Taking a look at the NFL week 6 from a IDP perspective; notes on what our writer @Orangeman3142 saw this weekend.
This is a continuation of our weekly article series that breaks down what we saw this week in IDP fantasy football. What happened and why, what we got right and what we got wrong and more importantly how to move forward and get better this week. We look at possible waivers and trends, snap counts and issues that affect production for your IDP team. Part three will cover the next four games of week six. Make sure you read part one and two for the first seven games of week six and keep an eye out for part four coming soon. Let’s keep going.
Indianapolis Colts @ New York Jets
Colts: For the first time all year (besides the week against the Pats when he was injured and out) someone besides Darius Leonard (LB) led the team in IDP production this week. Pierre Desir (CB) sits atop the box score with 9 combined tackles on 69% of snaps played. Flash in the pan, nothing to see here. Leonard was right behind him also with 9 combined tackles but he played 100% of snaps this week and remains a weekly must start.
Anthony Walker (LB) cleared concussion protocol and returned to action this week with 6 combined tackles, 1 TFL and 1 PD on 85% of snaps played. So we can all breathe a sigh of relief, despite the Colts promoting Skai Moore (LB) back to the 53 man roster he did not take any of Walkers snaps this week. He continues to be safe to play as a solid LB2.
Both Clayton Geathers (S) and Margus Hunt (DT, DE) did not play this week with injury, look for them to return soon hopefully. Jabaal Sheard (DE) had an nice game with 3 solo tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL on 87% of snaps. He’s been a great bye week or injury fill in guy and has been startable weekly in deeper leagues. A lot of the other guys at the top of the box score this week got their chances cause of all the injuries, and none of those injuries are serious so I expect the Colts IDP studs to all be back on the field soon enough.
Malik Hooker (S) had a stinker with 1 solo tackle, 1 INT and 1 PD on 100% of snaps played this week which is disappointing considering how much talent was out with injuries this week he should have been able to take advantage and put up a monster week. No such luck. He’s had a couple solid weeks this season but more often than not he’s putting up weeks like this so I’m passing on adding him, plenty of other more reliable safeties out there.
Jets: It was the two inside linebackers lighting up the box score this week for the Jets. Daron Lee (LB) led the way with 8 combined tackles, 1 PD and 1 INT on 100% of snaps played this week. He’s been up and down all season so unless it’s a pretty deep league I’m passing on him although you could do worse if you need a spot start or a bye week guy, he’s certainly capable of big weeks.
Avery Williamson (LB) was next up with 5 solo tackles, 2 PD and 1 INT on 100% of snaps played as well. He has been on fire since his slow start in weeks one and two and is now a concrete solid weekly auto start for me.
Much like the Jets linebacker duo they have a great duo at safety with Marcus Maye (S) and Jamal Adams (S). Both had nice games this week but Maye had the better of the two with 5 solo tackles on only 62% of snaps played. He sustained a hand injury and will be out for a month and that’s why his snap count was lower this week as well. Adams recorded 4 combined tackles, 1 TFL and 2 PD on 100% of snaps played in a “down” week for him. He’s been great all year. Both have been weekly starts this season.
Leonard Williams (DE) was on a hot streak the last couple of weeks, then I picked him up and played him. Williams finished the game with zero stats of any kind on 80% of snaps played this week. Despite his dud this week he’s been as good a shot as any for a spot start or short term fill in. You can’t win them all.
Carolina Panthers @ Washington Redskins
Panthers: While it was no surprise that Luke Kuechly (LB) led the Panthers in IDP production this week it was nice to see that Thomas Davis (LB) was productive in his return from a PED suspension as well. Kuechly had 9 combined tackles and 2 TFL on 100% of snaps played and is a set and forget tier one linebacker.
I’ve been yelling from the rooftops to pick up Thomas Davis in your league for linebacker help and he delivered in his first week back with 6 combined tackles and 2 PD playing 89% of snaps his first week back. His snap count should remain at this level or higher and while he has been a bit boom or bust during his career he’s a great option for linebacker help at this point in the season.
The two IDP studs in the Carolina secondary also had nice games this week. Mike Adams (S) recorded 6 combined tackles, 1 TFL and 1 PD on 100% of snaps played while James Bradberry (CB) put up 5 solo tackles and 1 PD on 100% of snaps played as well. Bradberry has been great against any team that can throw the ball effectively and Adams has been a solid tier two safety all season. Eric Reid (S) also had a serviceable game with 5 combined tackles and 0.5 TFL on 81% of snaps played this week, he was a recent signing at safety and both his production and playing time went up this week.
The two known IDP producers on the defensive line had two very different days this week. Mario Addison (DE) had a great game with 4 solo tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL on 71% of snaps played and is a great spot start, bye week fill in or injury replacement but is also playable weekly in deeper leagues. Kawan Short (DT) had a down day with 2 combined tackles playing 64% of snaps this week. He’s been a mostly solid DT2 all season and should be fine, no defensive tackle is going to produce every single week.
Redskins: The tier two safety DJ Swearinger (S) led the Skins in IDP production this week with 7 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL on 100% of snaps played this week. He’s been pretty consistent all season in the end of tier two range production at safety. Quinton Dunbar (CB) was next with 6 solo tackles playing 100% of snaps but this is the first time I’ve mentioned him all year so I would look for more reliable corner help.
The two IDP relevant linebackers for the Redskins both had serviceable games this week. Zach Brown (LB) had 6 combined tackles and 1 TFL playing 77% of snaps while Mason Foster (LB) recorded 6 combined tackles as well on 100% of snaps this week. Brown is still being outsnapped every single week by Foster and hasn’t had a monster game yet this season, things are not looking good for him.
Strange days, man. Brown, Wagner and Mosley have all had super slow starts to the year it’s crazy. Foster is still the one to own here he’s getting the playing time and has had much better production than this most of the season.
Josh Norman (CB) had a great game against the Panthers who got behind early and had to throw a lot more than they wanted this week. He put up 5 combined tackles, 1 PD and 1 INT on 100% of snaps played and is a decent corner if you can get the matchup right, he’s still not my cup of tea though personally. There are plenty of other corners out there that don’t have the “shutdown” reputation and will be thrown at far more often for easier points.
Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans:
Bills: Before the season started I said that if you put a human being who is still breathing at middle linebacker for the Bills you’ve got a hundred tackle season no problem, luckily for the Bills not only is Tremaine Edmunds (LB) breathing but he’s also becoming a damned good linebacker for IDP production. He had 9 combined tackles this week playing 100% of snaps and has been an end of tier one performer all season and is developing into a great IDP linebacker.
His counterpart Matt Milano (LB) also had a nice game with 8 combined tackles, 2.5 TFL and 1 PD on 100% of snaps played this week. This is the first week Milano played all the defensive snaps and he’s been producing a ton recently so clearly the Bills are showing confidence in him as well.
Jordan Poyer (S) had a great week as well with 5 combined tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD and 1 INT on 100% of snaps played. He’s capable of a big game every week and has been reliable this year. Phillip Gaines (CB) was on top of the box score also this week with 7 combined tackles, 0.5 TFL and 1 PD on 100% of snaps played, it’s the first time I’ve mentioned him all year though so I would wait for some consistency before adding him at corner.
The Bills defensive line had a massive game as a unit. Kyle Williams (DT) had 3 combined tackles, 2 sacks and 2 TFL on 66% of snaps, he’s a decent short term defensive tackle option. Defensive ends Jerry Hughes (DE) and Trent Murphy (DE) both had solid games as well. Hughes put up 3 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 TFL on 64% of snaps while Murphy had 3 combined tackles, 0.5 sacks and 0.5 TFL on 55% of snaps this week. I’ve personally played both as bye week fill ins and they’re just as much a roll of the dice as anyone else for IDP defensive end.
Texans: The known IDP producers on the Texans linebackers unit both had monster games this week. Zach Cunningham (LB) led the way with 13 combined tackles playing 100% of snaps this week. He has surpassed his counterpart, Bernardrick McKinney (LB) as the linebacker to own in Houston. McKinney had a solid week as well with 11 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL on 100% of snaps played as well. He’s had a nice year as well as a linebacker tier two or three.
Corner Jonathan Joseph (CB) had a nice games this week. Joseph recorded 6 combined tackles, 2 PD and 1 INT on 94% of snaps but hasn’t been that consistent this season. JJ Watt (DE) continues to stay healthy and productive, which is shocking but nice to see. He had 3 solo tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL playing 87% of snaps this week. JaDaveon Clowney (DE) had a quiet week with 1 solo tackle and 1 TFL playing 92% of snaps, he’ll be fine it was just an off week. Both have had their share of great games this season.
LA Rams @ Denver Broncos
Rams: The biggest news from this game had nothing to do with the box score, it was the revelation that Mark Barron (LB), who recorded just 1 tackle assist playing a measly 61% of snaps, will not be playing nearly as many snaps WHEN IT’S COLD OUT! Apparently his hamstring injury reacts badly to cold weather so his 80% of snaps from last week, that we all expected to increase this week, actually nose dived and will continue to…when it’s cold out. Adjust accordingly.
Cornerback Troy Hill (CB) sits atop of the box score this week with 7 solo tackles playing 61% of snaps, it’s the first time I’ve even seen this time so consistency isn’t there yet. John Johnson (S) was the other member of the secondary with a solid game for the Rams with 4 combined tackles, 1 PD and 1 INT on 100% of snaps played. He does better against teams with a more effective offense but has been having a great season overall.
Cory Littleton (LB) had a serviceable game with 5 combined tackles and 2 PD on 100% of snaps played. He’s managed to be fairly productive even with Barron back in the lineup and eating into his production, not so much this week but last week that was the case. The Rams offense is excellent also so they aren’t on defense a lot and with so much star power on the defense the tackles get spread out pretty evenly so I might look for another linebacker option if I were a Littleton owner.
Micheal Brockers (DT) and Aaron Donald (DE) both had solid games this week, N’Damakong Suh (DT) not so much. Brockers recorded 5 combined tackles playing 59% of snaps and is a great short term play. Donald had 3 combined tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL playing 91% of snaps and is finally producing like we all knew he could. Suh had a clunker with 2 solo tackles on 88% of snaps but has been on fire the last couple weeks, this is normal for defensive line IDP production keep playing him.
Broncos: Safety Darian Stewart (S) led the Broncos in IDP production with 9 combined tackles, 0.5 sacks, 0.5 TFL and 1 PD on 97% of snaps this week. For the majority of the season it’s been Justin Simmons (S), who had only 4 combined tackles this week on 100% of snaps, who has been the safety to own in Denver. It still is, one week of great production doesn’t do anything for me. I’ll keep playing Simmons. Domata Peko (DT) was next with 6 combined tackles playing 50% of snaps this week, he doesn’t play enough and isn’t consistent enough for a waiver wire move.
The two IDP relevant linebackers on the Broncos both had serviceable games this week. Brandon Marshall (LB) had 6 combined tackles playing 84% of snaps this week which is good, both his snaps and production made a move in the right direction for the first time this year, I need to see more though before pulling the trigger on him. Todd Davis (LB) has been the reliable one this year and had 6 combined tackles and 1 PD playing 74% of snaps this week. He’s playable in very deep leagues and isn’t a bad idea for a one week or short term guy.
Both of the edge rush linebackers had awesome games this week, even though I would never play them unless it was a specific OLB or EDGE slot. Von Miller (LB, EDGE) recorded 5 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks and 1.5 TFL on 70% of snaps. Bradley Chubb (LB, EDGE) put up 5 combined tackles, 3 sacks and 3 TFL playing 72% of snaps. Both are incredibly spotty and inconsistent, while this weeks production was awesome I want no part of either of these guys.
Make sure you catch part one and two of this article and keep an eye out for part four and my start or sit article dropping Saturday. My bad habit of going too far into detail means this article is in multiple parts instead of one novel. If you have any questions or need some advice feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@OrangeMan3142) or use the “Contact Us” box on our website (idpguys.org) to reach us.
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