We're back for our Week 3 IDP risers and fallers. Depth charts continue to change rapidly as team's sort out their preferred personnel packages, and we're here to catch up on all of it. We'll cover top risers and fallers for IDP leagues through the Sunday Night Football matchup.
Risers
Buchanan was mentioned in passing last week in the Trenton Simpson write-up, as the duo split snaps in Week 1. There was no such split in Week 2, with Buchanan seeing his defensive snap rate jump from 33 to 87 percent. The fourth-round rookie is a must-stash option for fantasy IDP, particularly in keeper or dynasty formats, as his chance to be a key contributor later in the season is on the rise.
Sanborn spent the first three seasons of his career in Chicago and carved out a decent role as a part-time defensive player and core special-teams contributor. He hasn't been quite a full-time player in defense – he's played roughly 80 percent of defensive snaps through two weeks – but is well on pace to log career-high stats across the board. Kenneth Murray is the leader of Dallas' linebacker corps, but Sanborn also occupies a key role.
Winters entered training camp in competition for a starting linebacker role with third-round pick Nick Martin. Given that Winters was a reserve for his first two years as a pro and Martin had relatively high draft capital, the advantage seemingly should have belonged
We're back for our Week 3 IDP risers and fallers. Depth charts continue to change rapidly as team's sort out their preferred personnel packages, and we're here to catch up on all of it. We'll cover top risers and fallers for IDP leagues through the Sunday Night Football matchup.
Risers
Buchanan was mentioned in passing last week in the Trenton Simpson write-up, as the duo split snaps in Week 1. There was no such split in Week 2, with Buchanan seeing his defensive snap rate jump from 33 to 87 percent. The fourth-round rookie is a must-stash option for fantasy IDP, particularly in keeper or dynasty formats, as his chance to be a key contributor later in the season is on the rise.
Sanborn spent the first three seasons of his career in Chicago and carved out a decent role as a part-time defensive player and core special-teams contributor. He hasn't been quite a full-time player in defense – he's played roughly 80 percent of defensive snaps through two weeks – but is well on pace to log career-high stats across the board. Kenneth Murray is the leader of Dallas' linebacker corps, but Sanborn also occupies a key role.
Winters entered training camp in competition for a starting linebacker role with third-round pick Nick Martin. Given that Winters was a reserve for his first two years as a pro and Martin had relatively high draft capital, the advantage seemingly should have belonged to Martin. However, things have played out the exact opposite way, with Martin being a healthy scratch for each of the first two weeks, while Winters has played nearly 100 percent of defensive snaps. He's recorded a combined 14 tackles and should firmly be on the IDP radar.
Julian Blackmon had a very short stint with the Saints before suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery. It's unclear whether his season is over, but he'll be set for a lengthy absence. Rookie Jonas Sanker immediately stepped in to play 100 percent of defensive snaps in Week 2 and tallied eight tackles. Even if Blackmon can return, there's no reason the Saints should play him over their 2025 third-round pick, so Sanker should be in for a big rookie season.
Clark is the temporary beneficiary of the DeShon Elliott (knee) injury in Pittsburgh. He played 88 percent of defensive snaps in Week 2 and tallied eight tackles. The longevity of his role is more in question. The Steelers signed Jabrill Peppers mid-week, and Elliott will be back at some point in the next few weeks. Clark's a short-term stream for fantasy IDP, but he should be prioritized less than the previous names we've mentioned.
Wilson filled in for Blake Cashman (hamstring) in Week 1 and was the presumptive replacement in Week 2. That presumption was confirmed in Sunday night's loss to the Falcons, as Wilson led the Vikings' defensive unit in snaps. He only logged five tackles, but he also forced a fumble and should have the role for the next several games.
Fallers
Knight had a big game in his pro debut, tallying 10 stops while playing three-quarters of Cincinnati's defensive snaps. However, his snap rate dipped to only 57 percent of defensive snaps, with his tackle total taking a corresponding dip. Logan Wilson is the only full-time player among the Cincinnati linebacker corps, while Oren Burks is splitting time with Knight.
Giants linebackers
The Giants' defense was crushed by the Cowboys, and their linebacker corps was also decimated in the process. Darius Muasau was supposed to fill in for Micah McFadden, but instead, both he and Chris Board suffered injuries in Week 2. This is a situation to monitor for potential value as the week progresses based on the injury report, but it's a significant mess for both the team and fantasy managers for the time being.
Franklin's role isn't in any doubt in the middle of the Colts' defense, and he logged 100 percent of defensive snaps in Week 2. He only logged four tackles in Week 1, which could be excused due to the blowout nature of the contest. However, Franklin's five stops against the Broncos is more alarming. He was among the top projected IDP options heading into the season, but he has only nine combined tackles in two weeks this season.
Edwards was another top linebacker option who is on the downswing, though his underwhelming start is due to injury. He missed Week 1 due to a hamstring injury, then returned in Week 2 to play half the game before departing with an aggravation of the issue. Edwards will likely be sidelined for multiple games now, knocking out another key fantasy contributor.
