NFL Week 1: Fantasy IDP report

• Wheels up for Denzel Perryman and a number of other new full-time linebackers: The Houston Texans were one of many linebacker situations to sort out and adjust the rankings for after Week 1.

• Nakobe Dean expected to miss time: With the Philadelphia Eagles also signing Rashaan Evans, who should IDP managers turn to in Week 2.

• The Buffalo Bills find their every-down linebacker to start next to Matt Milano: At least after Week 1, Terrel Bernard looks locked into an every-down role in Buffalo — a profitable role for IDP purposes.

Estimated reading time: 51.8 minutes

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Week 1 Takeaways

Waiver wire

• LB Terrel Bernard, Buffalo Bills: Bernard was announced as the team’s starter earlier in the week when it appeared like Tyrel Dodson would get the role during the preseason. Bernard was inactive during the preseason due to an injury but played an every-down role in Week 1, which should make him a priority add after Week 1.
• LB Germaine Pratt, Cincinnati Bengals: Pratt may not have an every-down role this season as long as Logan Wilson is in the lineup, but he’s consistently been productive with his opportunities and if he maintains a 90% snap share, then he’ll be in starting consideration on most weeks.
• LB Robert Spillane, Las Vegas Raiders: Spillane played 100% of his team's defensive snaps and while he wasn’t as productive as his teammate Divine Deablo, it’s a positive sign for his reliability going forward. He should be available on a number of waiver wires and worth adding in medium-deep leagues.
• LB Kenneth Murray, Los Angeles Chargers: With rookie Daiyan Henley working through a hamstring injury that kept him out of this game, Murray went uncontested for the Chargers’ LB2 role. However, he wasn’t very productive; however, 90% of his team's defensive snaps shouldn’t be ignored though in deeper leagues where LB depth could be needed.
• LB Christian Elliss/Rashaan Evans: Nakobe Dean suffered a foot injury that is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks. Zach Cunningham would be the top priority where available, but the team also signed Rashaan Evans to potentially start for them. Christian Elliss may see more usage at first, and on a short week, as he’s familiar with the defense.
• DI Logan Hall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT-required leagues may want to consider Hall as a potential stash after leading all Bucs interior players in snaps this week. It was a quiet day in the stat sheet, but it appears Tampa Bay is willing to lean on him more in Year 2.
• ED Odafe Oweh, Baltimore Ravens: Oweh has flown under the radar this offseason and though he only registered three total tackles in this game, it’s clear that the Ravens trust him to lead their edge options in snaps and as a result, he posted the strongest pass-rush grade of the group while adding seven total pressures. The usage and pressure rate should create much more sack opportunities going forward.
• ED Mike Danna, Kansas City Chiefs: Danna led the Chiefs edge unit in snaps and added a sack to go along with six total tackles and a pass deflection. With George Karlaftis being the most heavily-targeted Kansas City edge in drafts this year, Danna should be available on plenty of waiver wires for those in need or depth there.
• ED Tyree Wilson, Las Vegas Raiders: With Chandler Jones out and his return to the team clouded by questions, 2023 top-10 pick Wilson filled in on the majority of snaps. He would be a deep league add only as he is still very much a project as a pass rusher.
• ED Jermaine Johnson, New York Jets: Johnson led the Jets edge defenders in playing time this week with Carl Lawson inactive. It’s unclear how long Lawson will be out.
• ED Michael Hoecht/Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams: Young and Hoecht dominated the edge snaps for the Rams and both are in consideration to be added in deeper leagues as volume depth options.
• ED Drake Jackson, San Francisco 49ers: The second-year edge defender Jackson put up a very strong performance that included three sacks on five pressures. Jackson will be hard-pressed to repeat this performance but if he emerges as the clear second edge across from Nick Bosa, there will be fantasy depth value in that role.
• S K’Von Wallace, Arizona Cardinals: Jalen Thompson handled the primary slot duties for Arizona, which allowed K’Von Wallace to backfill at safety and helped him land seven tackles and two pass breakups. Wallace got a lot of box snap opportunities that should give him more tackle opportunities than even Budda Baker, who played deeper.
• S Geno Stone, Baltimore Ravens: Stone stepped in as a full-time option with Marcus Williams injured and would be an option to add in deeper leagues, as Williams is expected to miss a few games.
• S Eric Murray, Houston Texans/M.J. Stewart, Houston Texans: Jimmie Ward missed this game so the third safety in the rotation and next man up if only one of Ward or Jalen Pitre (bruised lung) misses time is Eric Murray. If both are out next week, then M.J. Stewart would be the other option.
• S Josh Metellus, Minnesota Vikings: Metellus worked as the third safety this week and acted as a second linebacker for most of his snaps, helping him land five total tackles. His usage and snap share could be enough to make him a useful IDP in deeper leagues.
• S Jabrill Peppers, New England Patriots: Peppers had strong usage as well and appears to have taken over a starting safety role in this defense. Peppers was productive with his snaps and could be worth adding in deeper leagues.
• S Justin Evans, Philadelphia Eagles: After Reed Blankenship, Justin Evans should be in consideration as he played an every-down role and finished second on the team in tackles. He could potentially have less stability than Blankenship for the entire season so would be a deeper league consideration right now.

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JUMP TO A TEAM:

ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CIN | CHI | CLE | DEN | DAL | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

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Arizona Cardinals

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 5.6% (16th)
• Pass blitz rate: 17.4% (T-26th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: Zaven Collins played his first game as a full-time edge defender and led the Cardinals' defensive linemen in total snaps, even coming up with an interception. However, his pass rushing didn’t quite deliver as he did not win any of his reps and finished without a single pressure. His performance should be monitored going forward but he isn’t likely worth starting in most IDP leagues.
• Trending up: Dennis Gardeck didn’t get many snaps in this game but took advantage of a plus matchup against the Cardinals’ offensive line, delivering two sacks and a 92.0 pass-rush grade. Gardeck won’t be a waiver wire target yet, but a larger snap share in the weeks ahead could make him interesting.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Point of interest: Kyzir White was expected to be the Cardinals’ top linebacker with Zaven Collins moving to the edge this year and he did not disappoint, playing every defensive snap and leading the team in total tackles. He can be safely started on a weekly basis.

SAFETY

• Waiver wire: Jalen Thompson handled the primary slot duties for Arizona which allowed K’Von Wallace to backfill at safety and helped him land seven tackles and two pass breakups. Wallace got a lot of box snap opportunities which should give him more tackle opportunities than even Budda Baker who played deeper.

CORNERBACK

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Atlanta Falcons

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)
• Pass blitz rate: 17.4% (T-26th)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

• Point of interest: Both Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata were among the best interior pass-rushers at their position in Week 1, which is a positive sign for Atlanta’s improvement along the defensive line. If these two can continue to collapse the pocket, it should create more opportunities for themselves and the edge rushers to be more IDP-relevant this season.

LINEBACKER

• With both Kaden Elliss and Troy Andersen playing every-down roles they’re locked in as reliable weekly starters for IDP purposes.

SAFETY

• Point of interest: Jessie Bates had a very strong debut as an Atlanta Falcon with 10 tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions. Bates played the large majority of his snaps deep while Richie Grant handled the shallow snaps. That usage should allow Grant to have better tackle days than Bates more often than not, but Bates is still worth starting in most IDP leagues.

CORNERBACK

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Baltimore Ravens

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 3.9% (19th)
• Pass blitz rate: 33.9% (14th)

EDGE

• Waiver wire: Odafe Oweh has flown under the radar this offseason and though he only had three total tackles in this game, it’s clear that the Ravens trust him to lead their edge options in snaps and as a result, he posted the strongest pass-rush grade of the group while adding seven total pressures. The usage and pressure rate should create much more sack opportunities going forward.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Point of interest: The Ravens had no problem deploying two full-time linebackers in this game with Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen. Both players also combined for 20 blitz attemptms which helped them land a sack each.

SAFETY

• Injury: Marcus Williams suffered a pectoral injury in this game and is expected to miss a few games.
• Waiver wire: Geno Stone stepped in as a full-time option with Williams out and would be an option to add in deeper leagues.

CORNERBACK

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Buffalo Bills

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)
• Pass blitz rate: 14.8% (29th)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Waiver wire: Terrel Bernard was announced as the team’s starter earlier in the week when it appeared like Tyrel Dodson would get the role during the preseason. Bernard was inactive during the preseason dealing with an injury but played an every-down role in Week 1, which should make him a priority add after Week 1.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Carolina Panthers

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 3.9% (18th)
• Pass blitz rate: 33.3% (15th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: Brian Burns was questionable heading into this week as a potential contract-related holdout, but he showed up and let his play do the talking, posting an elite pass-rush grade and landing 1.5 sacks on the day. Burns will be a likely top-12 edge option this season and potentially higher if his pass-rush metrics remain this strong.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

• Point of interest: Derrick Brown had just one sack through 17 games last season and after one game in 2023, he’s already matched that total. Brown’s pressure rate and pass-rush metrics last season pointed toward natural improvement in that regard and it didn’t take long for him to deliver. He will be in starting consideration for most DT-required leagues.

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

• Trending down: Both Xavier Woods and Jeremy Chinn played less-than-ideal snap shares for their position. Chinn, at least, had strong usage in the box and closer to the line of scrimmage, but fewer than 75% of his team's defensive snaps is a cause for concern in most IDP leagues, keeping him out of starting consideration.

CORNERBACK

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Chicago Bears

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)
• Pass blitz rate: 20.0% (28th)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

• Injury: Kyler Gordon suffered a hand injury in the third quarter and did not return to this game. Josh Blackwell replaced him as the primary slot corner.

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Cincinnati Bengals

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 8.1% (13th)
• Pass blitz rate: 42.9% (4th)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Waiver wire: Germaine Pratt may not have an every-down role this season as long as Logan Wilson is in the lineup but he’s consistently been productive with his opportunities and if he maintains a 90% snap share then he’ll be in starting consideration on most weeks.

SAFETY

• Trending up: Both Dax Hill and Nick Scott were the assumed starters heading into this season after the preseason usage made that clear. What wasn’t clear was who would assume the primary box role and Scott emerged as that option this week which helped him land 11 total tackles, tying for the team lead.

CORNERBACK

• Point of interest: Chidobe Awuzie played his first game since tearing his ACL last season. He was previously a full-time player for the Bengals but appears to have been on a pitch count in his first game back.

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Cleveland Browns

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 10.7% (11th)
• Pass blitz rate: 41.7% (5th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: The Browns’ defensive line received significant upgrades this offseason to help Myles Garrett, including Za’Darius Smith, who, despite not landing a sack, had a great game that included four QB hits on six total pressures.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Situation to monitor: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah led the Browns’ linebackers in snaps in Week 1 but just a 75% snap share is less than ideal for most IDP leagues. If 75% of snaps remain the ceiling for Owusu-Koramoah or any Cleveland linebacker, then IDP managers can pivot to find another option on another team because this usage will create a lot of inconsistency week-to-week.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Dallas Cowboys

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 61.4% (1st)
• Pass blitz rate: 26.5% (18th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: The Cowboys defense dominated the Giants’ offensive line with 39 total pressures and seven sacks. Micah Parsons led the way in that regard and remains a high-end ED1 option on a weekly basis. This usage isn’t necessarily indicative of how the Cowboys will deploy their defensive linemen — or most of their defense — this season considering the blowout win.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Denver Broncos

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 5.1% (17th)
• Pass blitz rate: 53.1% (3rd)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

• Injury: Caden Sterns suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the season. Sterns was not a starter so there isn’t a fantasy-relevant replacement to target.

CORNERBACK

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Detroit Lions

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)
• Pass blitz rate: 12.5% (30th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: Second-year edge defender Aidan Hutchinson played a ton of snaps that allowed him to post seven total pressures, three QB hits and four total tackles. Though he didn’t land a sack in this game, his strong metrics and playing time point to much better IDP performances. If he continues to play 90%-plus of the defensive snaps, he’ll be in weekly top-12 consideration for IDP.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Point of interest: Alex Anzalone is currently the only Lions linebacker worth starting in the majority of IDP leagues. He missed just four snaps while the rest of the linebackers rotated drives and Malcolm Rodriguez was used almost exclusively on third downs.
• Rookie watch: Jack Campbell has the potential to emerge as IDP-relevant at some point this season but given the Lions’ clear rotation here he shouldn’t be considered as a starter for IDP until we see a larger role.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

• Rookie watch: Brian Branch took over the primary slot corner role for the Lions and performed well, including getting a pick-six. He missed six possible defensive snaps with cramps in the fourth quarter but even with those snaps would have only been about a 75% player. Outside of deep leagues, he isn’t a true waiver-wire option yet without full-time usage.

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Green Bay Packers

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 2.7% (20th)
• Pass blitz rate: 32.7% (17th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: Rashan Gary, coming off a torn ACL, was kept on a pitch count for this game, playing just 12 defensive snaps and still managing five pressures. As his snaps increase, he will push to return as a locked-in weekly starter assuming he continues to look this good.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Trending up: Quay Walker overtook De’Vondre Campbell in playing time but suffered an injury near the end of the third quarter, so the game’s total snaps don’t tell the whole story. In the first three quarters, Walker played 100% of the team's defensive snaps while Campbell played just 70%. If Walker is healthy for Week 2 then he should be ranked ahead of Campbell going forward.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Houston Texans

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 1.6% (T-21st)
• Pass blitz rate: 20.6% (23rd)

EDGE

• Rookie watch: Anderson recorded six total tackles, five pressures and a sack in his NFL debut. He has the talent and playing time to be comfortably started in most IDP leagues.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Trending up: Denzel Perryman was a free linebacker in drafts this year and made the My Guys list as a potential tackle machine. He not only led the Texans in total tackles but was far and away the leader of the linebacker corps, which is a great sign for his fantasy stock going forward. If he’s available on waiver wires anywhere, he should be added immediately.
• Trending down: Christian Harris had a productive day with six total tackles and a sack but after playing just 72% of his team's defensive snaps, he’s far from a locked-in starter and if that usage remains the same, fantasy managers can look elsewhere for more consistent production.

SAFETY

• Injury: Jalen Pitre suffered a bruised lung and was taken to the hospital at the end of the first half. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out, if at all, but considering the higher draft capital to acquire him in drafts this offseason, it will be a situation worth monitoring this week.
• Waiver-wire: Jimmie Ward missed this game, so the third safety in the rotation and next man up if only one of Ward or Pitre misses time is Eric Murray. If both are out next week then M.J. Stewart would be the other option.

CORNERBACK

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Indianapolis Colts

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)

• Pass blitz rate: 5.6% (32nd)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

• Point of interest: DeForest Buckner put himself back in the overall DT1 conversation with this performance, landing a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery touchdown to go along with seven total tackles. Buckner’s 93.7 pass-rush grade was the highest mark for his position in Week 1.

LINEBACKER

• Point of interest: Shaquille Leonard has been dealing with injuries off and on over the past few seasons and was questionable with a concussion coming into this game so not playing every defensive snap isn’t a massive surprise but it’s worth keeping an eye on going forward. If Leonard continues to play second fiddle to Zaire Franklin and not play an every-down role then that’s a slight hit to his IDP stock.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)

• Pass blitz rate: 34.7% (12th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: Our darkhorse candidate to finish as the overall EDGE1 this season, Josh Allen, got off to a very good start with three total sacks and ten tackles. He’ll continue as a locked-in weekly starter in most IDP leagues.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Trending up: Devin Lloyd didn’t have a productive day with just four tackles but the positive came from him playing an every-down role after ceding a chunk of snaps to Chad Muma for most of last year. Lloyd will have more productive days as long as this usage remains the same.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 18.3% (8th)
• Pass blitz rate: 40.5% (6th)

EDGE

• Waiver-wire: Mike Danna led the Chiefs edge unit in snaps and added a sack to go along with six total tackles and a pass deflection. With George Karlaftis being the most heavily-targeted Kansas City edge in drafts this year, Danna should be available on plenty of waiver wires for those in need or depth there.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

• After missing Week 1 due to a contract holdout, Chris Jones agreed to return earlier this week after adding money to his contract for this season.
• None of the Chiefs' interior defenders appear worth adding as a potential starter-worthy IDP option.

LINEBACKER

• Nick Bolton led the way as expected. He left the game for one drive (three snaps) but didn’t miss any time after that so his role as an every-down player isn’t in any danger.
• Droppable: Drue Tranquill is not worth holding outside of the deepest leagues. His role was purely that of a backup in the preseason and that usage was confirmed here in Week 1. He can be safely dropped off of rosters now.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

• Trending up: Trent McDuffie has overtaken the ideal IDP corner spot for Kansas City — a role that made L’Jarius Sneed the overall CB1 last year in most IDP leagues. McDuffie will have weekly top-12 CB potential with this usage.
• Sneed was still heavily involved and even got a bit more usage off the edge, but playing primarily wide corner will make him much less consistent week to week compared to last season.

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Las Vegas Raiders

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 1.6% (T-21st)
• Pass blitz rate: 23.8% (19th)

EDGE

• Waiver wire: With Chandler Jones out and his return to the team clouded by questions, 2023 top-10 pick Tyree Wilson filled in on the majority of snaps. He would be a deep league add only as he is still very much a project as a pass rusher.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Waiver wire: Robert Spillane played 100% of snaps and while he wasn’t as productive as Deablo, it’s a positive sign for his reliability going forward. He should be available on a number of waiver wires and worth adding in medium-deep leagues.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Los Angeles Rams

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 16.0% (9th)
• Pass blitz rate: 33.3% (T-15th)

EDGE

• Waiver wire: Byron Young and Michael Hoecht dominated the edge snaps for the Rams and both are in consideration to be added in deeper leagues as volume depth options.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

• Waiver wire: Russ Yeast got the start while John Johnson, who was expected to push for that role, didn’t get any defensive playing time in this game and was relegated to special teams. Yeast can be added in deeper leagues only.

CORNERBACK

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Los Angeles Chargers

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 7.5% (14th)
• Pass blitz rate: 38.3% (8th)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Waiver wire: With rookie Daiyan Henley dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of this game, Kenneth Murray went uncontested for the Chargers’ LB2 role, though wasn’t very productive. 90% of snaps shouldn’t be ignored though in deeper leagues where LB depth could be needed.

SAFETY

• Point of interest: Alohi Gilman could be added on waiver wires this week after an 11 tackle game. It’s important to note that he played almost entirely deep in a game where Tua Tagovailoa threw a ton and for over 400 yards and the highest average depth of target so these games are likely to be rare for Gilman going forward.

CORNERBACK

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Miami Dolphins

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 11.3% (10th)
• Pass blitz rate: 34.8% (11th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: Jaelan Phillips played a ton of snaps, which helped him land 11 total tackles and a half sack. Phillips should be considered a locked-in starter in most IDP leagues given his playing time and pass-rush metrics from last season.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Droppable: David Long played just 21% of the defensive snaps and has no place in starting lineups going forward unless this usage changes drastically.
• Point of interest: Andrew Van Ginkel’s role appears to be the reason that Long didn’t get better usage, as Van Ginkel played 64% of defensive snaps and pushed Long down the depth chart. However, Van Ginkel’s usage is also not trustworthy enough going forward but is worth monitoring for deeper leagues.

SAFETY

• Droppable: Brandon Jones is coming off an ACL injury, though there was still some hope that he could get back to his productive IDP ways. Unfortunately, he played just two defensive snaps in this game and can be safely dropped in most leagues.

CORNERBACK

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Minnesota Vikings

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 22.1% (5th)
• Pass blitz rate: 55.3% (1st)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Point of interest: Jordan Hicks led the Vikings in overall snaps but managed just three total tackles on the day. This lack of production for linebackers was a concern that was covered earlier this offseason due to how Brian Flores deploys his defense. There will be a lot of up-and-down weeks for Minnesota’s LB1 all season.
• Waiver wire: Ivan Pace Jr. took over the LB2 role from Brian Asamoah and was the most productive Minnesota linebacker in the stat sheet. Pace will be a deep league add only with 68% of defensive snaps played.

SAFETY

• Waiver wire: Josh Metellus worked as the third safety in this game and acted as a second linebacker for most of his snaps, helping him land five total tackles. His usage and snap share could be enough to make him a useful IDP in deeper leagues.

CORNERBACK

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New England Patriots

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 25.8% (4th)
• Pass blitz rate: 40.5% (7th)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

• Trending up: It’s worth noting that Kyle Dugger played 100% of New England's defensive snaps for the first time since 2020, which is a huge boost for his potential production as a player who was in the mid-70% range of snaps the past two seasons. It’s a very positive sign going forward. Dugger didn’t have an overly productive day in Week 1, but his usage and every-down role is exactly what we want from our IDP safeties.
• Waiver wire: Jabrill Peppers had strong usage as well and appears to have taken over a starting safety role in this defense. Peppers was productive with his snaps and could be worth adding in deeper leagues.

CORNERBACK

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New Orleans Saints

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 19.1% (7th)
• Pass blitz rate: 23.3% (20th)

EDGE

• Trending up: This was a positive matchup for the Saints defensive line, as pointed out in the Week 1 rankings article, and Granderson took advantage of that matchup with 1.5 sacks. He also led the team in pass-rush grade and tied for the most pressures (five) on the team in this game. If he continues to put together strong pass-rushing performances, then he could be in weekly start territory with his snap share.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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New York Giants

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)
• Pass blitz rate: 35.7% (10th)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Point of interest: Bobby Okereke played an every-down role but managed just five tackles on the day. Micah McFadden led the team in total tackles but on fewer than 75% of defensive snaps, expect Okereke to out-produce McFadden more often than not. Isaiah Simmons is not worth trusting in fantasy playing only a quarter of the defensive snaps and spending about 40% of his snaps blitzing.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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New York Jets

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)
• Pass blitz rate: 21.6% (21st)

EDGE

• Waiver wire: Jermaine Johnson led the Jets edge defenders in playing time this week with Carl Lawson inactive. It’s unclear how long Lawson will be out.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Philadelphia Eagles

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 6.3% (15th)
• Pass blitz rate: 18.3% (25th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: Haason Reddick had a very quiet day in the box score but posted five total pressures and will be in for better days ahead.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

• Rookie watch: Jalen Carter led all rookie defenders with a 92.1 defensive grade, which included a 90.5 pass-rush grade, eight pressures and a sack. Carter is talented enough to be considered a weekly starter in DT-required leagues.

LINEBACKER

• Injury: Nakobe Dean suffered a foot injury in the third quarter and did not return to this game. He was the team’s lead linebacker prior to the injury. Dean is expected to miss multiple weeks.
• Waiver wire: Zach Cunningham would be the top target here where available, but in leagues that have already been paying attention to these starters in the preseason, Cunningham is likely already rostered. Christian Elliss is the more widely available linebacker in IDP leagues, but the team also signed Rashaan Evans, who could push for a starting role after this week, if not right away. The Eagles play on a short week so Elliss’ familiarity with the defense should help his case for more playing time than Evans in Week 2.

SAFETY

• Trending up: Reed Blankenship would be the top Eagles’ safety to target on the waiver wire if available. He has performed well as a starter, earning a 78.9 overall grade last season and an 82.6 grade in Week 1. He added a team-leading 11 total tackles to his strong game.
• Waiver wire: After Blankenship, Justin Evans should be in consideration as he played an every-down role and finished second on the team in tackles. He could potentially have less stability than Blankenship for the entire season so would be a deeper league consideration right now.

CORNERBACK

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Pittsburgh Steelers

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 10.3% (12th)
• Pass blitz rate: 38.2% (9th)

EDGE

• Point of interest: T.J. Watt had a dominant performance and looked like his old self, earning a 94.9 pass-rush grade, which led all defensive linemen in Week 1. That allowed him to total six pressures and three sacks in this game, looking like the elite ED1 option IDP managers expect.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

• Injury: Cameron Heyward suffered a groin injury that will require surgery and cause him to miss multiple months. Heyward was a top-12 drafted defensive tackle in IDP leagues again this season which is a significant loss for fantasy managers.

LINEBACKER

• Point of interest: Cole Holcomb led the Steelers’ linebackers in defensive snaps but under 80% of defensive snaps is not what IDP managers will be hoping to see here. The Steelers’ linebacker deployment continued to be a similar situational rotation from last season which is going to create a fair bit of inconsistency on a weekly basis.
• Fool’s gold: Kwon Alexander was the most productive Pittsburgh linebacker, leading the team in total tackles but at fewer than 70% this isn’t production to bet on going forward. At the most, he should be considered a deep league waiver add only.

SAFETY

• Point of interest: Damontae Kazee played the second-most snaps among the Steelers’ safeties but this isn’t enough snaps to be worth a start in most leagues. There are too many 100% snap safeties that IDP managers should trust instead.

CORNERBACK

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San Francisco 49ers

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)
• Pass blitz rate: 20.4% (24th)

EDGE

• Waiver wire: Second-year edge defender Drake Jackson put up a very strong performance that included three sacks on five pressures. Jackson will be hard-pressed to repeat this performance but if he emerges as the clear second edge across from Nick Bosa there will be fantasy depth value in that role.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Seattle Seahawks

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 21.0% (6th)
• Pass blitz rate: 34.2% (13th)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Point of interest: Jordyn Brooks is just nine months removed from a torn ACL and while he was eased back into action in his first game back, that didn’t stop him from being incredibly productive with his opportunities. A larger snap share for Brooks is going to be important for reliable and consistent weekly production but after looking healthy out there, he could be on the rise next week.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 0.0% (T-23rd)
• Pass blitz rate: 52.1% (2nd)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

• Waiver wire: DT-required leagues may want to consider Logan Hall as a potential stash after leading all Bucs’ interior players in snaps this week. It was a quiet day in the stat sheet, but it appears Tampa Bay is willing to lean on him more in Year 2.

LINEBACKER

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Tennessee Titans

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 27.7% (2nd)
• Pass blitz rate: 10.3% (31st)

EDGE

• Point of interest: In his first game back from a torn ACL, Harold Landry stepped right back into his volume-heavy role for the Titans’ defense. Landry was quiet in this game with just a single tackle and two total pressures but he’ll have much better games with that workload.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Fool’s gold: Jack Gibbens was the Titans’ most productive linebacker but at 65% of snaps compared to 98% for Azeez Al-Shaair, expect that to be an outlier going forward. Al-Shaair remains the top Titans’ linebacker to roster in IDP with Gibbens being more of deep leagues only.

SAFETY

CORNERBACK

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Washington Commanders

Team Ranks

• Dime personnel rate: 27.4% (3rd)
• Pass blitz rate: 21.1% (22nd)

EDGE

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR

LINEBACKER

• Trending up: Cody Barton was the lone every-down linebacker for the Commanders, so while he only managed four tackles on the day he is the Commanders linebacker to roster going forward, assuming this usage remains the same.
• Trending down: After pegging Jamin Davis as a potential breakout candidate this offseason, in large part due to assuming he would take over the full-time role this season, he played just 65% of snaps and came off the field way too much to trust next week and going forward.

SAFETY

• Point of interest: The reason that Kamren Curl was ranked as the third overall safety for IDP heading into this season is because of his box-heavy role and potential to put up strong tackle numbers. He did exactly that in Week 1 with 10 total tackles and a 47% snap share in the box. He will continue to be a top IDP safety option going forward.

CORNERBACK

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Data keys

• Tackle efficiency = Percentage of snaps where that IDP was in on a tackle. Average tackle efficiency for linebackers in 2022 is 12.3% (min. 100 snaps).
• Win rate = Percentage of snaps that a defensive lineman won their rep against a blocker. Average win rate for edge defenders in 2022 is 12.1% (min. 100 snaps). Average win rate for interior defenders in 2022 is 8.7% (min. 100 snaps).
• Pressure rate = Percentage of pass-rush snaps that resulted in a pressure. Average pressure rate for edge defenders in 2022 is 9.2% (min. 100 snaps). Average pressure rate for interior defenders in 2022 is 6.1% (min. 100 snaps).
• Pass-rush grade = PFF pass-rush grade, taking into account the quality of every pass-rush snap for every player on every play. Average pass-rush grade for edge defenders in 2022 is 63.0 (min. 100 snaps). Average pass-rush grade for interior defenders in 2022 is 61.3 (min. 100 snaps).
• +EPA allowed % = The percentage of plays against the defense that resulted in positive expected points added for the offense.
• Zone coverage rate = Percentage of Cover-2, Cover-3 (+variations), Cover-4/quarters, and Cover-6 snaps played by the defense.
• Man coverage rate = Percentage of Cover-1, Cover-0, and Cover-2-Man snaps played by the defense.
• Dime personnel rate = Percentage of snaps the defense spent with six defensive backs on the field at once, typically at the cost of a linebacker.
• Blitz rate = Percentage of snaps where the defense sent at least one extra pass rusher on a given play.
• Box snaps = Snaps where the defensive player is lined up in a linebacker or strong safety alignment (within 2-10 yards of the line of scrimmage).
• Free safety snaps = Snaps where the defensive player is lined up more than 10.5 yards from the line of scrimmage.
• Slot corner snaps = Snaps where the defensive player is lined up covering an eligible receiver who is aligned inside of an outside receiving option.
• Outside corner snaps = Snaps where the defensive player is the widest outside defender to any given side where there is a wide receiver aligned.
• Defensive line snaps = Snaps where the defensive player is lined up on or within 1.5 yards of the line of scrimmage.