We are midway through the preseason and there are still numerous starting jobs up for grabs. I'm going to take a look at the IDP side of things and attempt to sort through some of the most pertinent position battles taking place that have IDP implications.

Arizona Cardinals

With Gerald Hayes questionable for week one, the battle for the starting inside linebacker spots in Arizona is wide open. Paris Lenon appears to have the inside track on one of the jobs, but the other one is still up for grabs. Monty Beisel worked with the starters for most of training camp, but he was recently passed on the depth chart by Pago Togafau. Unfortunately, none of these players offers much upside…which leads me to Daryl Washington. While it does not appear that he will start right away, I think it will be tough to keep Washington off the field for very long, especially when you consider the previously mentioned options. Assuming Hayes is healthy enough to start, I expect Lenon to start next to him with Washington breathing down his neck. If Hayes is not ready for week one, then Washington has a shot to win the job assuming he plays well in the final two preseason games. Washington's talent and upside make him a potential LB3 with LB2 upside, but it may be a while before he sees the starting lineup. As for Hayes, consider him a LB4 at best with limited upside.

Atlanta Falcons

Rookie Sean Weatherspoon has started both of Atlanta's preseason games and is making a strong bid for one of the Falcons' starting outside linebacker jobs. If Weatherspoon starts in the third preseason game, the job may be his to lose. Should Weatherspoon earn one of the starting spots, he is likely to be a 3-down LB. Weatherspoon would be a solid LB3 with LB2 upside if he earns a starting spot at WLB and a bit lower if he starts at SLB. Even if he fails to start in week one, Weatherspoon is expected to play on passing downs along with MLB Curtis Lofton, which means both Peterson and Nicholas would be 2-down LBs. Should Weatherspoon not start in week one, he might be well worth drafting late because I think he starts at some point early in the year.

Buffalo Bills

This is not really a battle for a starting job, but it still has IDP implications. Safety Jarius Byrd is injured and his status for week one is in question. George Wilson, who put up strong numbers as a starting strong safety last year, is expected to start at free safety while Byrd is out. Both Wilson and starting strong safety Donte Whitner would seem to be better served swapping positions while Byrd is out, but the Bills appear committed to leaving Whitner at strong safety. Despite that, I would keep a close eye on this situation because if Wilson ever does play strong safety, he could put up DB1 numbers.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers' battles at defensive end took on a new twist when sixth round pick Greg Hardy had a pair of sacks in the first preseason game. Not to be outdone, Everette Brown had two sacks of his own last week. Charles Johnson is expected to start at one of the defensive end spots, likely the left end spot at least until Tyler Brayton returns from his injury. This is a difficult situation to predict, but I have to believe the talent of Brown will wind up winning the job. Brown has DE2 upside should he start and even if he doesn't he should be a quality spot starter for your fantasy team. There could be a rotation once Brayton returns, so keep your eyes peeled for news on this situation. But for right now, I think Brown is the only one in this group that has starting DE value for your fantasy team.

Cincinnati Bengals

If the Bengals middle linebacker job was determined by talent alone, it would be an easy call to start Rey Maualuga over Dhani Jones. But the coaching staff seems to trust Jones more and unless that changes, I don't think Maualuga will crack the starting lineup. The main reason I even mention this here is because talent eventually rises to the top and I think this situation bears watching. If you notice or hear about an improvement in Maualuga's play, he might be worth a late draft pick. If not, Jones seems to always be overlooked in the fantasy world and could be a solid LB4 for your squad.

Detroit Lions

The strong safety spot is up for grabs in Detroit and the winner could become a gold mine for your fantasy team. Right now, C.C. Brown has a tentative hold on the job, but he has not played well in the first two games. Rookie free agent Randy Phillips has been starting at free safety, but only because of the injury to Louis Delmas. Phillips has been impressive and should Brown falter, he could enter the picture along with Ko Simpson, who was recently activated from the PUP list. I still think the job is Brown's to lose, but should he struggle again in the third preseason game, I think Phillips would get his shot. This is a very important battle because the strong safety's only real competition for tackles in the back seven are MLB DeAndre Levy and FS Louis Delmas. The Lions' strong safety spot has top ten DB possibilities.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kirk Morrison, Daryl Smith, and Justin Durant are expected to be the starting LBs for the Jaguars. That is nice to know, but the difficult part is trying to figure out the all-important nickel linebackers. All three of them have been 3-down LBs in the past and this battle could go right to the last preseason game. To make matters worse, the three of them have not all played in a game to this point. I expect Morrison to be one of the 3-down LBs. The other spot will probably go to Smith, but eventually Durant's talent has to get him on the field. I'm just not sure the coaches trust him enough right now. This is another team to pay close attention to this week. Hopefully all three of them will play and we can see how the coaches use them.

Kansas City Chiefs

Trying to pick the starting inside linebackers for the Chiefs is an exercise in futility. Head Coach Todd Haley has played games with his depth charts and I honestly don't have a clue how this will shake out. One day, Demorrio Williams and Corey Mays are listed as the starters; the next day, it is Derrick Johnson and Jovan Belcher. I believe Mays will wind up starting at one spot with either Williams or Johnson at the other. I honestly wonder how the Chiefs can keep the talented Johnson on the bench, but my gut says it will happen again and Williams will win the job. I think those two (Johnson and Williams) are the only ones with fantasy value and I doubt we will know anything until the end of preseason at the earliest. I would hold both Johnson and Williams for the time being.

Minnesota Vikings

Although there have been good reports about the recovery of Cedric Griffin, there is still a possibility that he misses the early part of the season. That leaves Asher Allen and rookie Chris Cook as the leading candidates to start at CB. Regardless of who starts, this position in the Vikings' defense has always had great value and that makes this an important battle for fantasy players. Both of these players could be on the waiver wire and once a starter is named, it might be a good idea to grab them. This would especially be true if Cook starts because you would not only have a Cover-2 CB, you would also have a rookie CB and they tend to be targeted at will by opposing QBs. You could wind up with a CB who will put up top 20 numbers until Griffin returns.

Tennessee Titans

Both outside linebacker spots are up for grabs in Tennessee and this is another battle that is difficult to handicap. Long time starting LB Keith Bulluck left as a free agent and Gerald McRath was expected to step into the starting lineup in his place. However, McRath was suspended four games for violating the league's substance abuse program. David Thornton has battled injuries in recent years and has yet to play in the preseason. A healthy Thornton would probably be a starter while McRath is out. Will Witherspoon was signed as a free agent and was playing with the backups, but a solid four-tackle effort in the second preseason game brings him back to the forefront. Rookie Rennie Curran has been impressive, and is also a possibility. For the first four games, I think Witherspoon will be one of the starters. A healthy Thornton would probably join him. When McRath returns, I believe he will start. This is a tough one to figure out because Thornton has not played yet.

Questions, suggestions and comments are always welcome to borbely@footballguys.com.