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In IDP leagues, no position is more important than linebacker—the reality is that in most leagues, if you don't have a strong group of linebackers, you're done. Roasted. All over but the crying. Linebackers are usually the highest-scoring and most consistent players in fantasy. By a wide margin.
The reason for that is tackles. Linebackers who rack up big-time tackle numbers have both a high fantasy ceiling and a high floor. And while talent is, of course, a factor in which linebackers pile up gaudy numbers of stops, there's another major consideration—opportunity.
The key to opportunity for most linebackers is simply being on the field. Snaps. It's hard to tackle a guy from the sideline—unless you are Mike Tomlin.
That joke stays in this column for eternity. Forever.
The problem is that in this day of nickel sets as the base defense, the age of three off-ball linebackers on the field most of the time is long since over. As a matter of fact, with many NFL teams playing either more dime or three-safety looks, there are quite a few situations in which just one off-ball linebacker is on the field for a team.
Often, that lone linebacker is wearing a sticker on his helmet—the green dot that signifies that the player is wearing the helmet communicator on defense and making the defensive play calls. That player very rarely leaves the field, and while teams sometimes use a safety in that capacity, the overwhelming majority of NFL teams give that assignment to a linebacker.
With the number of every-down linebackers decreasing by the year, knowing who those green dot linebackers are is valuable information for IDP managers. In order to provide those managers with that information, once again in 2024 at Footballguys, we'll be maintaining an updated list of both who is wearing the green dot for all 32 NFL teams and who the other three-down linebackers are.
There will also be notes to keep fantasy managers apprised as to why any changes to the list happened--whether due to injury or performance, the dot can (and will) change hands.
Eight weeks in, the linebacker landscape across the NFL has been like living in the Circum-Pacific belt—between the earthquakes and aftershocks, it's hard for IDP managers to keep their feet.
We're here to ensure there's no faceplanting. Not this week.
WEEK 9 GREEN DOT AND THREE-DOWN LB
Note: Here at Footballguys, we set the benchmark for three-down linebackers at a 75 percent snap share. Linebackers listed with an asterisk (*) may not hit that benchmark on a weekly basis this season.
NOTES
Buffalo Bills
Terrel Bernard sat out last week's win over the Tennessee Titans with an ankle injury, but the bigger IDP news may well have been a 63 percent snap share for Dorian Williams—his lowest snap count since Week 3. Williams has been highly productive this season until a two-tackle clunker last week, but his IDP value is a bit shaky. Bernard is off the injury report in Week 9 and should start and wear the green dot.
Carolina Panthers
After missing three games with hamstring and groin injuries, fifth-year veteran Josey Jewell was back in action for the Panthers, logging 10 total tackles in Carolina's loss to the New Orleans Saints. Jewell played every defensive snap for the Panthers and made the play calls, usurping rookie Trevin Wallace as the team's green dot linebacker. Wallace still played 89 percent of Carolina's snaps, however, so he's not IDP cat food.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have been snakebitten and then some at linebacker the past few years, and Week 9 is no exception. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah suffered a scary neck injury last week against the Ravens (Derrick Henry trucked him into the hospital). Jordan Hicks has been off the field more than on it due to an elbow injury. That leaves Devin Bush and youngster Mohamod Diabate to start Sunday against the Chargers, with Diabate taking over green dot duties.
Green Bay Packers
With Quay Walker clearing the NFL's concussion protocol and off the injury report, he should assume green dot duties again in this week's massive NFC North showdown against the Detroit Lions. The question is what happens with veteran Isaiah McDuffie and rookie Edgerrin Cooper, whose snap counts have bounced around for the better part of a month. It makes it difficult for IDP managers to trust any Packers linebacker except Walker.
Houston Texans
Thursday night against the New York Jets, veteran Neville Hewitt had more tackles, but it was the return of youngster Henry To'oTo'o that was the bigger IDP development moving forward—maybe. To'oTo'o played every defensive snap for the Texans, and while his statistical production wasn't great, the snaps were there. The hope is that Azeez Al-Shaair will be back making the defensive play calls in Week 10, but the status of Christian Harris remains as murky as ever.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The good news is that Foyesade Oluokun appears to be back for IDP managers—his 64 snaps and 93 percent snap share were both season highs. The bad news is that the rest of the linebacker corps is chaos—neither Devin Lloyd or Ventrell Miller played even 60 percent of the snaps against the Green Bay Packers. Whether that platoon will stick remains to be seen, but it makes it hard to start Lloyd or Miller (who has impressed on a per-snap basis) in Week 9.
Las Vegas Raiders
Robert Spillane has been one of the most productive IDPs at his position this season, but in last week's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the 28-year-old also picked up a knee injury that leaves him a game-time decision for Sunday's trip to Cincinnati after missing practice all week. The Raiders were already on the thin slide at linebacker, but if Spillane can't go in Week 9, Divine Deablo will most likely assume the green dot—and the full-time role that comes with it.
Los Angeles Chargers
For much of the 2024 season, the Chargers linebackers have been the most muddied rotation in the NFL. But last week, at least, there was crystal-clear clarity. Youngster Daiyan Henley played every defensive snap and wore the green dot, and the Bolts spent the majority of the game running one-LB sets. This week, the Chargers face a Browns team that has been the best matchup in the league for linebackers this season—and both times Henley has played every down this season, he has recorded at least 10 tackles.
New England Patriots
The Patriots have tried any number of formations defensively since an injury ended Ja'Whaun Bentley's season, and there was another variation a week ago. Safety Kyle Dugger continues to wear the green dot, but both Jahlani Tavai (79 percent) and Christian Elliss (84 percent) played significant snaps in a win over the New York Jets. Elliss is questionable with an abdominal injury but has recorded nine tackles in back-to-back games.
Seattle Seahawks
It's been quite the season so far for Ernest Jones IV, and he took another spin on the Tilt-O'-Whirl last week against the Buffalo Bills—despite only recently joining the Seahawks (his third team since August), Jones was on the field for every defensive snap in Seattle's loss to Buffalo. Jones responded with 15 total tackles, although in true Seahawks fashion, over half were assists. Jones may finally be settling into the IDP LB2 role we expected from the 24-year-old—just in time to face the team that started his transcontinental odyssey in the Rams. Provided that a neck injury suffered in practice doesn't keep him out, because 2024.
Tennessee Titans
Jerome Baker has yet to make his Tennessee debut—the veteran was held out of last week's game after being traded from Seattle and spent time on the injury report this week for "personal" reasons. Baker appears to have acclimated to his new home now though—he's off the injury report and fully expected to start opposite Kenneth Murray Jr.. this week against the New England Patriots. Whether that start entails three-down snaps is a legitimate question, however.
Gary Davenport ("The Godfather of IDP") is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter (Can't make him call it X) at @IDPSharks.
