Plenty of goodness in the linebacker position this week, but not a lot else to crow about. Fortunately, not a bunch of underperformers to highlight either, but as always, way too many injuries to keep the IDP league players happy. Let's get on to the profiles, shall we? Oh, and Jadeveon Clowney is a must add if he somehow is still on your waiver wire, as is Ryan Shazier.

Elevator Going Up

Linebackers

Danny Trevathan CHI

Kendell Beckwith TB

Kyle Van Noy NE

Carl Lawson CIN

Vontaze Burfict CIN

Wesley Woodyard TEN

Jon Bostic IND

Trevathan will benefit with both Jerrell Freeman and Nick Kwiatkoski on the injury list, and should be seeing plenty of snaps on defense. He is coming off a week with 10 total tackles (eight solo), and should see similar production going forward.

Beckwith is another LB that will benefit from an injury to a teammate, in this instance Kwon Alexander. Eight total tackles in Week 3 (six solo) makes for a useful LB2/3 going forward so long as Alexander is on the sidelines.

Never fully understood why Detroit wanted to send Van Noy to the Patriots, but it is working out well for him and New England. Nine solo tackles as part of his 11 combined in Week 3 makes him a must add in tackle-oriented leagues.

Lawson collected 2.5 sacks against the Packers in Week 3, as well as three QB hurries (QH) and among his tackles, he had two for a loss of yards (TFL). If he is getting the snaps on defense, expect the Bengals to rely on him for the pass rush abilities he has been demonstrating.

Burfict is due back after his suspension and it is time to pick him up if he is available. Of course, he does carry a bit of risk as an every week performer, given his past but when on the field, he is an excellent source of tackles and big play opportunities. Go out and grab him now.

Woodyard had a nice week against Seattle, who admittedly has problems on the offensive line. Still, 10 total tackles (eight solo, two TFL) with a couple of QH thrown in for good measure made him a desired LB in Week 3. Expect him to be the recipient of most of the defensive snaps at middle linebacker going forward for the Titans.

There is very little to like about the Colts until Andrew Luck is back under center, but Bostic was effective in Week 3's matchup against the Browns with 10 total tackles (eight solo). If you do not trust this trend to continue, there is no blame to place on you but in the right matchup, he is a useful streaming option, especially with bye weeks coming up.

Defensive Linemen

William Gholston DE TB

DeForest Buckner DT SF

Gholston is the best of the DE options to pick up this week. He accumulated eight total tackles in Week 3 against the Vikings but has never been a great source of IDP stats before. Grab him and use him while he is being productive, but be prepared to cut him loose when the tackle numbers fall off the cliff.

Buckner is a must add in DT-mandatory leagues. He picked up five solo tackles in Week 3 with a forced fumble. He is a good source of tackles and with the way San Francisco's season is looking, will see plenty of time on the field.

Defensive Backs

Kenny Vaccaro S NO

Glover Quin S DET

Josh Jones S GB

Rashaan Melvin CB IND

Tre'Davious White CB BUF

Vaccaro was back as the starter in Week 3. Who knows what will transpire in New Orleans this season, but if he is going to play the bulk of the snaps on defense, plug him in your lineup as the Saints look to be a team on the defense a great deal this season. Just do not forget about Vonn Bell. It is difficult to hold two safeties from the same team on your roster, unless you are in a league with a deep bench or a dynasty league, so deciding on who to keep will cause you nightmares, most likely.

Quin has been an effective player for Detroit and posting eight total tackles (five solo) with an interception (INT), a PD and a TD in Week 3, he is going to be heavily owned by savvy IDP players. He is both a tackle guy as well as a big play performer. Take advantage by snagging him now.

Two sacks and three TFL (11 solo, 1 assist) makes Mr. Jones an IDP to consider adding this week. He also produced to two QH while taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. His ownership will grow if he keeps producing like this, so make your claim immediately.

Again, I am not suggesting that you target Indy players. But Melvin is a big guy who can cover most receivers without problem. Two INT and four PDs in Week 3 just demonstrate the value he can provide in big-play leagues, especially those that require you to roster a cornerback or two.

White is a rookie who will be tasked this season based on his status in the league. It is well established that if you have a rookie defensive back, you can expect a whole lotta opportunities to collect tackles and big play opportunities. Grab him now and enjoy his productivity, as he is good player and will adapt the NFL in his first season.

Escalator Going Down

Linebackers

Aside from the injury list players, no one to single out this week.

Defensive Linemen

Kawann Short DT CAR

Short is not playing many snaps on defense, and so far has zero sacks on the season with just seven combined tackles through Week 3. Might be time to cut him from your team if your bench is limited, or send the former sack producer to the sidelines if you have room to stash him away, hoping for an uptick in production.

Defensive Backs

Nothing much to mention this week, apart from those players on the injury list below.

Matchups to Exploit

Remember, the first team listed is the one to use your IDPs against. Do not go crazy, and play a LB5 against the Browns, but certainly you will do well if you own a top LB on the Cincinnati or Atlanta that you can plug in this week, for the most part.

Linebackers

Cincinnati @ Cleveland

Atlanta vs Buffalo

Los Angeles Chargers vs Philadelphia

Defensive Ends

Tennessee @ Houston

Defensive Tackles

Tennessee @ Houston

Safeties

Cleveland vs Cincinnati

San Francisco @ Arizona

New Orleans @ Miami

Cornerbacks

Tampa Bay vs New York Giants

Chicago vs Green Bay

Waiver Wire Targets

All these players are spotlighted above, and you can read my comments about them in the "Elevator Going Up" section of this article. Not all the players commented on are here, however, as there is no need to waste your time searching for players that are heavily owned. This group consists of those that you may have a chance of locating on your league's waiver wire in that they are owned in significantly less than 50% of leagues. Happy claiming for your weekly matchups.

Linebackers

Danny Trevathan CHI

Kendell Beckwith TB

Kyle Van Noy NE

Carl Lawson CIN

Vontaze Burfict CIN

Wesley Woodyard TEN

Jon Bostic IND

Defensive Linesmen

William Gholston DE TB

DeForest Buckner DT SF

Defensive Backs

Kenny Vaccaro S NO

Glover Quin S DET

Josh Jones S GB

Rashaan Melvin CB IND

Tre'Davious White CB BUF

Ouch (My Aching Roster)

All the injury reports below need evaluation prior to kickoff.  Teams are notoriously sketchy about injury reports, and we often do not know a player's status until just before game time. Consider the list below as a "heads up" as to what is going on early in the week, and should not be considered definitive.

Linebackers

Deone Bucannon ARI ankle

Vic Beasley ATL hamstring

Thomas Davis CAR ribs

Jeremy Cash CAR calf

Nick Kwiatkoski CHI chest (possibly gone for the season)

Anthony Hitchens DAL knee

Sean Lee DAL hamstring

Jarrad Davis DET concussion

Dee Ford KC hip

Hayes Pullard LAC knee

Rey Maualuga MIA hamstring

Brandon Watts MIA back

Dont'a Hightower NE knee

Bryan Braman NO undisclosed

J.T. Thomas NYG groin

B.J. Goodson NYG shin

Corey Lemonier NYJ foot

Josh Martin NYJ ankle

Jordan Hicks PHI ankle

T.J. Watt PIT groin

Dewey McDonald SEA knee (ACL)

D.J. Alexander SEA hamstring

Reuben Foster SF ankle

Brock Coyle SF concussion

Lavonte David TB ankle

Kwon Alexander TB hamstring

Mason Foster WAS shoulder

Defensive Linemen

DE

Ed Stinson ARI hamstring

Courtney Upshaw ATL ankle

Brent Urban BAL fool

Brandon Williams BAL foot

Myles Garrett CLE ankle

Mike Daniels GB hip

Lerentee McCray JAX knee

Olivier Vernon NYG ankle

Stephon Tuitt PIT biceps

Jacquies Smith TB illness

Noah Spence TB shoulder

DT

Marcell Dareus BUF ankle

Jerel Worthy BUF concussion

T.Y. McGill CLE back

Jordan Phillips MIA ankle

David Parry NO leg

Fletcher Cox PHI calf

Destiny Vaeao PHI wrist

Chris Baker TB illness

Gerald McCoy TB ankle

Defensive Backs

S

Ricardo Allen ATL concussion

Quintin Demps CHI arm

Chris Prosinski CHI hamstring

George Iloka CIN hamstring

Derron Smith CIN ankle

Ed Reynolds CLE knee

Tavon Wilson DET shoulder

Lamarcus Joyner LAR hamstring

Nate Allen MIA hamstring

Rontez Miles NYJ eye

Corey Graham PHI hamstring

Rodney McLeod PHI hamstring

Jaylen Watkins PHI hamstring

Mike Mitchell PIT hamstring

Sean Davis PIT ankle

Marcus Cromartie SEA undisclosed

Eric Reid SF knee

Jaquiski Tartt SF concussion

T.J. Ward TB hip

Johnathan Cyprien TEN hamstring

Su'a Cravens WAS personal

CB

Jaylen Hill BAL thigh

KeiVarae Russell CIN hamstring

Nolan Carroll DAL concussion

Jourdan Lewis DAL hamstring

Chidobe Awuzie DAL hamstring

Bradley Roby DEN foot

Brendan Langley DEN knee

Davon House GB quadriceps

Kevin Johnson HOU knee

Vontae Davis IND groin

Tevin Mitchel IND abdomen

Quincy Wilson IND knee

Kayvon Webster LAR shoulder

Eric Rowe NE groin

Sterling Moore NO chest

Marshon Lattimore NO concussion

Ronald Darby PHI ankle

Neiko Thorpe SEA ankle

Brent Grimes TB shoulder

As ever, good luck and Godspeed in your fantasy efforts. Make sure to read all of our great articles to help you win your fantasy match ups every week and ultimately bask in championship glory. If you have any fantasy football questions, especially about IDP leagues, I can be reached at ia@fantasyalarm.com.