We’re two weeks in to the 2020 campaign, and the injury bug has reared its head on both sides of the ball. In IDP leagues, defenders can be just as crucial as skill-position players. We’re here to give you that edge over your competition with key roster decisions.
Defensive linemen
DE Trey Hendrickson, New Orleans Saints
The 25-year-old has had two good weeks in a row, and it’s time to start buying in on it. He had four tackles and a sack in Week 1 and five tackles and a sack Monday night.
DE Kerry Hyder Jr., San Francisco 49ers
Hyder had eight total tackles in Week 2, and he’ll presumably replace DE Nick Bosa, who is believed to be lost to an ACL injury. Hyder won’t be asked to do too much, and he has enough talent around him to break through the line consistently.
DE Quinnen Williams, New York Jets
The former No. 3 overall pick showed signs of life in Week 2 with seven total tackles and two sacks. It was his best game as a pro and could be his breakout party. He’ll garner some interest on waivers so have your FAAB dollars ready.
Linebackers
OLB Kevin Pierre-Louis, Washington Football Team
After a quiet season opener, Pierre-Louis erupted with 15 total tackles last week. He’ll have these peaks with the valleys, but anyone with a 15-tackle ceiling needs to be owned for a potential flex play.
LB Anthony Hitchens, Kansas City Chiefs
He had eight tackles (four solo) in Week 1, and Hitchens followed it up with nine total (seven solo) tackles in Week 2. He doesn’t have the ceiling that Pierre-Louis has, but he’ll be in the mix for an LB3 spot.
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ILB B.J. Goodson, Cleveland Browns
Goodson showed some flashes with the New York Giants a couple of years ago and has resurfaced with 16 tackles (11 solo) in the first two weeks. If you have space, he’s worth the speculative pickup to potentially cover an early bye week.
Defensive backs
SS Jordan Fuller, Los Angeles Rams
The sixth-round rookie is making a name for himself the first two weeks with 17 tackles (10 solo). He has stud safety John Johnson III on the other side, and Fuller is immediately reaping the benefits. He’ll be a hot pickup as a DB2.
FS Eddie Jackson, Chicago Bears
Jackson is a bit of a wild card with some upside. He had just 60 tackles last season but picked off six balls in 2018. He has 14 tackles (12 solo) to open 2020 and has back-end roster viability.
S Tavon Wilson, Indianapolis Colts
The veteran Wilson is a speculative target after the Colts lost star S Malik Hooker (Achilles) for the season. Wilson had a career-high 98 tackles for the Detroit Lions last season and could be worth grabbing in deeper IDP formats.