Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals continue to tease us with Tony Jefferson. It seems that every other week he has a huge game, while on the in between weeks he plays fewer than 20 snaps and does nothing. The later was the case with Jefferson's 1 solo tackle in week nine. He is obviously going to be a hit or miss prospect for the rest of the season and is a player best avoided.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens safety positions have given us little this year but some week nine changes are worth keeping an eye on. Against the Steelers Will Hill started at free safety with Matt Elam serving as the slot corner and Terrence Brooks going to the bench. The blowout loss to Pittsburgh is a reason to suspect this change may not stick, but it is noteworthy that the team is looking at different combinations.
On another note; Baltimore made some unexpected changes at the corner positions this week as well. Dominique Franks and Chykie Brown were cut with Danny Gorrer being claimed off waivers from the Lions, and Tramain Jacobs promoted from the taxi squad. In the aftermath of the six touchdown pass drubbing at the hands of the Steelers, some changes would be expected. This however, seems a bit extreme; especially when you consider that Jimmy Smith is likely to miss more time. with Asa Jackson on injured reserve, Jacobs or Gorrer are in line to start opposite Lardarius Webb. My guess is that Jacobs would get the call since he has at least been practicing with the team and knows the defense.
Carolina Panthers
Roman Harper has been completely useless to fantasy owners so far this year. That said, there are some reasons to take a look at him this week. First is the fact that he posted a season best 5 solo tackles against his old team in week nine. Then there is the point that injuries and having six teams on bye have many of us stretching just to fill out our starting lineups. Late and possibly the most important factor is the matchup. Just take a look at what some other safeties have done against the Eagles this year. D.J. Swearinger Sr finished at 6-2, Tony Jefferson was 10-1 with a pass defended, Rashad Johnson went 9-1 with 4 passes defended, Quintin Demps 9-1, T.J. McDonald 10-1, Antoine Bethea 7-0 with an interception and a forced fumble. All things considered, this could be the week Harper finally has a big game.
On the other side of that coin is the fact that Philadelphia has been a horrible matchup for linebackers. Since week one only James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree and Whitney Mercilus have posted more than 4 solo tackles against the Eagles. We can never sit Luke Kuechly and most of us who have Thomas Davis are probably without many other options, but our expectations of these guys have to be tempered this week.
Chicago Bears
The Packers have been a somewhat inconsistent matchup for safeties but several guys have posted big numbers against them this year. Ryan Mundy was one of those player. He finished with 8 solo tackles when these teams met in week four.
Owners in a pinch may want to take a look and see if Lance Briggs or Jon Bostic are on the waiver wire. Both players returned to practice on Wednesday and are likely to return to their three down roles this week.
Cincinnati Bengals
Geno Atkins has awakened! After looking tentative and lacking some of his explosion early in the year, he has turned it lose over the past two weeks. Atkins was 3-1-1 in week eight and posted a season best 5 solo stops against Jacksonville. He is finally playing like he has confidence in his knee and is no longer holding back to protect it. The time has come to get him back in your lineup.
Neither Vincent Rey nor Emmanuel Lamur did much for us in week nine but this was not unexpected considering the matchup. Cleveland has been a hit or miss matchup for linebackers as well, but as a Bengals fan I can tell you first hand that you throw out all the previous statistics when these teams get together. Both of these guys are going to be three down linebackers so they will be in a lot of lineups out of necessity. I would say that owners could do much worse for a third starter than either of them.
Dallas Cowboys
Rolando McClain left Sunday's game with a non-contact knee injury. He surprisingly made the trip to London with the team but thus far has not participated in a practice this week. The team expresses hope that he will be on the field Sunday against Jacksonville. McClain was a three down middle backer for the Cowboys in week nine. While that was no real surprise, the fact that Anthony Hitchens worked in a three down role on the weak side was interesting to say the least. Especially considering that Bruce Carter was back in action. Carter saw base package snaps on the strong side against Arizona. The Jaguars are a lousy matchup for linebackers in general but if you are desperate to fill out a lineup, Hitchens may be your best answer.
Denver Broncos
Nate Irving was knocked out of Sunday's game and is likely to miss a few weeks leaving the Broncos very thin at the second level. Corey Nelson will take Irving's spot in the base packages but it is unlikely that he will see significant action in the sub packages. More likely it will be T.J. Ward stepping into the linebacker alignment in passing situations and it is Ward who stands to gain the most from this injury in fantasy terms.
Detroit Lions
James Ihedigbo is worth serious starting consideration this week against Miami. In the Dolphins last five game, three safeties have put up at least 7 solo tackles against them with a couple of others reaching 5. Ihedigbo has quietly posted quality numbers for us on most weeks and could have his best game of the season this week. Glover Quin could also be a worthy play in this one for owners in a pinch.
Green Bay Packers
When teams meet for a second time in the same season, the first game is not necessarily a great measure of what to expect. Stadium stat crews can come into play, teams will often have a different game plan etc. That said, it is worth mention that the first time the Packers met the Bears A.J. Hawk finished at 10-3-0 with Morgan Burnett at 12-1-0.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Travian Smith lead the Jaguars in tackles against Cincinnati at 5-2, but we should not read too much into that. Smith continues to hold a part time role and played roughly 50% of the defensive snaps. J.T. Thomas finished the week nine game at 2-6 with an interception. While the numbers we not particularly impressive, Thomas was the Jaguars three down linebacker and he made a strong showing on the field. I like his potential this week against Dallas across the pond.
Kansas City Chiefs
Josh Mauga comes up short in the big play department but has been a solid tackle contributor for us all season. Over the Bills last five games, five linebackers have posted 7 or more solo stops. This matchup makes Mauga a solid start and could produce his best numbers of the season if Fred Jackson returns.
Joe Mays returned to practice last week and is eligible to get back on the field at any time now. He has not yet been activated from the short term IR but may be a factor in the next week or two. Even when he returns we should not assume that he will bump Mauga from the three down role, though there is that chance. Keep an eye on this one as we have four more teams off next week.
Miami Dolphins
Okay, a lot of you have to be tired of me saying that Jelani Jenkins is the guy to have in Miami. His 2-1 in week nine sure did not help the cause and I have to admit that I am quickly souring on him. Earlier I pointed out things like bad matchups and the fact that Chicago ran the ball only 12 times when the teams met. I could easily point out that the Chargers ran only 32 offensive plays that resulted in a tackle being made. While this is true, at some point we have to look at the Miami defense in general and consider how well they are playing. Jenkins could break out of the slump anytime or the Dolphins could continue to dominate opposing offenses. Like San Diego, the Lions have been an excellent matchup for linebackers on most weeks. For what it is worth, I am going to sit him this week so he is all but certain to score 15+ points for those of you who stick with him.
New Orleans Saints
Owners looking for help in corner required leagues should see if Corey White is still available. In three games since the Saints bye, White has 12 solo tackles, 2 picks, a sack and 4 passes defended. He also has a solid matchup this week. In the 49ers last five games Cary Williams, Sean Smith, Bradley Roby and E.J. Gaines have all posted at least 6 solo stops against them.
After a slow start Cameron Jordan has really come to life over the past couple of games. He has combined for 5-2-3 in those outings and has a matchup this week could add to his breakout. San Francisco has allowed 11 total sacks in the last two weeks.
New York Jets
The Steelers have been an inconsistent matchup for safeties in general but they have been on fire of late. Mike Adams, Jonathan Cyprien, Major Wright, Matt Elam and Donte Whitner have all had big games against them. There is a good chance Dawan Landry will add his name to that list.
Demario Davis & David Harris have cooled off of late but get them into you lineup this week. To date nine linebackers have posted more than a dozen points against the Steelers.
Philadelphia Eagles
Mychal Kendricks had a huge game in week nine going 5-7-1 with a forced fumble. He is obviously all the way back from his calf injury and ready to rock. If his value were not high enough already, the season ending injury to DeMeco Ryans is sure to add to it. With Ryans out there will be less competition for tackles which may well add one or two to Kendricks totals every week. Kendricks is a top 10 linebacker the rest of the way and probably a top 5.
Earl Wolfe got the start at strong safety for the injured Nate Allen in week nine. Allen's status for this week is in question as well so Wolfe may get another shot. This week's matchup with Carolina is not a favorable one but whoever is in the lineup at strong safety when the Eagles take on Green Bay in week eleven, should put up quality numbers.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ryan Shazier showed signs of big things to come early in the year but he has not been able to stay healthy of late. The latest ding is an ankle injury that has already caused him to be ruled out. The interesting side note here is that when Shazier left the game on Sunday he was replaced by a combination of Sean Spence and Vince Williams. If you are desperate for someone to plug in, Spence would be the guy. He played 40 snaps against Baltimore while Williams played 14. Starting Spence however, would be a big gamble for a guy with limited upside.
San Francisco 49ers
After Chris Boreland blew up for a 15-3 mark in week nine, I had a reader email me asking if I thought there was any chance Patrick Willis might land on IR. While that is highly unlikely unless the injury is worsened, I could see a scenario where Boreland replaces Michael Wilhoite as Willis's sidekick. At the least Boreland is a player that is worth picking up for this week and hanging onto for future potential if you have the room.
The Saints have been a quality matchup for all defensive backs but they have been particularly helpful for our tackle producing safeties. Antoine Bethea warrants strong consideration in this one with starting corners Perrish Cox and Chris Culver being possible plug in guys for corner required leagues. Consider that New Orleans is the only team in the game that has seen every opposing secondary record at least 20 solo tackles against them.
St. Louis Rams
I am unsure what was the trigger but someone has flipped the switch for the Rams defense. After setting a record for the fewest sacks in a season through the first six games, this unit has exploded. They had 8 against San Francisco with Robert Quinn leading the way. while Quinn is once again an obvious must start every week, he is not the only option for us here. Eugene Sims has gone 6-1-2 with a forced fumble over the past three games. Officially he is the Rams third end behind Quinn and William Hayes, but Sims saw action on 77% of the team's defensive snaps on Sunday. The sudden resurgence of this unit as a whole could also mean a return to relevance for Michael Brockers in tackle required leagues. Brockers tallied his first sack of the season in week nine as well.
I am starting to see owners drop Mark Barron in both redraft and dynasty formats. Be patient here if you can afford the roster spot, especially dynasty owners. There is some chance that he will fail to crack the starting lineup in St. Louis but I have to believe the team traded for him with the intent to get him on the field. Just because he was not immediately thrown into the lineup does not mean he will not get there once he has familiarized himself with the scheme. Give him a week or two if you can.
For those in corner required leagues it is worth mention that Trumaine Johnson returned to action in week nine. He was not in the starting lineup but did see significant action. Johnson has been a highly productive starter when healthy and will likely be back in the full time role this week against the Cardinals.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dashon Goldson may have carried the bigger expectations into week nine but it was Major Wright who stole the show with 7 solo stops and 6 assists. Meanwhile Goldson put up a near goose egg. Adding further concern for Goldson owners, he was not an every down player in this game where he saw about 70% of the playing time. I am not yet ready to panic over this situation but will certainly be sitting Goldson and picking up Wright anywhere I can get him this week. I will also be watching for some insight into this situation as the week goes on to see if maybe Goldson is having problems with his bad ankle. That would explain a lot.
That does it for the week ten offering. Good luck filling those lineups with the depleted player options we have left and as always, Just Win Baby!
