Four weeks down, and we hope you’re sitting atop the standings. Bye weeks enter the fold this week, which means we’re going to have to dig deeper for gems and use our roster flexibility. Keep an eye out for owners feeling the roster crunch who may drop a player they normally wouldn’t drop in order to cover an IDP bye.
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 Chase Young, Washington Commanders
Now in his fourth year, Young is trying to find his way back into Defensive Rookie of the Year form after two lost years due to injuries. He had three tackles and 1.5 sacks in Week 2 and three tackles and a sack in Week 4. He’ll be highly dependent on sacks for fantasy value, but he looks to be regaining his rookie form.
DE Jonathan Greenard, Houston Texans
Greenard has had some peaks and valleys already this season, and Week 4 was another peak. He had five tackles and two sacks, and he also had five tackles and one sack in Week 1. He had three tackles in each of the two games between, so you know that you’re going to have to deal with the ebbs and flows with him.
Linebackers
LB Jahlani Tavai, New England Patriots
Tavai has quietly had three solid weeks in a row. The culmination was six tackles, a sack and a pass defense in Week 4. He has at least five tackles in three straight games. The team lost EDGE Matt Judon, possibly for the season, and Tavai could be asked to rush more as a result.
LB Nicholas Morrow, Philadelphia Eagles
Eleven tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble is how Morrow opened eyes in the fantasy world in Week 4. The problem? He had five tackles and a fumble recovery in the two previous games combined. Morrow had 116 tackles with the Chicago Bears last season and no sacks. In fact, the three sacks last week tied his career high in a season. So temper expectations and hope this breakout is a sign of things to come instead of fool’s gold.
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LB Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
The 32-year-old possible future Hall of Famer had a game for the ages in Week 4. He had 10 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass defense. He also did this without Joey Bosa rushing opposite of him. He doesn’t nearly have the fantasy value he used to unless he’s eligible for DL in your league, and the Chargers are on a bye this week. So his viability will depend largely on the size of your league, but he needs to be on your watch list or stashed for Week 6.
Defensive backs
SS Rudy Ford, Green Bay Packers
The seven-year vet has had three good weeks in a row. He had seven tackles in Week 2, seven tackles plus two pass defenses in Week 3, and eight tackles, a pick and a pass defense last week. Keep in mind, though, he may be a one-week pickup as he has a bye in Week 6.
FS Tre’Von Moehrig, Las Vegas Raiders
The 2021 second-round pick is an attractive option on waivers because he has been pretty steady all four weeks. Six tackles in Week 1, five tackles and a pass defense in Week 2, four tackles in Week 3 and six tackles, a pick and two pass defenses in Week 4. He looks to be budding into a possible DB2 and should be scooped up.
CB Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
This one is more of a watch list or deeper-league dive because Witherspoon and the Seahawks are on a bye in Week 5. He had 11 tackles and two pass defenses in Week 3 before a monstrous Week 4. The No. 5 overall pick had seven tackles, two sacks, a pass defense, and a pick-6 Monday night. The tackling and playmaking numbers put him on the radar for a pickup despite the bye.