We’re through four weeks, and bye weeks begin to rear their heads. The Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tennessee Titans are first up, and the roster crunch is about to become very real. Keep an eye out for guys who should not be dropped and act on their availability.
Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.
Defensive linemen
DE Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers
The probable future Hall of Famer has made his presence felt the last two weeks as he reached the quarterback. He had four tackles and a sack in Week 3 and six tackles and a sack in Week 4. He’ll be chasing Dak Prescott in Week 5.
DT Maliek Collins, San Francisco 49ers
Collins is the rare tackle entry, but he is benefiting from one of the top EDGE rushers in the game in Nick Bosa on the other side. That has opened things up for him to reach the QB in two straight weeks. He had four tackles in Week 2, a tackle and a sack in Week 3, adding three tackles, a fumble recovery, and 1 1/2 sacks in Week 4.
Linebackers
LB Ventrell Miller, Jacksonville Jaguars
He took over the weakside linebacker spot when Foyesade Oluokun went on IR. Miller had 11 tackles in his first game since doing so. There’s really nothing more to consider here, and he should be rostered.
LB Raekwon McMillan, New England Patriots
The eight-year vet has played well after a goose egg in Week 1. He had seven tackles and a pass defense in Week 2, 10 tackles in Week 3, and seven tackles last week. He’s a good depth piece to mix and match in your flex spot.
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LB Tyrice Knight, Seattle Seahawks
The fourth-round rookie has had a similar ascension as McMillan. He had a goose egg in Week 1, and seven, six, and nine tackles in the last three weeks, respectively. The Seahawks have a slew of injuries on defense that should give him some runway, and he could be a budding starter in the making.
Defensive backs
SS DeShon Elliott, Pittsburgh Steelers
The 27-year-old had a couple of solid seasons with the Lions and Miami Dolphins the last couple of years. He is off to a pretty good start thus far in Pittsburgh. He had four tackles, a pick, and two pass defenses in Week 1, nine tackles in Week 2, and five tackles in Week 3. Elliott posted 12 tackles and a forced fumble last week. Scoop and stream him.
S P.J. Locke, Denver Broncos
Locke came on with five tackles in Week 3 before he busted out for 10 tackles and a sack in Week 4. Was this Locke’s ceiling or a mirage? Time will tell, but he’ll be a back-end option to mix and match at flex.
CB Dee Alford, Atlanta Falcons
The 26-year-old nickel back has been busy the last couple of weeks. He had 10 tackles in Week 3 and nine tackles, a sack and a pass defense in Week 4. You can’t deny those numbers or the notion he could replicate them against Tampa Bay in Week 5.