Let's face it, dynasty is tough. Owners in leagues of all sizes and scoring systems are always looking for an edge over their competition. The goal of this article is to highlight a trio of linebackers, defensive linemen, and defensive backs that can either help you right away or represent good grab-and-stash adds. These players were found in at least one of my many leagues (some 12-team, some 14-team, some 16-team), representing a variety of scoring (standard, big play, etc.). I try to not be too reactive to big scoring occurring in the prior week, but sometimes those outbursts can't be ignored. Hopefully, these players represent good value for your dynasty teams moving forward!
Linebackers
Malik Reed (DEN): With Von Miller still shelved and Jeremiah Attaochu also dinged, the young edge rusher out of Nevada is getting some run. He's actually out-snapping Bradley Chubb over the past three weeks. He profiles athletically and size-wise fairly close to Miller, although he has a long way to go to being compared to him in terms of production. But the past couple of weeks have produced a total of seven solos and four sacks. If the Broncos decide to keep rehabbing Miller, Reed could be a nice add in big-play leagues.
Tyrel Dodson (BUF): Depending on how your league manages the IR spot, Dodson might be worth grabbing and stashing on IR. Or just keep him on your DTS if you have room. His value is close to nil with Matt Milano healthy, but if Milano misses any more time, Dodson would be a cheap source of tackles. Tremaine Edmunds is an absolute beast and will gobble up most of the fantasy production in terms of linebacker scoring for the Bills, but Milano has shown that a second linebacker can produce good numbers alongside. Dodson is a nice stash in leagues of all sizes.
Alex Singleton (PHI): What's not to like about Singleton: have you seen him play? Flowing brown locks of hair, a non-stop motor, and a hunger to get to the ball carrier. Duke Riley's been profiled here and still deserves consideration, but seems to be running hot and cold. Singleton, who was the Canadian Football League's DPOY in 2018, has been an Energizer Bunny for the Eagles' D. He profiles as a tackles-only type but did manage to return an interception for a score a few weeks back. He won't qualify for your league's taxi squad as a six-year vet, but he could certainly be a third LB in larger leagues because he will get you no less than 8-9 total tackles every week.
Defensive Linemen
Davon Hamilton (DT - JAC): Hamilton has the pedigree (Ohio St.), size (6'4", 310 lbs.) and appears to have a good opportunity to dominate the snap counts for the interior line of the Jag defense. Taven Bryan and Abry Jones are really "just guys" and watching Hamilton's college tape and reading his scouting profile gives me enough backup to call him a solid speculative add in DT-start leagues. And as a rookie, he qualifies for your taxi squad if you have room.
Leonard Williams (DE - NYG): Hard to imagine the big guy is just 26 and in his sixth year out of USC. Seems like he's been around (and on the fringe of breaking out) for longer than that. Will he get you 5+ solos in a week? Probably not. But he remains active with both solos and assists and looks like an every-other-week sack artist. The good news is there's little competition for snaps so you hope that the breakout is coming. If you're rebuilding or want to grab a guy that could help you on your regular DL's bye weeks, you could certainly do worse than plugging Williams in and hoping he gets you double-digit fantasy points.
Kerry Hyder (DE - SFO): We're halfway through the season and at this point, you may be in the position where you need steady performers. Hyder is no spring chicken, but he's a crafty veteran who'll make the most of his snaps. And with all the injuries the Niners have succumbed to, Hyder is going to get them. If the Niners are going to repeat as NFC Champs, they are going to need steady defensive play which includes sacking the quarterback. Hyder has the most upside of any Niner lineman to get them. We all know how thin this position is, so when you see a guy like Hyder (sporting 3.5 sacks on the season) on the wire, you have to keep your eyes on him especially if the matchup is good.
Defensive Backs
Trayvon Mullen (CB - LVR): The second-year pro out of Clemson already has seven pass breakups in six games for the Raider D. He's not coming off the field and has shown that with the right matchup, he will get you tackles as well. Mullen has some good matchups coming up, so if you peek at your team and see that your defensive backs have some byes coming up, Mullen could be a solid fill-in.
Andrew Sendejo (S - CLE): The Browns actually have some decent safeties, but for some reason, Sendejo's the snap leader every week. There have been some injuries to the position group, but even when all of them are healthy it looks like Sendejo is the steadiest tackler. He's definitely a one-year plug-and-play, considering he's 33 and the younger Browns safeties are definitely the future for the team. But if you're struggling to get a consistent 10-12 points out of your second or third defensive back, we do like Sendejo's upcoming schedule.
Rayshawn Jenkins (S - LAC): Jenkins gets tackles, but he's also shown an ability to fill the box score up with other stats too. Derwin James is out for the season, so Jenkins could easily continue putting up good numbers in the Chargers' defensive backfield. Looking at the upcoming schedule, Jenkins could easily average 15 fantasy ppg for the next month or more.
