RADIO
The first week of NFL football was everything we hoped it would be. There was pregame drama, comeback victories, games decided by inches, and overtime thrillers.
There were also surprises, lineup changes, and injuries that shattered our Week 1 expectations.
As we try to recover and fix our lineups for Week 2, here are my recommendations for linebackers, defensive linemen, and defensive backs to add to your IDP fantasy football teams.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Waiver Wire Pickups at Linebacker
Devin Lloyd, LB, Jaguars
Rostered in 15% of Sleeper IDP Leagues
Devin Lloyd has shown great development in each of his first two seasons and is living up to his first-round draft capital.
In Week 1, he was on the field for 53 snaps, 75% of the Jaguars' total defensive snaps and only seven fewer than Foyesade Oluokun. He made nine tackles.
Zack Baun, LB, Eagles
Rostered in 9% of Leagues
The Eagles' shaky linebacker room is starting to shake out. Nakobe Dean was the green-dot-wearing LB1 in Week 1, but Baun, a fourth-year man who signed with the Eagles this spring, was the star.
Baun made two sacks and 15 total tackles while playing 67 snaps (100%) and earned a 76.2 PFF grade. While Devin White missed the game with an ankle injury, Baun is on the first team on the Eagles' depth chart.
Darius Muasau, LB, Giants
Rostered in 3% of Leagues
Muasau was a surprise IDP star in Week 1. The fourth-round rookie out of UCLA, who was PFF's highest-rated red zone defender last college football season, played 82% of the Giants' defensive snaps and led the team's linebacker unit in tackles, with six.
He also picked off Vikings' quarterback Sam Darnold in the third quarter. With his strong showing, he likely will remain as New York's No. 2 linebacker ahead of Micah McFadden, who did not see the field.
Waiver Wire Pickups at Defensive Line
Andrew Van Ginkel, EDGE, Vikings
Rostered in 29% of Leagues
Last season, he had a pressure rate that was, insanely, higher than that of T.J. Watt. He signed with the Vikings as a starting outside linebacker in free agency. But some of you refused to believe in him.
Do you believe in him after Week 1? He made four tackles, one sack, and an interception he returned for a touchdown. Van Ginkel might not put up big tackle numbers, but he's a threat to make a couple of impact plays every game.
Keion White, DE, Patriots
Rostered in 3% of Leagues
White started his second campaign strongly, making 2.5 sacks and forcing one fumble in the Patriots' upset victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Pats weren't expected to do much this season, but rookie head coach Jerod Mayo could bring the most out of his defense.
Darrell Taylor, EDGE, Bears
Rostered in 3% of Leagues
After being a productive rotational player for three seasons in Seattle, Taylor signed with the Bears this offseason, and he has a larger role.
In Week 1 with his new team, he made eight tackles, sacked Titans' quarterback Will Levis twice, and forced a fumble.
Waiver Wire Pickups at Cornerback and Safety
Reed Blankenship, S, Eagles
Rostered in 49% of Leagues
Blankenship emerged last season as a solid tackler with interception upside. Playing in Brazil in Week 1, he looked like his old self.
He made eight tackles and an interception and only missed one tackle, while fellow Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson missed three.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Eagles
Rostered in 39% of Leagues
Quinyon Mitchell was one of the few rookie cornerbacks to see almost a 100% snap share, and he made five tackles in his debut.
Starting cornerback Isaiah Rodgers missed the game with a hand injury. Rookie Cooper DeJean and second-year man Kelee Ringo didn't see the field much.
When Rodgers returns, Mitchell could maintain an active role as a nickelback, but in that role, he might only be useful in larger leagues.
Julian Blackmon, S, Colts
Rostered in 33% of Leagues
Blackmon, a 2020 third-round pick, is one of the best safeties at making tackles. Last season, he played more snaps lined up in the box than he did at free safety.
In Week 1, he maintained that favorable alignment for making tackles. He lined up in the box for 31 of his 85 snaps and on the defensive line for three snaps. As a result, he made 13 tackles.
He has the potential to make an interception, too. He made four last season. Moreover, he has an interception-favorable schedule coming up.
Four of his next five games are against backup quarterbacks or young ones, including Malik Willis's Packers, Caleb Williams' Bears, the Steelers, and Will Levis's Titans.
Wild Card: Isaiah Simmons, DB, Giants
Rostered in 2% of Leagues
It was only a couple of years ago that Simmons was making nearly 100 tackles, a couple of sacks, and plays on fumbles a season. Then the Giants traded a seventh-round pick for him, and his role diminished.
This season, the Giants have a new defensive coordinator in former Titans' DC Shane Bowen. What would Simmons' role be on the new-look Giants' defense? On Sleeper, he's listed as a "DB/LB." In preseason, he was listed as a cornerback.
In Week 1, he saw zero snaps. Will Simmons' role increase as the season goes on? Or will he be cut or traded?
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