There’s an ailment that rages in IDP leagues at this time of year. A condition that can derail a season in the blink of an eye. An illness that can reduce even the strongest of fantasy owners to a simpering pile of goo.
The yips.
This is the time of year—after just one game has been played—when fantasy owners question whether the players they drafted are the ones who can carry them to glory. This is the time of year when I get asked on social media whether Baltimore Ravens linebacker CJ Mosley (4 solos, 1 assist) should be dropped for Cory Littleton of the Los Angeles Rams after Littleton exploded for 13 total tackles and interception against the Oakland Raiders.
The answer, in case you were wondering, is no—Littleton should absolutely be rostered in all IDP leagues. But not at the expense of a top-five fantasy option.
Yes, there are going to be IDPs who were drafted early who will disappoint this season or get injured. We’ve already seen a top-three defensive back be lost for the year, a top-five linebacker hit injured reserve (on the same team), and the No. 1 defensive lineman is out indefinitely with a bad foot.
But the only feeling worse than having one of those disappointments on your roster is thinking you do, cutting bait, and then watching said player realize the potential you believed he had over the summer on another team—a team that then thumps you soundly.
Resist the yips. It’s still very early—too early in most cases to be making any season-long judgments about players.
With that annual cautionary tale out of the way, here’s a look around IDP Nation in Week 2.
WEEK 2 IDP WAIVER WIRE
Mario Addison – DE, CAR: Addison had a career year in 2017, notching at least half a sack in 13 of 16 games on the way to 11 for the season. With 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the opener, Addison appears to be picking up where he left off.
Fred Warner – OLB, SFO: Warner’s NFL debut was an impressive one—12 total tackles and a forced fumble. With Reuben Foster suspended one more game and Malcolm Smith banged up, Warner should see plenty of opportunities for stops again this week.
Kentrell Brice – S, GBP: Brice paced the Packers in tackles in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, chipping in his first career sack. Entrenched as the starter at strong safety for Green Bay, the youngster should be a solid DB2 the rest of the way.
WEEK 2 IDP INJURY REPORT
Ezekiel Ansah – DE, DET (Shoulder – Questionable): Ansah tallied a sack in the season opener, but he was also forced from the game with a shoulder injury after just 19 plays. His Week 2 status is iffy at best. Make alternate plans.
Mark Barron – ILB, LAR (Ankle – Questionable): Barron was inactive in Monday night’s win over the Raiders. Until we see him back on the practice field, it has to be assumed he’ll miss Week 2 as well.
Eric Berry – S, KCC (Heel – Questionable): Berry missed the Chiefs Week 1 win at Los Angeles with a heel injury that is totally not related to the torn Achilles that ended his 2017 season. In related news, the Chiefs are a bunch of dirty fibbers.
Joey Bosa – DE, LAC (Foot – Questionable): Bosa’s set to meet with a specialist this week for a second opinion on his injured foot. The timetable for his return is unknown, but for now IDP’s top lineman is on the shelf indefinitely.
Preston Brown – ILB, CIN (Ankle – Questionable): Brown tweaked his ankle in Sunday’s win at Indianapolis, and with a short week to get ready for the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night there’s concern he might miss the game.
Vontaze Burfict – OLB, CIN (SUSPENDED): The Queen City’s favorite chowderhead remains out while serving a four-game suspension. Nick Vigil remains an interesting spot start in his stead as long as Burfict’s out.
Oren Burks – ILB, GBP (Shoulder – Questionable): Burks is in danger of falling back into IDP irrelevance—he was inactive in Week 1 with an injured shoulder and there’s no definitive timetable for his return to the lineup.
Rueben Foster – ILB, San Francisco 49ers (SUSPENSION): Foster will conclude his two-game siesta by sitting out Sunday’s home opener against the Detroit Lions. He should be back in the middle of the San Francisco defense in Week 3.
Markus Golden – DE, ARZ (Knee – Questionable): Golden sat out the Cardinals Week 1 loss to Washington as he continues to rehab the ACL injury that ended his 2017 season. Until we see him practice, assume Golden’s out.
Randy Gregory – DE, DAL (Concussion – Questionable): Gregory was hit with a double-whammy last week—a concussion that places his Week 2 status in jeopardy and swirling reports that he might be facing yet another drug suspension.
Deion Jones – ILB, ATL (Foot –IR): As if the Keanu Neal injury wasn’t bad enough news, Jones was placed on injured reseve as well after further tests on his injured foot revealed that he will need surgery. The Falcons hope to get Jones back later in the season.
Luke Kuechly – ILB, CAR (Knee – Questionable): Kuechly hyperextended his knee late in Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, giving IDP owners palpitations in the process. However, the star linebacker has said he’s “fine” and intends to play in Week 2.
Shaq Lawson – DE, BUF (Hamstring – Questionable): Lawson suffered a hamstring injury late in last week’s blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens. His Week 2 playing status will depend on his ability to get back on the practice field this week.
Marcus Maye – S, New York Jets (Knee – Questionable): Maye was one of the many IDPs who was on the sidelines for the opening weekend of the 2018 NFL season. His playing status for Week 2’s home tilt with the Dolphins remains up in the air.
Keanu Neal – S, ATL (ACL – Injured Reserve): We didn’t even get an entire game played without a devastating IDP injury. After tearing his ACL against the Eagles, Neal’s season is over. He’ll be replaced in the lineup (for now at least) by Damontae Kazee.
Emmanuel Ogbah – DE, CLE (Ankle – Questionable): Ogbah injured his ankle in Sunday’s soggy tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the early reports indicate that the young defensive end will likely be sidelined a few weeks.
Malcolm Smith – OLB, San Francisco 49ers (Hamstring – Questionable): Smith’s balky hamstring kept him sidelined in Week 1. It marked 17 out of 17 games that Smith has missed since signing a free agent deal with the Niners in 2017.
Olivier Vernon – OLB, NYG (Ankle – Questionable): Vernon sat out Week 1 complements of the high ankle sprain he suffered a couple of weeks ago. He’s another “wait and see” guy, although the Giants playing on Sunday night makes it hard to wait for him.
KJ Wright – OLB, SEA (Knee – Doubtful): Wright remains out following a knee scope just before the season began. It’s believed he’s still at least a week or two away. Rookie Shaquem Griffin will start on the weak side for the Seahawks again in Chicago Monday night.
THE WHAT THE HECK DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE WAIVER WIRE PLAY OF THE WEEK
Nick Vigil – OLB, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. BAL)
As Paul Dehner wrote for the Cincinnati Enquirer, in the opinion of the folks at Pro Football Focus Vigil had himself a game last Sunday in Indianapolis. “He was the second-highest graded defensive player behind Clayton Fejedelem,” Dehner wrote, “but on top of playing all 82 defensive snaps he was productive through the final whistle. They logged him with 12 tackles and seven defensive stops (plays constituting an offensive loss). Not only did that number lead the team, it was five more than any other Bengals player. The seven stops were tied for second-most in the NFL last week. Only Pittsburgh’s Vince Williams (8) had more. Among the top six in the league in stops, Vigil was the only one to also not miss a single tackle.”
Vigil’s stat line was also good for a top-20 finish among all linebackers in Week 1—which isn’t bad for a guy who is available in many more leagues than not. Vigil will continue as an every-down player until Vontaze Burfict returns, and against a Ravens team that led the NFL in fantasy points allowed to linebackers that should portend another fine statistical effort.
GUYS I LIKE IN WEEK 1
Akiem Hicks – DE, Chicago Bears (vs. SEA): Playing alongside Khalil Mack appears to agree with Hicks, who could be in for yet another big game on Monday night against a Seahawks team that hasn’t fixed problem one up front.
Melvin Ingram – DE, Los Angeles Chargers (at BUF): Ingram was quiet against the Chiefs in Week 1, but if you saw any of the Bills-Ravens game you know that Buffalo’s offensive line currently consists of five matadors.
Alex Okafor – DE, New Orleans Saints (vs. CLE): The Saints are angry after getting waxed at home and heading into a matchup with a Browns team that just allowed seven sacks. Okafor and Cameron Jordan are going to get after it on Sunday.
Demario Davis – OLB, NOS (vs. CLE): Davis’ Saints debut (8 tackles, 5 solos) was good – but not great. He should better that Sunday against a Browns team that will try very hard to establish the run and control the game’s tempo.
Myles Jack – OLB, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. NEP): Jack capped off his Week 1 performance with a pick-six against the Giants. Week 2 brings a Patriots team to town that was second in the NFL in tackle opportunities allowed in 2017.
Kyle Van Noy – OLB, New England Patriots (at JAX): Van Noy’s snap count was down in Week 1, but that was game-plan specific. Look for a rebound this week against a Jaguars team that’s a top-six matchup in terms of tackle opps allowed and FPPG given up to LB.
Jamal Adams – S, New York Jets (vs. MIA): Last week’s big game against Detroit may have been the beginning of a coming-out party for the immensely talented young safety. A tasty fantasy matchup with the Dolphins should keep the ball rolling.
Derwin James – S, Los Angeles Chargers (at BUF): The Bills are just about guaranteed to fall behind in this game. And given their, um, situation at quarterback that sets up well for the rookie from Florida State to notch a takeaway.
John Johnson – S, Los Angeles Rams (vs. AZ): It got lost a little in Cory Littleton‘s huge game, but Johnson had a fine Week 1 as well. The odds of the Cardinals being forced to play catch-up in this game is approximately 397 percent.
GUYS I DON’T LIKE IN WEEK 1
Carlos Dunlap – DE, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. BAL): Dunlap and Atkins both tallied sacks last week against the Colts, but the sledding won’t be as easy against a Ravens team that has long been a bad fantasy matchup for pass-rushers.
Myles Garrett – DE, Cleveland Browns (at NOS): Garrett was a monster against the Steelers and is almost impossible to sit. But the Saints are a lousy pass-rush matchup—the team allowed just 20 sacks all of last year.
Leonard Williams – DE, New York Jets (vs. MIA): Williams’s Week 1 effort is a microcosm for his NFL career. He came close on a couple of plays but wound up posting a doughnut. The Dolphins are a surprisingly bad matchup for d-linemen, too.
Nigel Bradham – OLB, Philadelphia Eagles (at TBB): Bradham’s back from suspension this week, but leave him on the shelf until Week 3 – the Buccaneers surrendered the third-fewest fantasy points in the league to linebackers in 2017.
CJ Mosley – ILB, Baltimore Ravens (at CIN): The patience of Mosley owners may be put to the test after this Thursday night. Last week it was Buffalo’s horrid offense, this week it’s the Bengals, who were last in the NFL last year in tackle opportunities allowed.
Shaq Thompson – OLB, Carolina Panthers (at ATL): Thompson’s a hot name on some IDP waiver wires after a big Week 1, but that momentum is going to be hard to sustain against a Falcons club that was dead last in fantasy points given up to linebackers in 2017.
Antoine Bethea – S, Arizona Cardinals (at LAR): The old war-horse had a nice start to the season last week at home, but for all the explosiveness the Rams possess offensively they aren’t a team that allows a lot of fantasy points to defensive backs.
Kareem Jackson – S, Houston Texans (at TEN): Jackson looked good in his first start at safety last week, but the Titans offense has been savaged by injuries, it wasn’t that good to begin with and weather could be a factor here.
Eric Weddle – S, Baltimore Ravens (at CIN): Weddle started off the 2018 season by treating his fantasy owners to a big fat goose-egg. Now he gets a matchup with a Bengals team that was 31st in fantasy points allowed to defensive backs a year ago.
THE SCRAP-HEAP STREAMING CORNERBACK PLAY OF THE WEEK
In recent years the number of dependable weekly fantasy starters at the cornerback position has dwindled to just about zero. So, as a service to those hearty souls who play in IDP leagues that require them, each week I’ll point out a player at that position available in many leagues who should serve as a fine streaming option.
Jamar Taylor, Arizona Cardinals (at LAR): A tried and true IDP strategy with cornerbacks is to pick the guy playing opposite a “shutdown” cornerback. This weekend in La-La Land, that will be Taylor (lining up opposite Patrick Peterson). Look for Taylor to get picked on early and often. It will be a rough day for the journeyman, but one his fantasy owners can take advantage of. Sorry Jamar—it’s not personal.
