This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
With rosters of all shapes and sizes, IDP advice can be a bit tricky, so the purpose of this article is to point out players whose value is elevated for the upcoming week. Some of these players will be superstars while others will be players found on many waiver wires. Whether you're streaming IDPs each week or have a stocked roster, this "one size fits" all approach will hopefully help most everyone find a weekly edge.
Defensive linemen
DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford and Taco Charlton, Cowboys – No team had their offensive line decimated more this preseason than the Panthers, and they'll have their hands full with the Dallas defensive line. Even though this projects to be a low-scoring game, the Panthers will find themselves in plenty of obvious passing situations, and each of these defenders has a chance to post a sack (or two).
Michael Brockers and Ndamukong Suh, Rams – Even if Aaron Donald plays a limited role after his lengthy holdout, the Rams star-studded defense should give the Raiders offense fits all evening long. In addition, Los Angeles should play with a lead for much of this contest, and with a pair of solid CBs shadowing the Oakland WRs, Brockers and Suh should spend much of the evening chasing down Derek Carr.
Melvin Ingram, Chargers – Obviously, Joey Bosa benefits here as well, assuming he can shake the questionable tag, but the Chiefs could have one of the worst defenses in the
With rosters of all shapes and sizes, IDP advice can be a bit tricky, so the purpose of this article is to point out players whose value is elevated for the upcoming week. Some of these players will be superstars while others will be players found on many waiver wires. Whether you're streaming IDPs each week or have a stocked roster, this "one size fits" all approach will hopefully help most everyone find a weekly edge.
Defensive linemen
DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford and Taco Charlton, Cowboys – No team had their offensive line decimated more this preseason than the Panthers, and they'll have their hands full with the Dallas defensive line. Even though this projects to be a low-scoring game, the Panthers will find themselves in plenty of obvious passing situations, and each of these defenders has a chance to post a sack (or two).
Michael Brockers and Ndamukong Suh, Rams – Even if Aaron Donald plays a limited role after his lengthy holdout, the Rams star-studded defense should give the Raiders offense fits all evening long. In addition, Los Angeles should play with a lead for much of this contest, and with a pair of solid CBs shadowing the Oakland WRs, Brockers and Suh should spend much of the evening chasing down Derek Carr.
Melvin Ingram, Chargers – Obviously, Joey Bosa benefits here as well, assuming he can shake the questionable tag, but the Chiefs could have one of the worst defenses in the league this year, which should lead to this game being either a shootout or a blowout. Either way, expect Kansas City to throw the ball nearly 40 times this week, and when that happens, it's just a matter of time before these two pass rushers are spending as much time in the Chiefs' backfield as Spencer Ware (but not Kareem Hunt!).
Ezekiel Ansah and Anthony Zettel, Lions – The Jets could easily find themselves getting blown out by the explosive Detroit offense, which will put Sam Darnold in a bad spot in his NFL debut. Sure the rookie QB looked good in the preseason, but Ansah and Zettel should be able to take advantage of Darnold as he'll see complex looks for the first time at this level, which should lead to sack opportunities.
Linebackers
Terrell Suggs and Matt Judon, Ravens – Sometimes it's foolish to pay attention to the preseason, but in the case of the Bills offensive line, we learned that they'll be putting their QBs in severe danger each week. This spot might have been even juicier if Josh Allen was under center, but we certainly won't complain that Nathan Peterman will be at QB. The main point is that both Suggs and Judon have multi-sack potential in a game the Ravens should be able to play with a lead, especially in the second half.
Tremaine Edmunds, Bills – The Ravens should lean heavily upon their rushing attack in the season opener and they also are likely to play with a lead in the second half, so it wouldn't be a shock if they ran the ball nearly 40 times. Should that happen, Edmunds could be in line for the easiest double-digit tackle performance of the week, and he has elite tackle upside.
Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David, Buccaneers – With the Saints installed as nearly 10-point favorites, they'll likely run the ball heavily in this contest as they protect a lead. With elevated rushing attempts on the horizon, the Tampa Bay linebackers should be able to post excellent numbers, and that's saying something from a duo who are usually IDP stalwarts.
Shaq Thompson and Ben Jacobs, Panthers – Does anyone in the universe expect the Cowboys to do anything other than run the football all day? Didn't think so! While Thomas Davis serves the first of his four-game suspension, Ben Jacobs could be a sneaky streamer while he and Thompson could find themselves chasing down the Dallas rushing attack all day long.
Defensive backs
Ricardo Allen and Desmond Trufant, Falcons – The last time we saw Nick Foles, he was hoisting his Super Bowl MVP trophy, but with Carson Wentz sitting this one out, he'll be back under center to start the season. Despite his postseason heroics, he was awful in the 2017 regular season, and playing without top WR Alshon Jeffery, the Atlanta secondary will have chances to make plays against a QB who's made his share of mistakes over the years.
Lamarcus Joyner, Rams – While the Rams front-seven is applying heavy pressure to Derek Carr, the CBs should be locking down their WRs in press coverage. That combination should give Joyner chances to make some huge plays while from his "center field" perch at free safety. If swinging for the fences, he's a great lineup option for upside this week.
Brandon Carr, Ravens – The last time we saw Nathan Peterman start an NFL game, he threw five INTs in about a half game of action. Okay, so it's unlikely that happens again, but in a game that the Bills are likely to trail, along with their weak offensive line, Carr could easily be in position to pick off a pass (or more?). Remember, Jimmy Smith is suspended, so Carr may see the most passes thrown his way, especially if he's locked up on Kelvin Benjamin frequently.
Glover Quin, Lions – The Lions have a great chance of getting out to a lead on the Jets, and even though Sam Darnold looked good in the preseason, the Detroit pass rush should force the rookie to throw many passes he'd prefer not to. That scenario could be the perfect recipe for the Detroit free safety to jump a pass route or two to come up with some big plays.
