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UPGRADES
DE Robert Quinn, STL (3 solos, 3 sacks, 2 FF)
Quinn seems to come up with his best performances against the Cardinals and Sunday was more of the same. He was matched up with Levi Brown, who missed the 2012 season, and dominated throughout. Quinn posted 3 sacks in the game and a pair of forced fumbles. Quinn now has 8 sacks against the Cardinals in 5 games played, but just 10.5 sacks against everybody else so he’ll need to show more consistency to climb the DE rankings but this is a great start to the season.
DE Desmond Bryant, CLE (2 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 1 PD)
The former Raider missed most of the preseason with back spasms, but he led a rejuvenated Browns defense with a strong showing against the Dolphins. Bryant added two sacks and helped limit the Dolphins to just 20 yards rushing on 23 carries. The Dolphins lost Jake Long in free agency and may have one of the worst lines in the league so this should be a favorable matchup for pass rushers that you’ll want to exploit when possible.
DE Justin Tuck, NYG (3 solos, 5 asst, .5 sack)
Coming off two disappointing seasons that saw him struggle with injuries, Tuck seems to be reasonably healthy to start this season and it showed on Sunday night. He was very active and credited with 8 combined tackles and a half sack in a loss to the Cowboys. We know that Tuck can be an elite-level player when healthy so this is a good sign for him. Note that Jason Pierre-Paul did not play a full-time role this week but should get more snaps next week as he recovers from offseason back surgery.
DT Dontari Poe, KC (5 solos, 1 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 PD)
Poe was taken with the 11th pick in last year’s draft and has the potential to develop into one of the league’s better interior defenders. He shed some weight to become more agile and it showed in a dominant performance against the woeful Jaguars this week. Poe was unblockable and piled up 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a tipped pass, and forced a fumble that was taken away by a replay review. He could be in for a breakout season and also figures to make things easier for players like Tamba Hali and Justin Houston on the outside.
ILB Mason Foster, TB (7 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 1 FF)
Tampa got 5 sacks from their defense on Sunday and it was a surprising player who led the charge as Foster was credited with 2 of them. The biggest play came on a strip sack at the Jets 5-yard line that the Bucs recovered and quickly converted to a touchdown. Foster has shown enough improvement in his coverage skills to become more of a full-time player and the Bucs look like they are going to be aggressive with some blitz packages to generate a pass rush. OLB Lavonte David gets most of the numbers and respect from fantasy owners, but Foster could be headed for a very nice season as well.
OLB Justin Houston, KC (5 solos, 3 asst, 3 sacks)
Houston is an underrated player whose 2012 production (53 solos, 10 sacks) flew under the radar due to the struggles the Chiefs had and the presence of Tamba Hali across from him. Houston got 2013 off to a great start with 8 tackles and 3 sacks against the Jaguars on Sunday. When asked after the game if he had a goal in mind for his sack total this year, he said he was shooting for the all-time record. That might be overly optimistic, but he could certainly wind up being one of the league’s bigger values on the IDP side of things.
OLB Shaun Phillips, DEN (3 solos, 1 asst, 2.5 sacks, 1 FF)
The 6-game suspension handed down to Von Miller and loss of Elvis Dumervil to free agency figured to leave the Broncos with a weakened pass rush to start the year. Shaun Phillips showed on Thursday night against the Ravens, however, that he may have enough left to bridge the gap until Miller returns. Phillips is expected to primarily play as a pass rush specialist but with the way the Broncos offense can put up points, he figures to get plenty of pass rush opportunities in the same way that Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis used to have when they played with Peyton Manning on the Colts.
OLB Erin Henderson, MIN (7 solos, 4 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Desmond Bishop was originally expected to take over the MLB job for the Vikings but he may not be fully recovered from the torn hamstring he suffered a year ago and they decided to move him outside to WLB. That has allowed Erin Henderson to remain as the full-time starter at MLB, and he is a good enough 2-way player to take advantage of the opportunity. He was very active on Sunday vs. the Lions as he posted 11 combined tackles along with an interception. Look for him to be a 3-down player and solid LB3 for the foreseeable future.
S Barry Church, DAL (7 solos, 1 asst, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD)
The Cowboys safeties weren’t considered to be a strength of the team but Church certainly had a big impact on the game. He forced a fumble on David Wilson’s first carry of the game, and later recovered another Wilson fumble for a 27-yard touchdown return. When you add in the 8 combined tackles he was credited with as well, it’s hard not to consider him one of the week’s biggest upgrades. Safeties don’t always put up big numbers in the Lane Kiffin Tampa-2 schemes around the league, but there have been exceptions.
S Da’Norris Searcy, BUF (5 solos, 4 asst, 1 sack, 1 FR, 1 TD)
Searcy’s value has fluctuated considerably over the past month or so. The loss of George Wilson in free agency seemed to open up a full-time job for him as the new strong safety in Buffalo. When FS Jairus Byrd signed his franchise tender, some speculated that Aaron Williams would take over at strong safety and push Searcy to the bench. Well, Byrd is dealing with foot problems so Searcy got the start and came through with one of the best games of the week from a defensive back as he posted 9 tackles, a sack, and a 74-yard fumble recovery touchdown. He left the game in the 4th quarter with an undisclosed injury but part of his success was due to the fact the Bills were using him more like a nickel linebacker when they went with 3 safeties on the field at the same time.
S Duke Ihenacho, DEN (11 solos, 1 asst, 3 PD)
While many people were distracted by the performance of Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense on Thursday night, it was easy to miss the breakout player on their defense. In his first career start, the former undrafted player exploded for 12 tackles and 3 pass deflections. Known as a good tackler with playmaking ability, Ihenacho was a star in Broncos training camp and it looks like he could be headed for a breakout season.
CB Brandon Carr, DAL (4 solos, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 TD)
The new Cowboys defense looks like a perfect fit for Carr as it will allow him to play a lot of zone defense and keep his eyes on the QB. He’s a physical player who can support the run and still make plays in the passing game as he showed with a 4th quarter interception return for a TD. He has a matchup coming against his former team next week and the Chiefs figure to rely on their passing game under Andy Reid so that should play right into Carr’s hands.
DOWNGRADES
DE Julius Peppers, CHI (0 tackles)
Peppers saw very little playing time in the preseason, but as a long-time star he was expected to be ready once the season began. Thanks to an injury to the Pro Bowl starting left tackle for the Bengals, he also got a chance to matchup against a backup in Anthony Collins. However, when the game was over Peppers finished with no tackles, no hurries, and was completely left off the stat sheet. There were signs a year ago that he was starting to slow down and no longer the dominant player he used to be, but this was still a pretty big surprise.
DE Osi Umenyiora, ATL (1 solo)
Umenyiora had tough matchup against Drew Brees and the Saints this week as we know that Brees gets rid of the ball quickly and thus is tough to sack. Regardless, he’s expected to play big minutes for the Falcons this year and they are relying on him heavily to replace the pass rush pressure they used to get from John Abraham in the past. I’m sure fantasy owners would like to see more than 1 solo tackle given his ability and situation.
DE Da’Quan Bowers, TB (1 solo)
Bowers came into the league with high expectations a couple years ago but he has failed to live up to them thus far. He was given a great opportunity in camp with the Bucs this year but was apparently not in great physical condition so he was passed by Daniel Te’o-Nesheim on the depth chart. This may just be a wakeup call for Bowers to get him focused and motivated, but it looks like he’s a guy to keep on your bench for the time being even if you are still holding in dynasty leagues.
DT Geno Atkins, CIN (0 tackles)
The consensus best defensive tackle in the league just signed a $55 million extension a week ago, but he was shutout by an upgraded Chicago Bears offensive line on Sunday. The Bengals had one of the league’s best pass rushes a year ago but were held without a sack this week. Don’t expect this to continue, but it’s a cause for some concern considering the Bears line started a couple of rookies on the right side.
ILB Colin McCarthy, TEN (0 tackles)
The former starter has seen his career derailed by injuries and he has now been replaced by Moise Fokou. It looks like the Titans are moving on from McCarthy and will use him primarily as a reserve and special teams player, which is a huge fall from where he was not that long ago. Fokou is probably little more than a placeholder and the Titans will look for an upgrade in next year’s draft or free agency period.
ILB Arthur Brown, BAL (0 tackles)
Although Brown was thought to be one of the most pro-ready inside linebackers in this year’s draft class and the Ravens had an obvious opening, it looks like they may take things slowly with him. He’s expected to share time at the inside spot next to veteran Daryl Smith with Josh Bynes. In the season opener against Denver though, it was mostly Bynes out on the field as he finished with 8 combined tackles to zero for Brown.
ILB Jon Bostic, CHI (0 tackles)
Bostic looked impressive during the preseason as he filled in for the injured D.J. Williams, but the Bears apparently saw enough mistakes from him to slow down his progression to full-time player. Williams got the start in the season opener, but he didn’t do much with the opportunity as he posted just 1 solo tackle and 2 assists while Bostic finished with zero. Whoever winds up starting here may not be that valuable anyway as the Bears feel good about Lance Briggs and James Anderson in their nickel packages anyway.
ILB Larry Foote, PIT (3 solos, 5 asst)
Foote has been a reliable player for many years who is usually good for 70 solo tackles and a handful of big plays. He was putting up solid numbers again this weekend but he had to leave the game with an injury that looks like it will keep him out the rest of the year. Reports on Monday indicated that he suffered a ruptured biceps and the team placed him on IR. The player most likely to replace him is rookie Vince Williams, a 6th round pick who had a strong preseason and worked his way up the depth chart.
S Charles Woodson, OAK (1 solo, 2 asst)
Woodson is going to turn 37 years old in October so his best days are clearly behind him at this point, but he has played well for the Packers in recent years and has a chance to post solid numbers while replacing Michael Huff in the Raiders secondary. He did not have a great start to the season, however, as he posted just 3 tackles in a matchup with Andrew Luck and the Colts.
S Matt Elam, BAL (1 solo)
Elam was a first round pick for the Super Bowl champions and he was expected to step right in as a starter at strong safety. That hasn’t happened as quickly as expected though so he will have to bide his time behind the veteran James Ihedigbo for now. Keep an eye on Elam as he should get more playing time eventually, but he’s obviously a guy to keep on your bench for now.
CB Carlos Rogers, SF (0 tackles)
Rogers had a rough outing against the Packers this week as he finished with 0 tackles despite playing every snap. The 49ers secondary in general did not have a strong game as they gave up over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air. He’ll need to pick up his level of play next week in a key matchup with the Seahawks.
CB Joe Haden, CLE (1 solo, 1 PD)
The problem with Haden is not that he didn’t play well, but rather that he is capable of shutting down an opposing WR so much that he winds up with almost no production on the stat sheet. That looked to be the case this week as he helped limit Mike Wallace to a single catch for 15 yards on 5 targets. Haden is one of the best cover corners in the league and QBs are likely going to have much more success throwing to the opposite side of the field.
