Back to a nearly complete IDP Report heading into our Week 2 action. It is too early to accurately project which teams are going to be easy marks on defense at specific positions, but look for that feature to return in the Week 4 IDP Report. The balance of the usual report is here for your enjoyment.

Elevator Going Up

Linebackers

Shaq Thompson CAR

10 total tackles (TT), five solo, one for a loss of yards (TFL), to go with a boatload of other fantasy beneficial point producing events, makes him the top rising LB. He collected a QB hit/hurry (QH), an INT and a trio of PDs. Plus a sack to put the cherry on the sundae. 

DelShawn Phillips NYJ

An ankle injury to starter Jamien Sherwood opened the door for Phillips to put up double digit TTs against the Panther offense (three solo, nine assists). He is only useful so long as Sherwood sits, however, so keep an eye on the Jet injury report.

Nick Vigil MIN

The former Bengal and Charger LB looked reawakened in Viking pads, collecting 10 TT (eight solo, two TFL) to go along with a sack and a QH. He was on the field for all defensive snaps, which if it continues as a trend, will lend itself to similar results going forward.

Alex Anzalone DET

As with Vigil, he played every defensive play for the Lions at home against the visiting 49ers. His numbers, alas, were underwhelming: three TT (two solo), but expect those numbers to rise, as it is likely the Detroit defense will be tested with significant time on the field in the weeks to come.

Cole Holcomb WAS

Double digit tackles (11 TT, eight solo) and a QH made for a productive afternoon at home for yet another LB to play all the snaps while the defense occupied the field. Every down LBs are not a asset to be valued lightly.

Justin Hollins LAR

At the outside LB position, Ram defenders gain value due to the attention Aaron Donald draws from offenses. Hollins racked up eight TT (six solo, one TFL) to go along with his two sacks, one QH and a FF. Keep an eye on his playing time, and expect big numbers if he continues to see the bulk of the defensive snaps for the Rams.

Kenny Young LAR

Young is another every down LB and it is said that those sort of IDPs are worth their weight in gold. He put up 10 TT (five solo), a FR and PD in Week 1 against the visiting Bears. For so long as he is on the field in a primary role, he is a valuable LB2 to slot into your starting lineup.

Azeez Al-Shaair SF

So long as Dre Greenlaw is on the sidelines, Al-Shaair has value as yet another every down LB. He is coming off a seven TT effort in Week 1 against the Lions. The Eagles are not as tasty a matchup as Detroit was, but playing every snap is a true value for any LB.

Defensive Linemen

Kyle Van Noy DE NE

The return to the Patriot defense saw him pick up a sack and three TT (two solo) to open the season. He now gets to face the Jets in Week 2, so if you need a fill-in DE, this is a fine option to pursue. 

Jonathan Franklin-Myers DE NYJ

He figures to see significant playing time on defense in a depleted Jets DE corps. He picked up a sack and three TT (two solo) in Week 1.

Michael Pierce DT MIN

DTs are becoming more valuable in IDP-land, and when a player can put up a two sack/seven TT (three solo, two TFL)/two QH effort, you can understand why. 

Larry Ogunjobi DT CIN

He collected a sack and six TT (four solo) against the visiting Vikings in Week 1. He is generally good for tackles from the DT position, and that makes him valuable in DT-mandatory leagues.

Defensive Backs

Minkah Fitzpatrick S PIT

He saw a ton of action, as Buffalo passed profusely in Week 1 (50 passing attempts). He was able to turn that kind of action into 10 TT (six solo) as well as PD. Adding big tackle numbers to an already top-notch pass defense game makes him extraordinarily valuable DB.

Khari Willis S IND

Willis had a big day at strong safety, providing run support and picking up seven TT (six solo). He also was credited with half a sack and a QH. 

Kyle Dugger S NE

Dugger is being employed as the primary strong safety for the Patriots. He collected seven TT (six solo, one TFL) in that role, and should be providing similar results on a weekly basis for his fantasy owners.

Logan Ryan S NYG

He was credited with 10 TT (eight solo, one TFL) against the visiting Bronco offense, and was all over the field defensively with a QH, a forced fumble (FF) and also recovered a fumble (FR).

Eric Rowe S MIA

The former cornerback continues to shine at the safety position, picking up nine TT against the host Patriots (six solo). He also produced a FF for the Dolphins. 

Jamel Dean CB TB

Dean had to step in early when Sean Murphy-Bunting dislocated his elbow early on in the opening contest, and he was frequently tested by the Dallas offense. Expect that kind of attention to continue, even if he shifts back to a nickel back role on defense.

Jalen Ramsey CB LAR

Ramsey is playing less of true cornerback role and is shifting around the defensive scheme more as the “star” on the defense for the Rams. Nine TT (seven solo, two TFL) demonstrated his improved IDP value in this new role.

 

Elevator Going Down

Linebackers

None to write about, save those in the injury report below.

Defensive Linemen

A.J. Epenesa DE BUF

Playing just 33% of the defensive snaps, while rookie Greg Rousseau received 52% of the defensive action, is a bad sign. It is only one week of action, of course, but be advised that the shift in PT allocated potentially lessens his value going forward.

Fletcher Cox DT PHI

Cox was only on the field for a bit more than half the snaps the defense took, or 57%. That is a concern, as well as the zero tackles he collected in that limited time on the field.

Defensive Backs

Donovan Wilson S DAL

A starting strong safety that collects only four tackles (two solo) when playing 85% of the snaps on defense does not speak of fantasy goodness.

Landon Collins S WAS

Collins appears to still be in recovery from last season’s Achilles injury, as he played 80% of the defensive snaps against the visiting Chargers, but only collected two assists. He needs to be benched if you have the room until his production picks up to former levels.

Matchups to Exploit

It is far too early to project the exploitable matchups based on the small sample size. Look for this feature to return once we have some more data to process. Patience, my young padawans.

Waiver Wire Targets

This section is intended to serve as a shortened cheat sheet listing those waiver wire targets you should be considering if you need to plug a hole in your starting lineup. 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 will be here every week (not the case this week), 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

Shaq Thompson CAR

DelShawn Phillips NYJ

Nick Vigil MIN

Alex Anzalone DET

Cole Holcomb WAS

Justin Hollins LAR

Kenny Young LAR

Azeez Al-Shaair SF

Defensive Linemen

Kyle Van Noy DE NE

Jonathan Franklin-Myers DE NYJ

Michael Pierce DT MIN

Larry Ogunjobi DT CIN

Defensive Backs

Minkah Fitzpatrick S PIT

Khari Willis S IND

Kyle Dugger S NE

Logan Ryan S NYG

Eric Rowe S MIA

Jamel Dean CB TB

Jalen Ramsey CB LAR

 

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

Devon Kennard ARI hamstring

Dennis Gardeck knee IR

Daelin Hayes BAL knee

LJ Fort BAL knee-ACL IR

Matt Milano BUF ankle

Robert Quinn CHI back

Danny Trevathan CHI knee IR

Markus Bailey CIN knee

Mack Wilson CLE quadriceps 

Jacob Phillips CLE biceps IR

Montrel Meander CLE Achilles IR

Francis Bernard DAL hamstring IR

Bradley Chubb DEN ankle

Natrez Patrick DEN leg IR

Shaun Dion Hamilton DET undisclosed IR

Randy Ramsey GB leg IR

Kevin Pierre-Louis HOU thigh

Darius Leonard IND ankle

Dylan Moses JAX knee

Willie Gay, Jr. KC toe IR

Nick Kwiatkoski LV concussion

Denzel Perryman LV hip

Darron Lee LV undisclosed

Javin White LV knee IR

Nicholas Morrow LV ankle

Kyler Fackrell LAC knee

Chris Garrett LAR undisclosed IR COVID

Obo Okoronkwo LAR shoulder IR

Andrew Van Ginkel MIA back

Nick Vigil MIN ankle

Anthony Barr MIN knee

Kyle Van Noy NE neck

Ronnie Perkins NE shoulder

Anfernee Jennings NE undisclosed IR

Cameron McGrone NE knee-ACL

Terez Hall NE undisclosed PUP

Raekwon McMillan NE knee-ACL IR

Tanoh Kpassagnon NO calf

Chase Hansen NO groin

Kwon Alexander NO shoulder

Pete Werner NO hamstring

Quentin Poling NO undisclosed

Cam Brown NYG hamstring 

Elerson G. Smith NYG hamstring IR

T.J. Brunson NYG knee-ACL IR

Blake Cashman NYJ hamstring IR

Jamien Sherwood NYJ ankle

Jarrad Davis NYJ ankle IR

Robert Spillane PIT shin

Marcell Harris SF oblique

Dre Greenlaw SF groin

Ben Burr-Kirven SEA knee-ACL IR

Jason Pierre-Paul TB hand

Cam Gil TB undisclosed IR

Harold Landry TEN groin

David Long TEN hamstring

B.J. Bello TEN ankle IR

Defensive Linemen

Defensive Ends

Derek Wolfe BAL back

Bryan Cox BUF Achilles IR

DaQuan Jones CAR groin

Austin Larkin CAR groin

Mario Edwards CHI suspension (until Week 3)

Khalid Kareem CIN undisclosed IR

Wyatt Hubert CIN pectoral

Joseph Ossai CIN knee-Meniscus IR

DeMarcus Lawrence DAL foot

Randy Gregory DAL illness IR COVID

Shelby Harris DEN wrist

Da’Shawn Hand DET groin IR

Joel Heath DET knee-ACL IR

Kwity Paye IND hamstring

Kemoko Turay IND groin

Dayo Odeyingbo IND Achilles

Lerentee McCray JAX hamstring

Jordan Smith JAX knee

Malik Herring KC knee-ACL 

Carl Nassib LV pectoral

Yannick Ngakoue LV hamstring

Janarius Robinson MIN lower body IR

Marcus Davenport NO shoulder

Kyle Phillips NYJ ankle PUP

Vinny Curry NYJ illness

Carl Lawson NYJ Achilles IR

Calvin Taylor PIT undisclosed

Stephon Tuitt PIT undisclosed IR

Arik Armstead SF abdomen

Dee Ford SF ankle

Jordan Willis SF suspension (out until Week 4)

Jalen Jelks WAS undisclosed IR

Defensive Tackles

Xavier Williams ARI undisclosed

Jordan Phillips ARI undisclosed IR

Jack Crawford ARI undisclosed IR

Deadrin Senat ATL undisclosed IR

Xavier Kelly BAL Achilles IR

Star Lotulielei BUF calf

Eddie Goldman CHI knee

Tommy Togial CLE illness

Neville Gallimore DAL elbow IR

Trysten Hill DAL knee-ACL PUP

Shamar Stephen DEN back

Levi Onwuzurike DET hip

Kevin Strong DET undisclosed

Jashon Cornell DET suspension

Vincent Taylor HOU ankle IR

Al-Quadin Muhammad IND ankle

Rob Windsor IND hip IR

Khalen Saunders KC upper leg

Gerald McCoy LV knee IR

Justin Jones LAC calf

A’Shawn Robinson LAR knee

Sebastian Joseph-Day LAR knee

Raekwon Davis MIA knee IR

Jaylen Twyman MIN pelvis

Byron Cowart NE undisclosed PUP

Jalen Dalton NO triceps IR

David Onyemata NO suspension

Carlos Davis PIT knee

Javon Kinlaw SF knee

Maurice Hurst SF ankle IR

Byron None SEA elbow 

Marcus Webb SEA undisclosed IR

Sam Renner TB undisclosed

Trevon Coley TEN foot IR

Defensive Backs

Safeties

Charles Washington ARI thigh

Kendall Sheffield ATL undisclosed IR

Khalil Dorsey BAL undisclosed IR

Myles Hartsfield CAL wrist IR

Ricardo Allen CIN hand IR

Grant Delpit CLE hamstring

Donovan Wilson DAL groin

Essang Bassey DEN knee-ACL PUP

Duke Dawson DEN knee-ACL/MCL PUP

Vernon Scott GB hamstring

Darnell Savage GB shoulder

Desmond King HOU knee

A.J. Moore HOU undisclosed IR

Roderic Teamer LV shoulder

Keisean Nixon LV leg IR

Derwin James LAC toe

Trey Marshall LAC ankle

Nasir Adderley LAC shoulder

Dayan Ghanwoloku LAR undisclosed

Joshuah Bledson NE wrist

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson NO knee

Joshua Kalu NYG pectoral IR

Lamarcus Joyner NYJ triceps IR

Saquan Hampton NYJ Achilles PUP

Sharrod Neasman NYJ undisclosed IR

Rodney McLeod PHI knee

Nathan Meadors PHI hamstring

Marcus Epps PHI concussion

Jason Verrett SF knee-ACL IR

Emmanuel Moseley SF knee

Tarvarius Moore SF Achilles PUP

Nigel Warrior SEA knee IR

Curtis Riley TB Achilles IR

Amani Hooker TEN foot IR

Maurice Smith TEN undisclosed

Brady Breeze TEN illness IR COVID

Darrick Forrest WAS hamstring IR

Cornerbacks

Marlon Humphrey BAL back

Chris Westry BAL knee

Jimmy Smith BAL ankle

Marcus Peters BAL knee-ACL IR

Iman Marshall BAL knee IR

Troy Pride CAR knee-ACL IR

A.J. Bouye CAR suspension (out until Week 3)

Darius Phillips CIN thigh

Trae Waynes CIN hamstring

Greg Newsome II CLE biceps

Kelvin Joseph DAL groin IR

Reggie Robinson II DAL toe IR

Ronald Darby DEN hamstring IR

Michael Ojemudia DEN hamstring IR

Jeff Okudah DET Achilles IR

Will Redmond GB toe IR

Lonnie Johnson HOU thigh

Xavier Rhodes IND calf

Tyson Campbell JAX calf

Tre Herndon JAX knee

Nevin Lawson LV suspension (out until Week 3)

Chris Harris LAC shoulder

Ryan Smith LAC undisclosed IR

Harrison Hand MIN hamstring

Stephon Gilmore NE quadriceps PUP

P.J. Williams NO back

Marshon Lattimore NO thumb

Keith Washington NO wrist

Ken Crawley NO hamstring IR

Brian Poole NO undisclosed IR

Aaron Robinson NYG abdomen PUP

Quincy Wilson NYG ankle IR

Zane Lewis NYJ knee-MCL

Josiah Scott PHI hamstring IR

DeMarkus Acy PIT knee-ACL IR

Davontae Harris hamstring IR

Tre Brown SEA knee IR

Sean Murphy-Bunting TB elbow IR

Kevin Peterson TEN undisclosed

Greg Mabin TEN undisclosed

Greg Stroman WAS undisclosed

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, you can also send a message to ia@fantasyalarm.com for a personal response from the writer of this article. Naturally, the more detail you can send about your league, such as number of teams, platform you play in (Yahoo, ESPN, etc.), scoring and roster system, the better the ability to provide accurate advice.