As we head to week five, we've moved out of stage one of the season. The initial shock and mad waiver scramble that comes from it are now behind us. In stage two, we will be micro-managing rosters and trying to survive a war of attrition compounded by bye weeks. At times, it will be a struggle just to field a full lineup. Keep your chin up, and no matter how bad your team may look, remember that nearly everyone is in the same boat.   

Possibly the best part of this stage is that after four games, we finally have enough data to make decisions on. Some guys have proven to be rock solid every-week starters, some have bombed, and a bunch have shown us they will probably be inconsistent all season. Fortunately, we can counter some of that with knowledge, as we also have enough to go on and can make more educated guesses on matchups.  

Guru's IDP Notes: Arizona Cardinals

Mack Wilson Sr. sent mixed signals over the first couple of games. Consecutive weeks with at least an 85% snap share and solid production in three of four games is enough to instill some confidence. That and a good matchup with the 49ers, is enough to make Wilson a viable LB3 this week. The fact that he's seeing some time on the outside and being turned loose as a pass rusher adds some big play upside on most weeks. San Francisco allowed eight sacks over the first two games but one in each of the last two.   

Guru's IDP Notes: Atlanta Falcons

Troy Andersen was a game-winner for anyone that started him in week four. His mark of 10-7-0 with a pick-six was impressive. The story has a downside, as Andersen was limited to 76% of the snaps due to a sore knee. He missed practice on Tuesday and has been ruled out for Thursday's game with the Buccaneers. Rookie D.J. Bertrand stepped in on Sunday and is in line for his first career start. 

Matthew Judon could not overcome a tough matchup with New Orleans and a 55% snap share. While the playing time is likely to be a concern all year, this week's matchup with the Buccaneers is a plus. Tampa Bay allows 3.8 sacks per game, including 2.5 to edge rushers.

Guru's IDP Notes: Baltimore Ravens

A dominating defensive performance in week four led to low tackle totals for Baltimore's linebackers. The Bengals offense is playing well but the inability of Cincinnati's defense to stop the run could mean another slow day for Roquan Smith. Games rarely go as we expect them to, but there is a good chance Baltimore will ride King Henry in this one, controlling time of possession and keeping the Bengals in passing mode when they have the ball.    

Guru's IDP Notes on Buffalo Bills

Speaking of King Henry, Taylor Rapp lost a fight with Henry's thigh and is in concussion protocol. Cole Bishop replaced him and played fairly well. Bishop would get the call if Rapp is not cleared. He and Damar Hamlin should be good options in a matchup with the Texans. They might not make much big-play impact, but the safety position has averaged 18.5 tackles against Houston.   

Where is Ed Oliver, you say? He is certainly off to a slow start with a pair of goose eggs already, but patience is the prescription here. It's a thin position, so the chances of finding a better option on the wire are slim. Oliver is still seeing his normal workload of around 70%, and the Texans have been a plus matchup for tackles. The position is averaging almost seven stops and one and a half sacks against them.

Guru's IDP Notes on Carolina Panthers

Carolina got the double whammy, losing Shaq Thompson for the season to a torn Achilles and Josey Jewell to a hamstring a few plays later. Jewell is expected to miss at least one game but should return sometime in October. With Thompson heading to IR, the door is open for rookie Trevin Wallace.

Jewell will have the lead role when healthy, so his stock goes up in the long run. For this week, however, Wallace becomes a quality start. The off-ball linebacker position is averaging 20 combined tackles versus Chicago. If you don't have a horse in this race, use the opportunity to get a look at Wallace for future consideration.  

Claudin Cherelus picked up a few snaps after Jewel went down as well, but there is no reason to be excited about him. For much of the fourth quarter, the Panthers turned to a big nickel with three safeties and one linebacker. That could be a big part of their plan until Jewell returns.

Guru's IDP Notes: Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati defensive line is crippled by injuries. They could get B.J. Hill back this week but will likely be without Trey Hendrickson, who has a sore neck after a friendly-fire incident. The good news for Hendrickson is that there was no nerve damage, so he may not miss much time. On the other hand, he left the stadium on Sunday with his arm in a sling.

Sam Hubbard has been playing through an injury all season. While he looked better on the field versus Carolina, it did not show up on the stat sheet. It looks like Hubbard and Joseph Ossai are on the edge this week, but the Bengals could get Myles Murphy back soon. He was designated to return from IR on Wednesday.

Cam Taylor-Britt was horrible in week four. He was beaten off the line several times and gave up some big plays before being replaced by DJ Turner in the second half. The team has been mum on Taylor-Britt, who simply did not look right.

Guru's IDP Notes: Cleveland Browns

Jordan Hicks went into week four with sore ribs and an elbow issue. He aggravated the elbow eight snaps into the game and was replaced by Devin Bush. Bush went on to post a modest 3-1 on an 86% play share. The Commanders are a plus matchup for linebackers, so Bush could be a solid stream for this week if Hicks is not ready.

Ronnie Hickman logged every snap at safety against the Raiders, totaling a solid six solo stops. He could give us another productive outing this week. Juan Thornhill should be back soon, though.

Guru's IDP Notes: Dallas Cowboys

Dallas got by the Giants in week four, but it was costly. DeMarcus Lawrence left in the third quarter with a foot injury, and Micah Parsons went to the locker room in the fourth with a high ankle sprain. Lawrence hit IR on Tuesday. The team has not ruled Parsons out as of Wednesday, but his chances of playing in week five are slim.

The Cowboys would love to have a Dorance Armstrong to plug in, but they are not as deep as in seasons past. With both starters down, rookie Marshawn Kneeland is set to make his first career start versus the Steelers. Carl Lawson could get the call on the other side.    

Andrew Booth Jr got the start at corner for the injured Caelen Carson. Booth struggled and was replaced by Amani Oruwariye in the second half. Carson is trending toward playing this week and DaRon Bland is closing in on a return as well.  

It looks as if DeMarvion Overshown has separated from Dameon Clark in what was a time-share to start the season. Overshown put up a strong stat line of 6-3 with a pass breakup on 86% of the playing time against the Giants. Meanwhile, Clark followed his twelve snaps in week three with five in week four. The snap count trend is encouraging for those of us who have Overshown. A matchup with the Steelers is enough to make him a strong consideration as a starter this week. Their opponent's linebacker positions are averaging 21 combined tackles.