Eyes of the Guru IDP Info, Week 9

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We have reached that point in the season when managers have a lot to negotiate. The free agent pool has largely dried up but we still have two weeks with six teams on bye and two weeks with four teams on bye. Factor in the attrition of injuries, and it can get rather sticky. The good news is, between trades, players stepping up to cover for injured teammates, and some teams possibly starting to look at some of the younger guys on their rosters, there is some opportunity to get a little help.

Arizona Cardinals

Isaiah Simmons is still not playing full-time but is consistently getting around 80% of the snaps. He is not putting up big tackle totals every week, but his big play ability is starting to show. He has at least 15 fantasy points in three of the last four games with a sack, a forced fumble, three passes defended, and an interception for a score over that span.

J.J. Watt is not exactly re-visiting his youth, but last week, he recorded multiple sacks in a game for the first time since Week 2 of 2020. His 2-0-2 against Minnesota brings Watt’s sack total to four and a half midway through the season. The last time he totaled more than five was in 2018. If you need a stream option this week or next, you could do much worse than Watt.

Atlanta Falcons

Everyone with Mykal Walker on their roster can breathe a big sigh of relief. Not only did he return to his normal, every-down role in Week 8, but he also managed a strong 8-3 against a Panthers offense that had been a horrible matchup for linebackers all season. Troy Andersen was not a factor, seeing action on six plays.

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore sort of kicked off the trade party by landing Roquan Smith a couple of days ahead of the deadline. On the field, Smith is arguably the best linebacker in the game and a huge plus for the Ravens. For IDP managers, the move creates a little anxiety in that there is an unknown factor we could do without at this critical stage of the season. Smith is already the No. 1 linebacker, so the move is unlikely to make him any more productive. The best we can hope for is that his numbers remain the same.

The ripple effect of adding Smith could be significant. Even if the team rolls with two full-time inside linebackers, Patric Queen’s production is all but certain to take a hit. Smith tackles everything, so like Nicholas Morrow in Chicago, Queen will take a back seat. He should still have some solid games but may not be more than depth for us going forward.

It remains to be seen if the addition of Smith will take production away from Geno Stone. Stone has been very consistent since moving into the lineup, with at least six solo stops in all three starts. Even before the trade, Stone was a questionable start for Week 9. No safety has put up better than 4-3-0 against the Saints since Week 3, so if Stone falters a little this week, it might not be the Smith factor causing it.

Justin Houston is not playing full-time and has missed some games while banged up, but he has a sack in all four games he has participated in. He has a pair in each of the last two outings and a total of 8-2-6 with a forced fumble on the season. Houston is not an every-week start but is a strong option to get you through the bye weeks.

Marlon Humphrey left the Week 8 game with a hamstring injury. Keep an eye on his status if he is your guy.

Buffalo Bills

Tremaine Edmunds racked up what I believe to be a career-best 13 solo tackles versus the Packers. He was all over Green Bay’s short passing game. Nothing has changed here schematically, so expect a return to normal numbers for Edmunds this week.

Jordan Poyer missed the fourth quarter with an elbow issue. As of Tuesday evening, everyone is still awaiting the results of an MRI. At best, he will be less than 100% against the Jets. At worst, he could miss some time.

Carolina Panthers

While Frankie Luvu (4-1-1) managed a sack to save the day for those that started him, his tackle totals were lower than usual, as was his 75% snap-share. When he was not on the field full-time in Week 7, it was hard to say if it was by design or a case of a player being eased back in after an injury. Two weeks in a row suggests it is not.

Shaq Thompson continues to be the Panthers’ only three-down linebacker. He finished 8-5 on 100% participation in Week 8. Cory Littleton and Damien Wilson each saw fewer than 20 snaps.

Derrick Brown is not making a lot of big plays, but the 2020 first-round pick is starting to show why he was drafted so highly. He has at least four combined tackles and assists in six of eight games this year with at least three solo stops in each of the last four games and a career-best of 5-7-.5 against the Falcons. For those in tackle-required formats, he is quickly becoming a stud.

Chicago Bears

The rest of the fallout from the Roquan Smith trade is in Chicago, where the ripple effect will create some opportunity. Nicholas Morrow should be the lead linebacker going forward. He is not Smith but is a quality NFL starter that is capable of strong production. Morrow worked at all three linebacker positions over the summer, so I expect he will shift inside. Even if he does not, make Morrow your top priority on this week’s waiver wire.

Chicago was surprisingly thin at linebacker, not just in terms of talent but bodies as well. The rest of their depth chart at the second level consisted of Joe Thomas and undrafted rookies Jack Sandborn and Sterling Weatherford. Chicago got A.J. Klein as part of the compensation for Smith, so at least their body count remains the same.

We know what they have in Thomas and Klein, and it’s not good. Both are decent veteran backups with a little starting experience. Klein was signed off the street by Baltimore not too long ago. He can start on the strong side and get them by if that is the direction the coaching staff wants to go, but keep an eye on Sanborn. The rookie has some fans in the organization and was a productive, three-year starter at Wisconsin. The Bears have run with two full-time linebackers to this point. If anyone is going to emerge and keep that trend going, Sanborn is the favorite to do so.

ROADLBOCK

Cincinnati Bengals

For the past several weeks, I have been preaching about how bad a matchup the Panthers are for linebackers and defensive backs. That seemed to change with the trade of Christian McCaffrey and the shift to a more downhill running game behind Donta Foreman. That and the Bengals' pathetic offensive showing against Cleveland on Monday night are enough to give me confidence in both Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson this week.

The Bengals finally got Daxton Hill on the field, though it was not the scenario they had wanted. Chidobe Awuzie tore his ACL during the game. He was replaced by Tre Flowers, who looked horrible for a few plays before leaving with a hamstring injury. Thus Hill came in to play corner. With Eli Apple already injured, Cincinnati already had their other rookie, Cam Taylor-Britt, starting. The team could get Apple back for Week 9 but the loss of Awuzie is significant.

Sam Hubbard had a great game and is on a roll. Over the last three weeks, he is 9-9-2.5 with a forced fumble and two batted passes. He has at least three solo tackles or four combined, in four of the last five games. After a slow and ugly start, he is once again an every-week must-play.

Cleveland Browns

We have been trying to get a read on the Browns’ linebackers since Week 1, but it remains a moving target. It seems that every week something happens to change the program. This week we saw the recent trade acquisition, Deion Jones, get his chance. He played 77% of the snaps against Cincinnati, going 3-1-1. Meanwhile, Sione Takitaki logged 85% participation and blew up the box score for 6-7-1 with a forced fumble. A lot of managers will be moving on Takitaki after his big game but keep in mind the team was without Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in this one, so in reality, we still don’t know what the Browns will look like at linebacker in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

Rookie corner, Martin Emerson, is stepping up while Denzel Ward is out. He was solid as the slot/nickel corner early in the year but has double-digit points in three straight games as a full-time guy. Emerson went 6-3 with a pair of pass breakups against the Bengals.

Dallas Cowboys

To follow up on last week, the snap count shift among Dallas safeties was due to Malik Hooker tweaking his hamstring. With Hooker on the shelf in Week 8, both Donovan Wilson (7-1) and Jayron Kearse (6-2-1) put up strong numbers. Dallas is off this week so we will have to see where Hooker is, come Week 10.

There are some other injury issues to keep an eye on here. Anthony Barr left the Bears game with a hamstring and was replaced by Damone Clark (2-5). Micah Parsons was not on the field for a while during the 3^rd quarter though there has been no word of an injury. Donovan Wilson was dinged but returned. And Dorance Armstrong finished 0-1 on 39% of the snaps, while Donte Fowler went 5-0-1 and batted a pass on 47%. Unfortunately, with the team off in Week 9, we are going to get little more than crickets from the Cowboys until Week 10.

Denver Broncos

Josey Jewell returned to action in Week 8 and was right back in his normal, every-down role with his solid (7-2) production. There was a changeup at the other inside linebacker position, though. Jonas Griiiffith started as usual but was limited to a 50% share of the playing time. Meanwhile, Alex Singleton picked up a 25% share at Griffith’s expense. Not surprisingly (to many, at least), Singleton outproduced Griffith 3-1 to 1-3. Could we be heading toward a starting lineup of Jewell and Singleton soon?

Bradley Chubb Is packing his bags for Miami. Considering all the injuries Denver has at outside linebacker, this trade is somewhat surprising. It is not about this year, though. Maybe Randy Gregory and/or Baron Browning will be back before long. If not, the Broncos are looking at Nick Bonitto, Jonathan Cooper, and Jacob Martin, who they picked up from the Jets after moving Chubb.

Detroit Lions

With DeShon Elliott inactive due to a broken finger, JuJu Hughes stepped in at strong safety. He played every snap and finished with a solid 5-1-1. Will Harris also picked up some extra time, going 6-0 on a 57% play-share. The Lions are calling Elliott questionable early in the week. If he is out, Hughes would be a good stream this week against the Packers.

The Lions have been generating almost no pass rush from the front four of late but they are determined to get their rookies some experience. Aiden Hutchinson and Josh Paschal both played over 85% of the snaps in Week 8.

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay entered their Week 8 game as double-digit underdogs. Then they lost both starting inside linebackers. Quay Walker was ejected after pushing an inactive player on the Bills’ bench at the end of a sideline play. Then De’Vondre Campbell left with a knee injury, leaving Eric Wilson (3-1-1) and Isaiah McDuffie (3-1) to finish the game. Walker is not expected to see further disciplinary action and is in line to be the lead man for the Packers against Detroit. Campbell avoided a serious injury and is not expected to miss much time, but he could miss what is a strong matchup this week.

Rasul Douglas stepped up nicely against Buffalo, going 6-0-1 with a pick. He is not an every-week must-start, but Douglas produces well against pass-heavy opponents. I like him again this week against the Lions.

Houston Texans

The Texans are one of the teams starting to look at the rest of their roster, particularly their young players. Christian Harris is not blowing up the box scores yet, but he did play every snap in Week 8, finishing 5-2. Look for him to get another shot this week against the Eagles, who are a plus matchup.

Christian Kirksey had been the team’s every-down guy. He still played 83% of the snaps but might be on his way out.

Jonathan Owens was in on ten tackles in Week 7. In Week 8, he was 1-1 on 18 snaps. I am not seeing anything to suggest he was hurt, so as of Tuesday night, I am left to assume it was a coaching decision. Keep him on the bench this week until/unless we get an explanation later this week. M.J. Stewart (4-1 on 18 snaps), and Eric Murray (6-1 on 29), picked up the rest of the playing time next to Jalen Pitre.

Indianapolis Colts

Shaquille Leonard played 16 snaps in a game earlier this season. Unexpectedly, that playing time came at the expense of Bobby Okereke. Leonard was back for 24 plays versus Washington. Once again, those snaps came at the expense of Okereke, who was 4-4 on 37 of a possible 61 plays. Leonard is being eased back into the lineup and should see an increased workload against the Patriots this week. It might be too early to plug Leonard in, but we need to sit Okereke for sure.

Kenny Moore has been slumping in comparison to years past. In Week 8, it looked like he saw more work from the slot, which is his strength. The result was a line of 6-3. O like him this week against the Patriots.

Grover Stewart is on a roll. After racking up a 6-6 in Week 7, he had another plus matchup and came back with a strong 6-1 against Washington. New England is yet another quality matchup for interior linemen, so Stewart might make it three in a row with double-digit points.

Tyquan Lewis tore up his knee against the Commanders and is done for the year. Kwity Paye is getting closer, but if he is not able to go this week, it will be Yannick Ngakoue and Dayo Odeyingbo as the starting defensive ends this week.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders appear to be settled at linebacker. Divine Deablo is their every-down guy. He was 9-5 on 100% of the snaps in Week 8, with Denzell Perryman at 6-2 on 69% and Blake Martinez at 2-2 on 31%. This is about the same breakdown we saw in Week 7.

Jonathan Abram is not a great fit in the Raiders’ new defense and is being phased out. He will be working elsewhere next year and is an NFL starter in a scheme that better fits his skillset. Everyone will be cutting him if they have not already done so. Dynasty managers might want to slip Abram onto their rosters in a few weeks and sit on him for next year.

Los Angeles Rams

Troy Hill return but was limited to 22 snaps in his first game back. He came through with no setbacks so expect his role to increase this week against the Buccaneers.

Miami Dolphins

It turns out that Eric Rowe was more shocked than anyone that he was a healthy scratch versus the Lions. To be brutally honest, I have no idea what the Dolphins are doing in the secondary. Jevon Holland was 10-2 against the Lions, and Kader Kohou was 5-1. Those two and Xavien Howard were at or near full-time, with a slew of other guys sharing the rest of the playing time. Some of them don’t even show up in our snap count data. Unless you have Holland, stay away altogether.

It might take a week or two for Bradley Chubb to get up to speed with the scheme. Once he does, he and Jaelan Phillips are going to be an outstanding edge tandem for the Dolphins. It remains to be seen if/how much this change will impact his IDP value. Chubb has been wildly inconsistent in that area throughout his career.

Minnesota Vikings

Cameron Dantzler made the best of his matchup with the Cardinals, putting up nine solo stops. Washington is not nearly as strong a matchup, so be careful running him out there this week.

The Commanders' matchup very much favors Eric Kendricks, Jordan Hicks, and Harrison Smith. All of these guys should be in our lineups this week.

New England Patriots

Only two New England players recorded more than three solo stops against the Jets, and no one had more than five. Unfortunately, this is not a rare thing with the Patriots.

Kyle Dugger was inactive for Week 8 due to his sore ankle. In his place, Adrian Phillips and Jabrill Peppers move up the pecking order. Dugger was questionable leading up to the game, which suggests he is getting close. That said, The Patriots have a bye in Week 10 so if he sits out, Dugger will have two weeks to get healthy.

Has the clock struck midnight for Deatrich Wise? After a fast start and a pace to shatter his career-best numbers across the board, Wise has done a vanishing act over the last two weeks. His snap count was way down in Week 7, but Wise played over 90% of the snaps in Week 8. The Colts are not a great matchup for edge defenders so if you have other good options, give them the start.

New Orleans Saints

Paulson Adebo had another strong game, going 6-2 with a pass breakup against the Raiders. He has played four games so far this season, going 23-4 with 4 pass breakups and putting up at least 12 fantasy points in three of them. Baltimore is not a good matchup for corners, but Adebo doesn’t seem to need a great matchup to put up good numbers.

Pete Werner produced as expected against the Raiders, going 7-4, but what happened to Demario Davis, who was 1-2? Simply put, the Saints’ defense pulled the plug on the Las Vegas running game, holding them to ten rush attempts in the shutout. They are not going to hold Baltimore to 43 yards rushing, so don’t hesitate to plug Davis into your lineup this week.

Rookie DE Payton Turner had a breakout game, going 2-2-2 on 57% of the snaps. only Cameron Jordan played more at defensive end. So are we looking at a changing of the guard with Turner pushing an underperforming Marcus Davenport for playing time, or did Turner see more action because the score was lopsided? Put Turner on your watch list this week.

New York Jets

The snaps Quincy Williams missed in Week 7 might have been due to his sore ankle. He was limited in practice last week. Williams was back to 74% participation in Week 8, with Kwon Alexander back down to 42%.

Philadelphia Eagles

It took Chauncey Gardner-Johnson a while to get going after joining his new team, but he is hitting on all cylinders now. After going 7-1-1 with a pick against the Steelers, he is 20-2 1 with 4 picks over the last three games with at least 22 fantasy points in each of them.

Robert Quinn had a limited role in his first game with the Eagles. He was on the field for 20 plays which is seven more than Brandon Graham, who appears to be on his way out.

Jordan Davis suffered an ankle injury against the Steelers. Keep an eye on his practice status later in the week.

Seattle Seahawks

Even in a matchup with a running team, Cody Barton was relegated to 51% of the snaps. He made the best of the time he had, going 4-2-1 with a pass defended. At this stage, Barton is a matchup-based flier at best. The Cardinals are not one of those strong matchups. Jordyn Brooks had a quiet day against the Giants, but all is well. He played every snap.

Those of us who snagged Ryan Neal got a scare when he was helped off the field late in the Week 8 game. This one is good news, as Neal had cramps in both legs and is good to go.

The news is not so good for Darrell Taylor, who lasted three plays before leaving with a hip injury. His status for Week 9 is up in the air.

Are opponents already shying away from Tariq Woolen? Neither the Chargers nor the Giants tested him much, instead picking on Michael Jackson, who has 18 solo tackles and four passes defended over the last three games. The Cardinals are a great matchup for corners so both Wollen and Jackson are starters for us this week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Shaq Barrett tore his Achilles in Week 8 and is done for the year. Anthony Nelson should move into the starting role, but he is unlikely to be an IDP factor.

Antoine Winfield (concussion) was not able to go on a short week. With ten days to recover, he could be cleared in time to face the Rams. In Winfield’s absence, Mike Edwards (8-3) and Keanu Neal (4-4) got the call at safety. The Buccaneers hope to get a couple more of their injured defensive backs on the field this week, including Carlton Davis, who has a hip injury.

Tennessee Titans

Amani Hooker was supposed to put up big numbers in Week 8, but someone forgot to tell him so. Instead, he left the game in the first half with a shoulder injury. For what it’s worth, he was not putting up the expected numbers before the injury, either.

Washington Commanders

With Cole Holcomb inactive due to a foot injury, the Commanders turned to Jamin Davis as their three-down linebacker. He played every snap, posting a modest 5-2, but the fact that he got the playing time tells us the coaching staff believes he can be an every-down guy. For dynasty managers, that could be an important factor when deciding to hold or fold on him.

That is it for Week 9. Best of luck as we begin the stretch run!

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