And the injuries begin to accumulate, leading to opportunities on the IDP front developing. There are a fine group of defensive players that are available on many waiver wires and free agent pools that are profiled below. Not so many that are trending downward, yet, although the injury report is chock full of players to be cautious about inserting into your starting fantasy roster this week.

Elevator Going Up

Linebackers

Justin Strnad DEN

Strnad gets his opportunity to show he is worthy of some of the pre-season hype he received, with Josey Jewell out for the season. He collected seven total tackles (TT) in limited action in Week 2, with four of those being of the solo variety. He is not locked in as a three-down LB…yet. 

Azeez Al-Shaair SF

Another beneficiary of an injury, Al-Shaair will move into an every-down role for the immediate future in the 49er defense with Dre Greenlaw sidelined after core muscle surgery. He only had a five TT effort in Week 2, so those who seek IDP help solely by examining total stat production may have skipped over a potential waiver wire gem.

Malcolm Smith CLE

A third injury beneficiary at LB, Smith picked up eight TT against the visiting Texans (four solo) with one of those being for a loss of yards (TFL). He also snagged an INT and was credited with a pass deflection/defense (PD). Anthony Walker is on the IR, so he has some time to produce for those who trust the veteran, who should be close to an every-down IDP.

Logan Wilson CIN

Wilson also picked up an INT and PD in Week 2, and had nine TT (three solo) in a losing effort in Chicago. He offers both big play value (three INT on the season) as well as the tackle production his owners seek.

Alex Singleton PHI

The Eagles had three IDP reach double-digit TT numbers, but Singleton is the three-down LB which allowed him to rack up 11 TT (five solo) against the visiting 49ers. He has another great matchup in store, with the Cowboys playing host to their division rivals this week.

Jaylon Smith DAL

Speaking of Dallas, with an injury shifting rookie Micah Parsons to DE, Smith benefitted to the extent of playing 76% of the snaps on defense in Week 2. He collected nine TT against the host Chargers (six solo).

Nick Bolton KC

Bolton is a rookie that is generating some interest, playing a majority of the snaps on defense against Baltimore, and grabbing nine TT (sight solo, one TFL). With the Chargers on tap, he should see plenty of action working to contain Austin Ekeler when he goes over the middle against the Chief defense.

Alex Anzalone DET

If you live in Detroit or follow the Lions, you will not find much love for Anzalone among the Lion faithful, especially after the three TD game put up by Aaron Jones last Monday night. The fact remains, the five-year veteran has been an every-down LB for the Lions so far, and now gets to take on Baltimore who should provide ample opportunities to collect tackles. He is coming off a 10 TT effort (eight solo) against the Packers.

Defensive Linemen

Josh Sweat DE PHI

Philly thinks highly of Sweat, signing him to a lucrative new contract, and now that Brandon Graham is out for the balance of the season, he should see significant PT on defense. This week’s matchup against the Cowboys is poised for good things, perhaps his first sack of the season.

Gregory Rousseau DE BUF

The Buffalo rookie has been a shining IDP for the Bills through the first two contests in 2021. He collected a pair of sacks and two QB hits/hurries (QH) against the host Dolphins. Add in five TT (three solo, two TFL) and we have a burgeoning superstar on defense, despite the deep rotation at DL for the Bills.

Payton Turner DE NO

Marcus Davenport was placed on IR, so that opens the door for the rookie DE to see more PT going forward in the Big Easy. He is not likely an every-down player but could see significant time on the field, and is coming off a five TT effort (four solo, three TFL) where he also snagged a sack. He has a pair of good to great matchups on the slate, facing off against the Pats and then the Giants.

Jonathan Allen DT WAS

Allen filled up his stat sheet Week 2 against the visiting Giants, collect six TT (five solo, three TFL0, while also being credited with two sacks and a trio of QH. His snap count improved in Week 2 as well, being on the field for 81% of the defensive plays.

Defensive Backs

Ronnie Harrison S CLE

The first of two Brown DBs to be featured here, Harrison rebounded from his ejection early in Week 1 to play 87% of the defensive snaps against the visiting Texans, which allowed him to rack up seven TT (five solo). He is being used to stop the run, so his tackle numbers should continue to be substantial.

Grant Delpit S CLE

Despite playing less than half the defensive plays in Week 2 (43%), he still managed to collect five TT (three solo, one TFL). He also picked off a pass (INT) and was able to sack the Texan’s QB, as well as QH. A matchup against the Bears who will likely have their rookie QB Justin Fields under center is promising.

Nasir Adderley S LAC

Adderley was effective against the Cowboys, collecting nine TT (eight solo) with a PD to help his big play production. He has a good matchup in store with the pass-happy Chiefs hosting and Travis Kelce roaming over the middle of the field, allowing for tackle opportunities. 

 

Escalator Going Down

Linebackers

Chandler Jones ARI

Arizona is seeing some limited production from anticipated top performers (see the J.J. Watt discussion below). Certainly, he was not expected to repeat his five sack, two fumble recovery (FR) effort from Week 1, but zero tackles hurts. He was likely a huge add off the wire heading into Week 2, but he was at least an every-down IDP against the Vikings, so things should shift more to the mean going forward.

Rashan Evans TEN

Evans suffered from a reduced role on the defense, playing just 57% of the defensive snaps against the Seahawks. He was limited to a meager four TT (only one solo), making him expendable if this situation persists.

Defensive Linemen

Arik Armstead DE SF

Despite playing 2/3 of the snaps while the defense is on the gridiron, Armstead has just three TT on the season, and no sacks. This start is not leading to his usage in your starting lineup, but if you think he can turn things around, he is likely to stick on the wire if you were to move him for a more productive DL.

J.J. Watt DE ARI

Watt likewise has underwhelmed so far through the first two games, collecting merely four solo tackles and failing to notch a sack so far. Unlike Armstead, though, he is better suited to sit on your bench that be dropped, at least for now, given his track record and his PT (83% of defensive snaps to date).

Defensive Backs

Xavier McKinney S NYG

The Giants seem intent on increasing Jabrill Peppers role in the defensive backfield at the expense of McKinney. His snap percentage dropped dramatically between Week 1 and 2, from 95% to just 55% last game. If he is relegated to the dime coverage unit, his value is depressed unless and until injury calls him back to a nearly full time PT status.

 

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 Cardinals, but certainly you will do well if you own a top LB on the Steelers, Raiders or Rams that you can plug in this week, for the most part.

Inside Linebackers

Arizona Cardinals @ Jacksonville

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh

Tennessee Titans vs Indianapolis

Outside Linebackers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins @ Las Vegas

Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia 

Washington Football Team @ Buffalo 

Defensive Ends

Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco

Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay

 New York Jets @ Denver

Defensive Tackles

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants

Tennessee Titans vs Indianapolis

Safeties

Baltimore Ravens @ Detroit

Denver Broncos vs New York Jets

Cornerbacks

Buffalo Bills vs Washington

New England Patriots vs New Orleans

Las Vegas Raiders vs Miami

 

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. Although going forward not all the players commented on are here, that is not the case this week. In future editions, however, some will not be included in this list 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

Justin Strnad DEN

Azeez Al-Shaair SF

Malcolm Smith CLE

Logan Wilson CIN

Alex Singleton PHI

Jaylon Smith DAL

Nick Bolton KC

Alex Anzalone DET

Defensive Linemen

Josh Sweat DE PHI

Gregory Rousseau DE BUF

Payton Turner DE NO

Jonathan Allen DT WAS

Defensive Backs

Ronnie Harrison S CLE

Grant Delpit S CLE

Nasir Adderley S LAC

 

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 Kenard ARI hamstring

Dennis Gardeck ARI knee IR

Daelin Hayes BAL knee 

L.J. Fort BAL knee-ACL IR

Tremaine Edmunds BUF undisclosed

Danny Trevathan CHI knee IR

Anthony Walker CLE hamstring IR

Jacob Phillips CLE biceps IR

Montrel Meander CLE Achilles IR

Keanu Neal DAL undisclosed IR-COVID

Francis Bernard DAL hamstring IR

Bradley Chubb DEN ankle IR

Josey Jewell DEN pectoral IR

Natrez Patrick DEN leg IR

Shaun Dion Hamilton DET undisclosed IR

Za’Darius Smith GB back IR

Randy Ramsey GB leg IR

Kamu Grugier-Hill HOU knee

Kevin Pierre-Louis HOU hamstring IR

Dylan Moses JAX knee

Willie Gay Jr. KC toe IR

Tanoh Kpassagnon NO calf

Davion Taylor PHI calf

Alex Highsmith PIT groin

Devin Bush PIT groin

T.J. Watt PIT groin

Dre Greenlaw SF groin IR

Ben Durr-Kirven SEA knee-ACL IR

Jason Pierre-Paul TB shoulder

Kevin Minter TB illness IR-COVID

Cam Gill TB undisclosed IR

Jayon Brown TEN hamstring

B.J. Bello TEN ankle IR

 

Defensive Linemen

D- End

Derek Wolfe BAL back

Efe Obada BUF calf

Bryan Cox BUF Achilles IR

Morgan Fox CAR ankle

Yetur Gross-Matos CAR ankle

Austin Larkin CAR groin

Khalid Kareem CIN undisclosed IR

Joseph Ossai CIN knee-Meniscus IR

Wyatt Hubert CIN pectoral

Dorance Armstrong DAL ankle

Carlos Watkins DAL knee

Randy Gregory DAL illness IR-COVID

Demarcus Lawrence DAL foot IR

Shelby Harris DEN wrist

Da’Shawn Hand DET groin IR

Joel Heath DET knee-ACL

Dayo Odeyingbo IND Achilles

Jordan Smith JAX knee

Lerentee McCray JAX hamstring

Malik Herring KC knee-ACL

Everson Griffen MIN concussion

Janarius Robinson MIN lower body IR

Marcus Davenport NO shoulder IR

Kyle Phillips NYJ ankle PUP

Vinny Curry NYJ illness

Carl Lawson NYJ Achilles IR

Brandon Graham PHI Achilles IR

Tyson Alualu PIT ankle IR

Calvin Taylor PIT undisclosed

Stephon Tuitt PI undisclosed IR

Jordan Willis SF suspension

Matthew ioannidis WAS knee

Jalen Jelks WAS undisclosed IR

 

D-Tackle

Xavier Williams ARI undisclosed

Jordan Phillips ARI undisclosed IR

Jack Crawford ARI undisclosed IR

Deadrin Senat ATL undisclosed IR

Brandon Williams BAL neck

Xavier Kelly BAL Achilles IR

Star Lotulelei BUF groin

Eddie Goldman CHI knee

Neville Gallimore DAL elbow IR

Trysten Hill DAL knee-ACL PUP

Mike Purcell DEN knee

Kevin Strong DET concussion

Jashon Cornell DET suspension (out until Week 4)

Vincent Taylor HOU ankle IR

Rob Windsor IND hip IR

Gerald McCoy LV knee IR

Justin Jones LAC calf

Raekwon Davis MIA knee IR

Jaylen Twyman MIN pelvis

Byron Cowart NE undisclosed PUP

Jalen Dalton NO triceps IR

Davis Onyemata NO suspension (out until Week 8)

Carlos Davis PIT knee

Kevin Givens SF ankle

Maurice Hurst SF ankle IR

Bryan Mone SEA elbow

Marcus Webb SEA undisclosed IR

Sam Renner TB undisclosed

Trevon Coley TEN foot IR

 

Defensive Backs-

Safety 

Kendall Sheffield ATL undisclosed IR

DeShon Elliott BAL concussion

Khalil Dorsey BAL undisclosed IR

Myles Hartsfield CAR wrist IR

Ricardo Allen CIN hand IR

Donovan Wilson DAL groin

Essang Bassey DEN knee-ACL PUP

Duke Dawson DEN knee-ACL/MCL PUP

Vernon Scott GB hamstring

Justin Reid HOU knee

A.J. Moore HOU undisclosed IR

Roderic Teamer LV shoulder

Dayan Ghanwoloku LAR undisclosed 

Joshuah Bledsoe NE wrist

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson knee

Joshua Kalu NYG pectoral IR

Saquan Hampton NYJ Achilles PUP

Lamarcus Joyner NYJ triceps IR

Sharrod Neasman NYJ hamstring 

Ashtyn Davis NYJ undisclosed IR

Rodney McLeod PHI knee

Nathan Meadors PHI hamstring

Emmanuel Moseley SF knee 

Jason Verrett SF knee-ACL IR

Tarvarius Moore SF Achilles PUP

Nigel Warrior SEA knee IR

Curtis Riley TB Achilles IR

Maurice Smith TEN undisclosed

Brady Breeze TEN ankle IR

Amani Hooker TEN foot IR

Darrick Forrest WAS hamstring IR

 

Cornerback

Marco Wilson ARI ankle

A.J. Terrell ATL concussion

Jimmy Smith BAL ankle

Chris Westry BAL knee-Meniscus IR

Marcus Peters BAL knee-ACL IR

Iman Marshall knee IR

Troy Pride CAR knee-ACL IR

Trae Waynes CIN hamstring 

Kelvin Joseph DAL groin IR

Reggie Robinson II DAL toe IR

Ronald Darby DEN hamstring IR

Michael Ojemudia DEN hamstring IR

Ifeatu Melifonwu DET thigh IR

Jeff Okudah DET Achilles IR

Will Redmond GB toe IR

Terrance Mitchell HOU concussion

Xavier Rhodes IND calf

Tre Herndon JAX knee

C.J. Henderson JAX groin

Chris Harris LAC shoulder

Ryan Smith LAC undisclosed IR

Harrison Hand MIN undisclosed IR-COVID

Stephon Gilmore NE quadriceps PUP

Marshon Lattimore NO hand

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 IR

Josiah Scott PHI hamstring IR

Joe Haden PIT groin 

DeMarkus Acy PIT knee-ACL IR

Josh Norman SF ankle

Davontae Harris SF hamstring IR

Tre Brown SEA knee IR

Sean Murphy-Bunting elbow IR

Caleb Farley TEN shoulder

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.