my room in Thailand at 12 am. I moved here from Korea last week. I was talking about what I was praying for in football last weekend, and now I’m back in a place known for spirituality (okay, known for a variety of things in addition to its temples). Anyhow, if there’s one thing I’m praying for after this weekend, it’s not for Cole Kmet to make a catch (I dumped him already). As a low-key Broncos fan, I’m praying for Nathaniel Hackett to learn some basic game management skills before his game against the 49ers on Sunday Night.
Following is my list of IDP players I am going after on the waiver wire and recommendations for you. I’ll start with the best players, including some who might only be available in shallow leagues, like the 3-6 IDP leagues I play in on Sleeper, and follow down the list to some who would only be useful in deeper leagues, like the 2022 IDP Invitational, which features 11-man starting lineups on defense. For my recommendations, I am using RotoBaller Standard IDP scoring.
Frankie Luvu, LB, Carolina Panthers
Rostered in ~2% of IDP leagues (My Fantasy League)
This one is a really great addition for both deep leagues and shallow leagues, and while he is available in almost all leagues as of Monday morning of Week 2, he won’t be (or shouldn’t be) for long. Luvu is one of those linebackers who come from out of nowhere to take a much bigger role in their team’s defense. He’s getting the most snaps on the team, more even than green dot-wearing MLB Shaq Thompson. Luvu was on the field for 85% of the snaps in Week 1 and 96% in Week 2.
What’s he doing when he’s on the field? He made five solo tackles in Week 1, plus an assist and a QB hit, and then 10 solo tackles, including four tackles for loss, and a pass breakup in Week 2. That’s 33 fantasy points, sixth-most of all non-edge rushing linebackers, and 21st most of all defensive players overall. He’s doing it on a sustainable mix of high tackle volume combined with the kind of impact plays that are replicable.
L’Jarius Sneed, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
Rostered in ~60% of IDP leagues
Sneed played every single snap of the Chiefs' victory over the Chargers and made seven solo tackles. That follows an eight tackle, one sack showcase in Week 1 with one pass defense to boot. Since being drafted in 2020, Sneed has been utilized more as a pass rusher each year. He has already blitzed the opposing QB 11 times in two games, second-most in the NFL, and he has the seventh-highest pass rush win rate of any CB. If he keeps it up, he would almost double his previous year’s numbers for blitzes.
Marcus Epps, S, Philadelphia Eagles
Rostered in ~20% of IDP leagues
After playing just 48% of the Eagles’ snaps in 2021 and even fewer before, Epps is a three-down starter this year. He played every defensive snap and half of the special teams snaps in Week 1. That was a high-scoring affair with the Lions, which meant Epps was on the field for 69 plays. I bet the Eagles' Week 2 Monday Night game vs. the Vikings will also be a high-scoring game, and I would make the same bet about their Week 3 game against Washington. Epps will be playing every snap for a team that is going to take a lot of snaps.
Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Detroit Lions
Rostered in ~30% of IDP leagues
After a promising rookie season in 2020, Okudah missed 16 games in 2021 with an Achilles tear. Now he’s back and healthy and playing about 85% of the snaps for a Lions team that frequently will end up in shootouts. He has done a good job in coverage and tackling, grading at about 70. It’s good for the Lions if he limits receptions, but it’s good for fantasy owners that he has the hands to break up passes.
Willie Gay, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
Rostered in ~35% of leagues
Willie Gay was the prospect with such athleticism that the Chiefs ignored some weaknesses in his fundamentals (pass coverage) and on-campus issues (suspension) and drafted him in the second round in 2020. It has taken him some time to build himself into a most-downs role, but he’s getting there. He played increasingly more snaps as the 2021 season went along. In the past Thursday Night game, he played 92% of the Chiefs' snaps, his highest total yet, and made six solo tackles, five assists, two tackles for loss, and one QB hit.
Update: Gay has been suspended four weeks for his case of misdemeanor domestic violence this past summer. Hold off on adding him.
This happened in January:
Justin Houston, DL/LB, Baltimore Ravens
Rostered in ~1% of IDP leagues
Is Houston off to a career resurgence? The 33-year-old had three straight double-digit sack seasons, peaking in 22.0 sacks with the Chiefs in 2014. He was PFF’s highest-rated pass rusher in 2015. He’s been solid since then, grading in the 70s or 80s most years, but his tackling ability has declined, and he became a pass rushing specialist.
Now, he has made a sack in each of the Ravens’ first two games of the season – against the Jets and Dolphins. In both games, the Ravens' opponent threw a lot of passes, and Houston logged a higher snap rate than he has in five years. His numbers might not hold up through the whole season, but if you are in a pinch at DL, Houston gives you sack potential.
Julian Love, S, New York Giants
Rostered in ~17% of leagues
Love is playing every snap on defense and 60% on special teams for the Giants, up from 52% of defensive snaps in 2021, and he’s making plays: a sack of Baker Mayfield on a key third-down, another tackle for loss, and eight solo tackles in total.
Michael Jackson, CB, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered in ~o% of leagues
The new Seattle cornerbacks made their presence known when the 49ers attempted a field goal late in their blowout win. Tariq Woolen sped in, blocked the kick, and Michael Jackson danced 86 yards into the end zone for Seattle’s only points of the game. (Sorry, I just had to do that.) As PFF’s Ian Hartitz wrote in previewing Week 2 WR/CB matchups, “Starting outside corners Michael Jackson and Tariq Woolen are both former fifth-round picks and have combined to play six NFL games.”
Jackson has done a decent job, only allowing a 50% completion rate when targeted, and he’s made plays. He also recovered two fumbles in Week 1, and he has made a total of 10 tackles. As long as fellow cornerbacks Justin Coleman (calf) and Artie Burns (groin) are still injured, Jackson is set for about a 100% snap rate.
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