Years ago, when Deone Bucannon introduced himself as a “money linebacker” on Sunday Night Football, the audience had a good laugh. The term was a reference to his defensive responsibilities but conjured images in the minds of viewers of the huge game checks that Bucannon was earning at that time. Memes popped up in the following days of Bucannon on top of piles of money and gold coins. Hopefully, following the guidance given in this column will have your rosters overflowing with a wealth of IDP riches. We will primarily focus on edge rushers but will also hit on some of the other players and situations that are likely to impact teams in big play leagues. We will cover risers and fallers in the format, injury situations fantasy general managers need to know, and upcoming matchups to target.
Note: The defensive player injuries covered in this column are not an exhaustive list, but an attempt to cover the situations most likely to impact big play IDP squads. For more extensive coverage of injury situations, see Jene Bramel’s latest Injury Rounds column.
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Chargers’ Melvin Ingram III played 99 percent of his team’s snaps in his return. Uchenna Nwosu is droppable unless Ingram’s injury problems crop up again later in the season.
Buccaneer Jason Pierre-Paul wasted no time in making his presence felt in his return from a neck injury. He was able to log three tackles for loss and a sack and should benefit from having fresh legs going forward.
The Jets’ Leonard Williams was traded to the Giants. Williams should gain some value with this move, as the scheme is a better fit for what he did best coming out of college. It would be hard to do worse than average only a tackle a game.
Edge Brian Burns’ usage continues to free fall. He was in on a career-low 33 percent of the snaps against the 49ers. He will be a matchup-based play only until the Panthers decide to deploy him more often.
The Titans’ linebacker situation seems to be back to normal with Jayon Brown back in the lineup. Brown was the full-time linebacker with Rashaan Evans playing 83 percent of the snaps. Wesley Woodyard can be returned to the waiver wire at this point.
The Jaguars’ linebacker situation continues to be a mess. Myles Jack is underperforming and both Quincy Williams and Najee Goode were unable to play this week. Williams may be the one to play out of this group upon return, but general managers should stick him on the bench until we have more clarity.
Safety Darnell Savage seems to be getting healthier for the Packers. He returned to full-time usage and posted seven tackles against the Chiefs.
Browns safety Morgan Burnett was back at strong safety and saw 100 percent usage in the contest against the Patriots. We will see if that continues, but if he was dropped, he is worth a speculative add just to find out.
Bradley McDougald has dealt with injury for much of the year, but his struggles may have culminated in a breakout for Marquise Blair. Blair played 85% of the snaps and logged a whopping 11 tackles. Blair is someone to pick up and monitor for now.
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JJ Watt’s season ended on Sunday when he tore his pectoral muscle. It is his third season-ending injury in four years and a sign that his time in the NFL may be coming to a close.
Broncos linebacker Todd Davis will need to be monitored with a knee injury he sustained against the Colts.
Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson hurt his ankle against the Jaguars and his status for week nine is up in the air.
Quinton Dunbar has been a high-volume corner for Washington this year and was banged up against the Vikings on Thursday night with a hamstring injury. It is not clear if he will be able to go in week nine.
Jaguars corner D.J. Hayden sustained a shoulder injury against the Jets and it is unknown if he will be healthy enough to play this week.
The Jaguars also lost safety Ronnie Harrison in the game this past week with a neck injury. It is likely Cody Davis who would start for him should he miss time.
Lions safety Tracy Walker, who had been having a great year for IDP general managers, left Sunday’s contest against the Giants due to a knee injury. It appears Tavon Wilson was his replacement and should be rostered until Walker is able to return to action.
Colts safety Khari Willis hurt his foot in their win. We are awaiting more information on his status heading into week nine. With Malik Hooker and Clayton Geathers also currently healthy, Willis loses some of his luster.
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San Francisco 49ers Pass Rushers vs. Arizona Cardinals Offensive Line
A short turnaround on Thursday night, a 49ers defense firing on all cylinders, and an Arizona offensive line that has held up poorly all season long point to big days from Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, and Dee Ford.
Jacksonville Jaguars Pass Rushers vs. Houston Texans Offensive Line
When the Texans offensive line is struggling to contain the Oakland Raiders’ lackluster pass rush, you know that Dashaun Watson will take sacks against a more formidable pass rush group. Yannick Ngakoue, Calais Cambell, and Josh Allen all have an elevated shot to reach the quarterback this week.
Buffalo Bills Pass Rushers vs. Washington Offensive Line
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Buffalo Bills Defensive Backs vs. Washington Passing Attack
Jerry Hughes, Trent Murphy, and Shaq Lawson all have better-than-normal odds at getting a sack against a Washington line that just gave up multiple sacks to another good unit in the Vikings. Tre'Davious White, Levi Wallace, Jordan Poyer, and Micah Hyde also have a good chance of an interception with the likelihood of inexperienced Dwayne Haskins starting.
Seattle Seahawks Pass Rushers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Line
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Seattle Seahawks Defensive Backs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Passing Attack
Jarran Reed and Jadaveon Clowney are good plays against a Buccaneers offensive line that averages four sacks a game and just gave up three to the Titans. Additionally, the defensive backs for the Seahawks have an increased probability of coming up with interceptions because Jameis Winston continues to turn the ball over with regularity. Shaquille Griffin, Tre Flowers, and Tedric Thompson become better-than-usual options at their respective positions.
Cleveland Browns Pass Rushers vs. Denver Broncos Offensive Line
This is setting up to be an ugly game for the Broncos. Joe Flacco is out with a neck injury, catapulting a quarterback named Brandon Allen into the starting job. Allen has never played an NFL snap and will likely be outmatched by an aggressive pass rush. Olivier Vernon and Myles Garrett are in line for productive days.
Dallas Cowboys Pass Rushers vs. New York Giants Offensive Line
The Giants' line is starting to show some cracks and is giving up an average of 2.9 sacks per game. Demarcus Lawrence is a must-start. If Robert Quinn is ready to play, he also is strongly in consideration here.
Carolina Panthers Pass Rushers vs. Tennessee Titans Offensive Line
The Titans continue to give up multiple sacks per game and their offensive line is very banged up and thin in terms of quality backups. They gave up three against Tampa Bay and are averaging an almost-league-worst 4.2 sacks per contest. Mario Addison, Brian Burns, and Gerald McCoy all make for wonderful plays at their respective positions.
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Lions Pass Rushers vs. Oakland Raiders Offensive Line
Surprisingly, the Raiders have been stout in terms of offensive line play this year, averaging only 1.1 sacks surrendered a game. While the Lions do have some players that can crank up the pass-rush heat, we should not expect much from A’Shawn Robinson and Tre Flowers this week. Damon Harrison also appears to have aggravated his groin injury and missing him would be a big hit in terms of generating pressure from the inside.
Dallas Cowboys Defensive Backs vs. New York Giants Passing Attack
Though Daniel Jones is no stranger to throwing interceptions, it is unlikely to happen in this contest, despite the potential for the Cowboys to dominate in terms of pass rush. The Cowboys have been one of the league’s worst teams in converting pass attempts into interceptions, turning just 1.21% percent of attempts into aerial turnovers. Do not count on Chidobe Awuzie, Byron Jones, Xavier Woods, or Jeff Heath to come up with one here.
