IDP Sleepers - Week 3

Updated 9/24 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)

Mathias Kiwanuka, New York Giants: Starting DE Justin Tuck is likely to miss the Giants' game against the Buccaneers this week. Kiwanuka will draw the start and along with Osi Umenyiora, he will be trying to sack slow-footed and even slower delivery QB Byron Leftwich. The Buccaneers have averaged 46 pass attempts per game, which is second in the league. Surprisingly, Leftwich has only been sacked two times, but there has been a lot of pressure applied and the topnotch pass rushers of the Giants should have a better chance to close the deal than the other opponents did. Kiwanuka is a strong pass rusher and with him replacing Tuck in the starting lineup, he is a must start this week.

Worth a Gamble (Good matchup, solid sleeper)

Andre Carter, Washington Redskins: After a dreadful 2008 season, Carter is off to a solid start for the Redskins. He had a sack and FF in week one and although he did not register a sack last week, Carter still had respectable fantasy numbers because of his three solos and three assists. This week, Carter faces rookie QB Matthew Stafford and the winless Lions. The Lions have made it a point to run the ball and had 34 rush attempts last week against the Vikings. Carter is a solid run defender as well as being a good pass rusher, so he should be a safe start regardless of what the Lions do. If they run a lot, Carter should put up solid tackle numbers; if not, he will be rushing the passer against a rookie QB who does not always recognize or feel the pass rush coming. Carter is a solid start this week and only his inconsistency keeps him from being a prime cut this week.

Shaun Rogers, Cleveland Browns: Rogers is perhaps the only 3-4 nose tackle who could be considered a viable DL2/3 in fantasy leagues. Despite being double teamed on almost every play, Rogers still has managed nice solos and a sack in his two games. His athleticism and size allows Rogers to penetrate the backfield and disrupt both running and passing plays. Rogers faces the Ravens this week and they lead the league in rush attempts per game. Rogers is a solid sleeper just because of the tackle opportunities he should see in run defense and he could be a great start should he manage to get a sack or two.

Solid Reach (backup / situational player with upside)

Leonard Little & Chris Long, St. Louis Rams: Neither Little nor Long has a sack this year and the situation for this game is not a great one for sacks because the Rams figure to trail big for most of the game. But both Little and Long are solid in run defense and should be able to post decent tackle numbers. That should put them in the respectable category and with the injuries to the Green Bay offensive line; it's not out of the realm of possibility for one of the DEs to get a sack. Last week, Antwan Odom had five sacks against the Packers and their line also had problems protecting Rodgers in week one. Both St. Louis players have some upside and with so few options at DL this week, Long and Little both make decent sleepers.

Jason Hunter, Detroit Lions: Hunter had been a career backup before joining the Lions and with Cliff Avril being hurt; Hunter is starting at left defensive end for the Lions. Hunter had a sack on a nice dip of his shoulder against the Vikings last week. He is not the greatest talent, but he is a starting DE on a team with no depth and a bad defense. The Lions can't stop anyone right now and Hunter should have plenty of opportunities to make plays this week. He is likely on the waiver wire in most leagues, so if you are badly in need of a DL starter, Hunter could be a decent one-week fill-in.

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

Ty Warren, New England Patriots: Warren has never been much of a pass rusher, but he usually puts up solid numbers in run defense. The Patriots have not been sharp on offense so far this year, but it's only a matter of time before that changes. Warren should see a lot of Michael Turner in run defense and could see a decent amount of tackle opportunities. Sometimes it can be beneficial to take the safe 3-5 solos when digging deep for a DL sleeper.

Linebackers

Prime Cut (Great matchup, strong sleeper)

Larry Foote, Detroit Lions: Foote had nine solos in week one and followed it up with 5/5 and a sack last week. Needless to say, he is off to a great start and proving you do not have to be a superior talent to put up superior fantasy numbers. The Lions are so bad on defense that they should be one of the top teams all year as far as defensive tackle opportunities. Foote faces the Redskins this week and the short passes of their west coast offense plus the running game should keep Foote in the middle of the action.

Worth a Gamble (Good matchup, solid sleeper)

Will Witherspoon, St. Louis Rams: Like Foote, Witherspoon is on a team that is seeing a high number of tackle opportunities. Unlike Foote, Witherspoon has to compete with another player (rookie James Laurinaitis) for tackles. Thus far, there have been enough to go around. Witherspoon has six solos in each game and added a FF last week. Witherspoon is an excellent blitzer and the Rams should have him blitzing Aaron Rodgers this week because the Packers are really struggling in pass protection. Witherspoon is a solid start this week even without any sacks and could wind up being a great start if he can get to Rodgers this week.

Gary Guyton, New England Patriots: Guyton was solid in his first start at MLB following the injury to starter Jerod Mayo. Guyton finished with seven solos and three assists against the Bills. This week, the Patriots face Michael Turner and the Falcons and Guyton figures to see the big RB coming his way for most of the game. Guyton is still a bit of an unknown, but his situation and opponent suggest that he is a solid sleeper this week.

Solid Reach (backup / situational player with upside)

Channing Crowder, Miami Dolphins: Crowder has had a poor start and some are beginning to wonder if he should be in fantasy lineups. I am not the biggest fan of his talent, but the front seven of the Dolphins is not exactly loaded with players who are tackling machines. This week's matchup with the Chargers is probably a middle of the road matchup for Crowder, but he should be able to find his way into the tackle column enough to be a viable sleeper at LB if you are in need.

Andra Davis, Denver Broncos: It's hard to start a 2-down LB against a team with a bad offense, but Davis has been solid enough and the Raiders run the ball enough to make him a sleeper if you are really lacking this week.

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

Marcus Buggs, Buffalo Bills: Like Davis, Buggs is a 2-down LB. Unlike Davis, Buggs has never proven himself to be a viable fantasy LB. With the Saints on the schedule, the Bills defense could spend a lot of time on the field and even though the Saints run a lot of multiple WR sets, they do run the ball quite a bit and are among the league leaders in tackle opportunities allowed. Consider taking a flyer on Buggs if you are in desperation mode this week.

Defensive Backs

Prime Cut (Great matchup, strong sleeper)

Bryan Scott, Buffalo Bills: Scott has literally come out of nowhere to become a fantasy force at safety. Scott has 11/8 to go along with an interception and a couple of passes defended. He is another player with average talent who is taking advantage of a great situation. He is benefiting from the absence of starting MLB Paul Posluszny and is taking advantage of the increase in tackle opportunities. This week Scott faces the pass happy Saints, a team that has allowed huge games to strong safeties in the first two weeks. In week one, journeyman Lions' safety Marquand Manuel had seven solos and last week Eagles' safety Quintin Mikell had 11 solos. Scott should be in all lineups this week.

Worth a Gamble (Good matchup, solid sleeper)

Erik Coleman, Atlanta Falcons: Coleman has been a solid IDP in the past and with the move back to strong safety, he is back on fantasy radars again. Coleman is a solid run defender, but is not the greatest in coverage. The Patriot are sure to exploit the middle of the field with their passing game and Coleman could see numerous opportunities in both pass and run defense. Strong safeties have put up solid numbers against the Patriots despite the lack of a running game and this week should be no different. The only reason Coleman is not a prime cut is because the Atlanta LBs have been tackling machines so far this year, especially MLB Curtis Lofton.

Mike Brown, Kansas City Chiefs: This must be the week for picking DBs who have been rescued from the football graveyard. Brown is another player who has had a solid past, but who has done little in recent years before being reborn this year. The Chiefs thought enough of Brown to cut starting strong safety Bernard Pollard. Brown has long been a great big play safety, but he has simply been hurt too much to be able to count on him over the long haul. The Chiefs face the Eagles and their west coast offense seems to be a perfect fit for Brown's game. Last week, Saints starting strong safety Roman Harper had seven solos and a pick against the Eagles. Brown should be around the ball all day and makes for a solid sleeper this week.

Solid Reach (backup / situational player with upside)

Sabby Piscitelli, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Piscitelli is in a good spot this week. The Giants love to run the ball and Piscitelli should be in the middle of the action in run defense. The Giants have also had good success throwing the ball and that also bodes well for Piscitelli. He has not been overly impressive, but a good situation like this is hard to ignore when looking for quality sleepers.

Reggie Nelson, Jacksonville Jaguars: Nelson has racked up six solos in each game this year, but has not registered any big plays. That pretty much sums up the Jacksonville defense this year. They make tackles all over the field, but only after the opponents offense has a big play. Nelson has not played well, but he should get a decent amount of opportunities this week against the potent Texans' passing game. The only red flag is he never adds many peripheral numbers and should his tackle numbers be low, his fantasy points likely will too. But when you are looking for sleepers, you have to expect some negatives.

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

Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens figure to dominate this game and force Brady Quinn to throw early and often. Once he starts forcing the ball, the turnovers follow. This just seems like the type of game that Reed picks off a couple of passes and since this is listed under the desperate section, the risk is low with a potential high reward.