IDP Sleepers - Week 2

Updated 9/17 by Anthony Borbely, Exclusive for Footballguys.com

This article is a weekly look at players generally ranked around the edge of those considered "startable". For the purposes of this article, I will define startable as all players on the edge of starting on a team that starts 2 DL, 2 LBs, and 2 DBs. Therefore, about the middle of DL2, LB2 and DB2 range are usually where the choices begin to get tough. Each position is covered in descending order beginning with the players who have the most prime matchups to those with more risk and less upside to those who are complete reaches. Your mileage may vary, but the idea is to discuss these players and provide you with some analysis that might help you make those difficult lineup decisions a bit easier. I hope that your expertise as an owner has filled your team with enough players that you don't need to consider players outside of the prime cuts discussed here. Good luck and always keep in mind that your feedback and comments are welcome. I also want to thank and give credit to Bob Henry for creating the format for this article.

Defensive Linemen

Prime Cut (Great matchup, strong sleeper)

Greg Ellis, Oakland Raiders: Ellis quietly had a solid debut for the Raiders with three solos, a sack, and a FF. He was overshadowed (and rightfully so) by Richard Seymour's dominant week one performance. Ellis has been a solid pass rusher for years and even at age 34, Ellis looks like he has plenty left in the tank. Last week's matchup against Philip Rivers was not the best, but Ellis still managed to rack up a sack and a QB hurry against him. This week's matchup is much better with the Raiders traveling to meet the Chiefs. Ellis will have an easier time with the offensive line of the Chiefs; a unit that allowed three sacks in only 24 pass attempts against the Ravens. As for the Chiefs' QB, it's hard to say who will start for KC right now, but if Cassel starts, he may not be healthy enough to escape the rush and Brodie Croyle has never been the most mobile QB around. Regardless of who starts at QB for the Chiefs, start Ellis this week.

Worth a Gamble (Good matchup, solid sleeper)

Will Smith, New Orleans Saints: Smith had a better game against the Lions in week one than his numbers suggest. Smith had a solo and a couple of assists, but the entire Saints defense only had 34 solos, mainly because the Lions only had the ball for 23 minutes. There simply were not many tackle opportunities for Smith. Even though Smith did not register a sack, he did have two QB hurries. Smith and the rest of the Saints defensive line were getting constant pressure on Matt Stafford. This week, the Saints face the Eagles and it appears as though Kevin Kolb will start at QB for the Eagles. Kolb has largely been unimpressive in his limited playing time and has been very indecisive. QBs who have trouble deciding where to throw the ball give the linemen an extra second to rack up a sack on the play. Smith should see plenty of sack opportunities and makes for a solid sleeper this week.
Ray Edwards, Minnesota Vikings: Edwards had a strong game against the Browns in week one, finishing with six tackles, a sacks and a couple of QB hurries. Playing opposite Jared Allen usually leaves Edwards in one-on-one matchups, but the same thing happened last year and Edwards did next to nothing. He was all over Brady Quinn and easily could have had a couple more sacks. This doesn't even factor in his solid performance against the run. This week Edwards faces the Lions and he and the rest of the Vikings should be licking their chops at the prospect of playing against a rookie QB. The Lions pass protection was not good and the run blocking was worse. Edwards is too inconsistent to be a prime cut, but he could have a solid game and merits strong consideration this week.

Solid Reach (backup / situational player with upside)

Aaron Maybin, Buffalo Bills: Buffalo starting DE Chris Kelsay will not play this week and Maybin should get plenty of snaps in a rotation with Ryan Denney. Maybin did not play a lot last week, but there were a handful of plays where he flashed his ability and speed. Maybin has a great matchup against Byron Leftwich and his ultra-slow delivery. If you are in need of a DL starter, Maybin offers some decent upside and should be single covered playing opposite Aaron Schobel.
Alex Brown, Chicago Bears: The Bears defensive line had a strong game against the Packers in week one and Adewale Ogunleye had two sacks. The other starter, Alex Brown, quietly had five tackles and with Ogunleye on the other side of the line, Brown is unlikely to see any double teams when the Bears are rushing the passer. The Steelers are not a great pass blocking team and Brown could see some sack opportunities. The good thing is Brown is solid in run defense and the Steelers will try to get their running game going. Brown offers marginal pass rushing skills, but he rarely puts up bad tackle numbers and that makes him a decent sleeper if you are in need this week.

If you're desperate (worth a look in deeper leagues)

Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions: Avril was nonexistent against the Saints along with the rest of the Lions' defense. They got little pass rush last week and rarely blitzed. Losing Philip Buchanan to injury hurt their coverage, but he should be back this week. I expect the Lions to be much more aggressive with their blitzing this week. Avril did not play well in preseason, but anytime you are really in bad need of a starting DE, a player like Avril should be considered. He proved he could rush the passer late last year and with more aggressive play calling, Avril should see a few sack opportunities.

Linebackers

Prime Cut (Great matchup, strong sleeper)

Lofa Tatupu, Seattle Seahawks: Tatupu played a strong game for Seattle and it was much better than his stats indicated. The Rams only ran the ball 18 times and the entire Seattle defense only had 35 solos. Tatupu only had three solos, but he had a sack and a QB hurry and in general, seemed to benefit from the more aggressive play calling. Tatupu should see more tackle opportunities than normal with OLB Leroy Hill injured. The Seahawks face a much-improved San Francisco team this week and their offense should be a much bigger challenge than the Rams' offense was. Tatupu should see a lot of Frank Gore this week and has a chance to put up strong tackle numbers. Get him in your lineups this week.
David Harris, New York Jets: After a subpar 2008 season, Harris had a strong game last week and seems to be benefiting from the Rex Ryan defense. The Jets played a lot of 4-3 and Harris played in the middle. He was very aggressive in run defense and blitzes and looked like the stud of two years ago. The Texans only ran the ball 13 times and had a paltry 48 total plays. Harris had six solos and five assists and that is very impressive considering the play totals of the Texans. Harris is a must start this week and if he shows this kind of performance again, he will probably be a LB1 like he was in 2007 and will not be seen in any sleeper article. I have to see this kind of performance again to be 100% convinced, but in watching Harris play last week, I have to say he sure looked like a stud.

Worth a Gamble (Good matchup, solid sleeper)

Mike Peterson, Atlanta Falcons: Peterson had a strong game in his debut with the Falcons in week one. Peterson racked up seven solos and added a FF, an interception, and a PD. The tackle numbers were even more impressive when you consider the Dolphins only ran the ball 22 times and only 19 by their RBs. Peterson has been a quality IDP for years and looks to be benefiting by having a better surrounding cast than he had in recent years with Jacksonville. This week, the matchup is much better as the run heavy Panthers come to town. The Panthers feature two elite RBs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and are looking to rebound from an embarrassing loss to the Eagles last week. I fully expect the Panthers to ramp up the running game and that will benefit Peterson. The only reason Peterson is not a prime cut is because the Panthers defense looks bad and there is a chance that the Falcons will control the clock and keep Peterson and the defense off the field.

Solid Reach (backup / situational player with upside)

Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs: It is virtually impossible to figure out what the Chiefs are doing with their LBs right now. Johnson is clearly their best ILB, but he was listed as a third stringer last week. He was actually a second stringer. The two starters are Corey Mays and Demorrio Williams…two journeymen players at best. Johnson did not start, but had a strong game nonetheless with three solos, a pick and a PD. I think his playing time will increase and it's just a matter of time until he is back starting. I think he represents a solid sleeper even if he doesn't start, but should they decide to start him, Johnson instantly becomes a prime cut. Keep your eyes open for any news about Johnson and react accordingly. His matchup with the Raiders is solid. This is not without risk, so keep that in mind.
Gary Guyton, New England Patriots: With the knee injury to Jerod Mayo, Guyton will step in to replace him in the middle. The Patriots played a lot more 4-3 than I expected and that increases the value of the MLB spot. Mayo is a stud and Guyton can't be expected to put up the monster tackle numbers that Mayo does, but he Guyton should see enough tackle opportunities to be a solid sleeper this week against the Jets and their potent running attack.

If you're desperate (worth a look in deeper leagues)

Hunter Hillenmeyer, Chicago Bears: Hillenmeyer will attempt to fill the huge shoes of Brian Urlacher, who is out for the year with a dislocated wrist. Hillenmeyer seems likely to be a 3-down LB and should have some value. He has limited talent, so temper your enthusiasm a bit. The matchup with the Steelers is solid, so Hillenmeyer could be a decent start in deeper leagues.

Defensive Backs

Prime Cut (Great matchup, strong sleeper)

Brandon Meriweather, New England Patriots: Meriweather had a solid week one considering the Bills only ran the ball 19 times out of their 48 plays. The Patriots were only on the field for 22 minutes and as a team only had 35 solos. Meriweather finished with three solos and five assists, which is pretty good considering the lack of tackle opportunities the Patriots had. This week's matchup with the Jets is much better. The Jets are starting rookie Mark Sanchez at QB and figure to run the ball a lot as they did in week one. Meriweather will also benefit from the injury to stud LB Jerod Mayo. Gary Guyton, Mayo's replacement, is not expected to be the tackling machine that Mayo was, so Meriweather should see even more tackle opportunities than usual. Start Meriweather with confidence this week.

Worth a Gamble (Good matchup, solid sleeper)

Marquand Manuel, Detroit Lions: Manuel got the start at strong safety for the Lions in week one and finished with seven solos. The Lions defense is not very good and the Saints spent the entire game marching up and down the field. While MLB Larry Foote racked up nine solos, the rest of the LBs did very little, so there were plenty of tackle opportunities for the defensive backs. Manuel and the Lions will face off with the Vikings in week two. Adrian Peterson ran wild on the Browns last week and figures to see a load of touches against the poor run defense of the Lions. Last week, Cleveland strong safety Abram Elam had seven solos against the Vikings and Manuel figures to have a shot to put up similar numbers this week. With little competition for tackles, Manuel should be a solid sleeper candidate in week two.
Mike Brown, Kansas City Chiefs: Brown had a solid week one, finishing with 12 total tackles, including eight solos. Brown has always been a solid fantasy DB, but injuries have plagued him throughout his career. He showed enough in preseason to allow the Chiefs to cut Bernard Pollard, who was a liability in coverage. Brown is solid on coverage, and despite no big plays last week, he has proven to be a DB who is capable of putting up strong peripheral numbers. He did have a great matchup last week with the Ravens and although this week's matchup with the Raiders is not quite as good, it is solid enough to make Brown a good start this week.

Solid Reach (backup / situational player with upside)

Lito Sheppard, New York Jets: Sheppard only had two solos last week, but the Texans rarely had the ball and there were very few tackle opportunities for the Jets. Sheppard did have a pick and a PD and looked very active in coverage. This week, Sheppard and the Jets face a topnotch offense that will offer many more opportunities to make plays in both run defense and coverage. Last week, the top three Buffalo CBs each had five solos against the Patriots. The Jets have better tackling corners and they are also better in pass defense. With CB Darrelle Revis being so strong in coverage, I expect the Patriot to attack Sheppard relentlessly and force him to be the one to stop the New England offense. Sheppard has never been a great fantasy DB, but if you are in need, the matchup dictates that Sheppard could be a decent sleeper this week.
Derek Cox, Jacksonville Jaguars: Peyton Manning torched the Jaguars in week one and The Cardinals figure to try to exploit the Jags secondary this week. As a rookie corner, Derek Cox figures to bear the brunt of the Cardinals aerial assault in week two. If you are looking for a potential diamond in the rough this week, a rookie corner against a potent passing game is a good place to look. Cox should be a target on waiver wires this week with a matchup this good.

If you're desperate (worth a look in deeper leagues)

Chris Johnson, Oakland Raiders: The Chiefs will likely target Johnson's side of the field because they do not want to mess with stud cover corner Nnamdi Asomugha. The matchup is not the greatest because the Chiefs passing attack is still a work in progress, but Johnson should see enough action to warrant consideration for owners who are desperate for fantasy DBs this week.