Tommy Kislingbury provides his IDP risers and fallers for Week 3.
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Well, that was more like it. After a fairly staid first couple of weeks, the NFL exploded into life with close, great games. Far from that not making IDPs less relevant it created some huge scores. So who should you be looking at in close detail this week either as a waiver add or a potential piece for trading away?
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RISING IDPs
Defensive Tackle
Ndamokung Suh (DT – MIA)
Suh is simply a monster. He’s averaged 54 defensive snaps in his two games so far. Only DeForest Buckner has managed more. Suh has also posted eight total tackles in his two games and is likely near the top of his position for average points in your league.
Dalvin Tomlinson (DT – NYG)
The rookie hasn’t had a breakout day yet but I think it’s a matter of time. He’s currently 35th in snaps among all defensive tackles and has posted 11 total tackles. He hasn’t managed a sack yet. The key word is ‘yet.’
Defensive End
Trey Flowers (DE – NE)
Flowers leads all DEs in snaps at this stage and is 32nd among all defenders. He is being left out there all game long. Flowers is also playing well. He’s managed to record three sacks and eight solos so far. He was a good player last season with seven sacks and 23 solos for the season. At this rate, he’ll absolutely smash those totals.
Michael Johnson (DE – CIN)
Johnson was concussed in Week 1, but made his return to a full-time role this week. In fact, he led the Bengals’ ends in snaps above Carlos Dunlap. He’s not an exciting player, but he is a good volume play.
Melvin Ingram (DE – LAC)
Wow. Ingram was purely unblockable at times as he rampaged to three sacks and six solo tackles against the Chiefs. His five and a half sacks are already within touching distance of his eight from all of 2016.
Linebacker
Patrick Onwuasor (LB – BAL)
Kamalei Correa has unfortunately looked a bit limited so far as he and Onwuasor have shared snaps. That changed last week in London as Onwuasor received a much higher share of snaps. It might just have been a result of the blowout, but given he’s probably free Onwuasor is worth picking up just in case he’s set to take on a larger role.
Elandon Roberts (LB – NE)
Nine. Thirty-six. Fifty-seven. Those are Roberts’ snaps per week so far. As always in New England, things can change game by game, but for now it seems that Roberts is being trusted to be more than just a situational, gap-shooting run-stopper. He’s not going to be a top-12 player but he should be owned in deep leagues.
Cornerback
Rashaan Melvin (CB – IND)
Melvin had two interceptions, and I don’t think that’s very replicable, but he’s going to continue to be in a good situation. Corners fantasy production is helped by playing in a dome, conceding lots of points, and having a knack for getting their hands on the ball. Melvin has all those going for him. He also has the prospect of Vontae Davis returning when Melvin could be heavily targeted by oppositions looking for optimal matchups.
Tre’Davious White (CB – BUF)
Rookie corners are also famously productive. White is clearly not as good as E.J. Gaines playing opposite him and should draw plenty of targets. He’s already proven he can make plays and could be heading for a solid season for those in CB-required leagues.
Safety
Chris Conte (S – TB)
After two games for the Buccaneers, Conte has stood out significantly in playing time. He has 130 snaps so far with the next best (TJ Ward) at just 74. Conte is making it pay too with 10 solo tackles so far.
Daniel Sorenson (S – KC)
In the two games since Eric Berry was hurt Sorenson has played 72 and 71 defensive snaps. And he’s playing many of them in the box. In those two games, he’s recorded six solo tackles in each. I can’t see him consistently producing big plays, but in tackle-heavy leagues, he should be a safe, startable option.
FALLING IDPs
Defensive Tackle
Al Woods (DT – TEN)
Big Al got a bit of buzz after an excellent performance with a sack last week. Unfortunately, this was back to earth with a little bump with no stats recorded from 27 snaps. He’s a useful NFL player but shouldn’t be owned in the vast majority of IDP leagues.
Corey Liuget (DT – LAC)
I like him as a player and had high hopes for this season. Unfortunately, he seems a victim of scheme in that Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram are just going to have a lot more license to rush the passer with the interior being a bit more gap-disciplined. Some may argue that bookend marauders help Liuget, but the half a sack and three solo tackles he has from three games are a strong counterargument.
Defensive End
Jordan Willis (DE – CIN)
As mentioned above Michael Johnson returned from injury and to a solid share of playing time. Marvin Lewis does not like to give defensive rookies much time if they can help it and Willis had to be content with just 13 defensive snaps. He’s still a good stash in dynasty but is not currently startable.
Ethan Westbrooks (DE – LAR)
In Week 1 Westbrooks put up a sack, two solos and an assist in Aaron Donald’s absence. Since then, however, he’s played fewer and fewer snaps (just 13 this week) and managed only two solo tackles in two games. I think he’s cuttable in almost all formats.
Linebacker
Jeremiah George (LB – IND)
In Week 2 George managed four solo tackles from 52 snaps. But with Antonio Morrison back George played just seven snaps. He’s a good example of the sort of player who you shouldn’t be going after.
NaVorro Bowman (LB – SF)
Bowman has managed 13 solos so far and six assists. He’s played 214 snaps so far which trails only Justin Houston (216) amongst linebackers. But to me, he looks like a shadow of his former self at 29 years old.
In redraft leagues, he’s worth riding out of course but in dynasty now is the time to trade him away on name value if you can.
Cornerback
Quinten Rollins (CB – GB)
As far as I can see Rollins hasn’t been hurt. The Packers have just fallen out of love very fast. In Week 1 he played 46 snaps. In Week 2 he played 34. In Week 3 just seven. Kevin King seems to have taken his job outright, and Rollins is droppable in all leagues.
Safety
Jordan Richards (S – NE)
After he played a sub-package linebacker role in Week 1, I was filled with hope for Richards. But since then he’s fallen right out of favor to the point of playing just three defensive snaps this past week. For reference, Devin McCourty managed 71. Richards may well have good weeks, but he’s droppable.
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Those are the players making big moves right now. Obviously, plenty of injuries happen every week in the NFL, but I’m avoiding those for now. At this stage, all injury news is not an edge on your league-mates given its ubiquity. And an edge is what we’re always looking for. Fantasy at its’ heart is purely a series of weekly games and now we’ve finished three out of 13 fantasy regular season match-ups you need to be clawing for a few extra points each Sunday.
Good luck everyone with securing your targets and racking up those wins.
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