Week 3 IDP Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 2 is in the books, and most fantasy-relevant defenders made it out unscathed. The same is true for most offensive players as well. So, all-in-all it was a good day… except for Trey Lance and his fans. Lance suffered a gruesome injury early in Week 2, damaging his progression and many fantasy rosters. Which brings me to a point I'd like to make about how we, as fans, analysts, and talking heads react to athlete injuries. Just jump to my rankings if you want to skip this short lecture. If not, you were warned!

To be brief, the reaction of many to Lance’s injury was disgusting. While fans often practice callous or optimism when an injury helps them, the reaction to Lance’s injury felt unique. The level of gloating and "I told you so's" spewing from numerous known analysts and sources bordered on schadenfreude. How these people reacted says a lot about them, and it isn’t that they were right about Lance. Even when fans and fantasy managers stand to gain from injuries, we stand to gain more as people if we practice empathy and class.

With that said, as always, these rankings primarily use my Casual Scoring system that rewards 0.5-points per half tackle, 1-point per solo, 2-points per PD or FR, 4-points per sack, and 6-points per forced turnover (INT or FF). However, these rankings will also consider our new Rotoballer IDP scoring (Premium Defensive Scoring). We will also cover positional Gambles worth taking, defenders you should Fold on, and occasionally defenders On the Rise this season. With that covered, let’s get on to our rankings!

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Top Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week

DL Gamble(s) of the Week: Chandler Jones, Las Vegas Raiders

Anyone who reads our offseason IDP articles knows we were pretty low on Jones coming into this season… and he's played down to those expectations. In two games, he's accrued a 33% missed tackle rate, just four quarterback pressures against two offensive lines that have graded poorly in pass blocking, and he's registered zero big plays. Everything, from metrics to film, suggests he is past his prime.

That said, Jones has a terrific matchup this week against a Titans offensive line that has surrendered 20 pressures in two games. The right side of their line has graded particularly poorly, allowing 17 of Tennessee's 20 total pressures. Jones has spent every snap in Vegas on that side, so this is the time for him to rebound if he does. We no longer consider Jones a locked-in DL2 every week, but in ideal situations like this, he has that sort of upside.

DL Fold(s) of the Week: Bradley Chubb and Randy Gregory, Denver Broncos

While the interior linebackers for Denver have a premium matchup against a run-oriented 49ers team, San Francisco offers an equal and opposite situation for their pass rushers. The 49ers currently field the highest graded pass-blocking unit on Pro Football Focus, with four of their five starters grading as elite in that category across two weeks.

Of particular concern for players like Chubb and Gregory is the low volume they will see in sack opportunities, thanks to San Francisco's scheme and their All-World left tackle (Trent Williams). While Denver's defense is talented enough to force the 49ers into turnovers and sacks, the opportunities project to be too limited for us to endorse any Denver pass rusher this week. Gamble on a big play from them if you must, but we won’t if we can help it.

Top Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

LB Gamble(s) of the Week: Josey Jewell or Alex Singleton, Denver Broncos

Jewell has been inactive with a calf issue for the first two games this year, and he hasn’t actually played an NFL game in over a year. So, there is obviously risk there, which is why we list Singleton as an able fill-in who will continue to get fantasy-relevant snaps if Jewell misses another game. That said, whoever starts on the interior for Denver this week should be a good bet to outperform their current rank/projections.

The 49ers are calling run plays with the second most frequency in the NFL this year after finishing fourth in that category last year. This team has always wanted to run the ball, even with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. The only thing that should change with Jimmy G. is Denver defenders should have an easier time forecasting the run without the threat of Lance's legs. Look for the starter in the middle of Denver's D to have an LB2 upside this week.

LB Fold(s) of the Week: Rashaan Evans, Atlanta Falcons

We are calling to fade all Atlanta linebackers this week, due in part to the fact that the unit hasn't been overly productive without Deion Jones and Foyesade Oluokun on the field. In fact, their starters have yet to put up anything but LB4-tier numbers this year. That unit faces a truly awful matchup this week too, as Seattle runs the fewest offensive plays per game in the NFL.

However, if you must roll with a Falcons linebacker this week, it should be Mykal Walker. Given the low volume projected in this game, you have to chase big plays from the Falcons’ defenders and Evans has forced just six big plays in his career (three forced turnovers and three sacks). He is predominantly a tackle-dependent player, which is problematic against a Seattle offense that runs just 48 plays per game and has the seventh-highest passing rate in the league.

Top Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

DB Gamble(s) of the Week: Jeff Okudah, Detroit Lions

Last week, we listed Darius Slay as a CB streamer thanks to his matchup with Justin Jefferson. Slay then collected a whopping five PDs and two INTs against the Vikings. That’s incredible fantasy production, especially in Premium scoring.

This week, it’s Okudah who draws the Vikings, and he should also see plenty of Jefferson. While the Lions may not use the former Buckeye to shadow, he should see plenty of Jefferson either way. Look for Okudah to continue his strong fantasy start against a suddenly pass-happy Vikings offense, after he collected 15 tackles and a pass deflection in his first two weeks.

DB Fold(s) of the Week: Derek Stingley, Houston Texans

Stingley is an elite talent and arguably one of the most gifted corners to ever come out of college football. He's also started his IDP career off strong, with two fantasy-relevant performances to begin his rookie season. So, we do list him as a top-50 option, especially considering how thin the fantasy CB position is. However, this week’s matchup with the Bears is one of the lowest volume opponents he could ask for.

The Bears currently average the second-fewest offensive plays per game in the NFL. They are also the most run-heavy. Worse, they don't force targets to their top-two receivers… if they send them any at all. Across two games, Darnell Mooney has just five targets and Cole Kmet has none. Add all that together, and it spells incredibly low volume for a corner like Stingley.

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