This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
Week 1 is nearly in the books with just one Monday Night Football game between the Seahawks and Broncos left to go. There was plenty of parity on both sides of the ball, and we'll go through some of the players who are moving the needle on defense so far.
RISING
Jeremy Chinn, S 
Chinn racked up 107 tackles (75 solo), five pass breakups, a sack and an interception last season. He played every snap in the season opener against the Browns, and per Pro Football Focus, he spent 41 percent of his time in the box. Those box snaps will allow Chinn to rack up tackles at a higher rate than other defensive backs this season.
Hufanga won the starting strong safety job in training camp, and his role will be safe even when Jimmie Ward – the free safety – returns. A 2021 fifth-round pick, Hufanga impressed Sunday in brutal conditions against the Bears, as he compiled 11 tackles (nine solo), a pass breakup and an interception. We should expect him to be a steady IDP contributor as long as he's healthy.
Von Miller, LB 
Miller looked explosive in the season opener against the Rams; he posted four solo tackles – three for a loss – and two sacks. The Bills' defensive front is rightfully feared, and opponents can't simply zero in on one player. Miller will continue to get his chances as long as he's upright. He'll face Titans QB Ryan
Week 1 is nearly in the books with just one Monday Night Football game between the Seahawks and Broncos left to go. There was plenty of parity on both sides of the ball, and we'll go through some of the players who are moving the needle on defense so far.
RISING
Jeremy Chinn, S
Chinn racked up 107 tackles (75 solo), five pass breakups, a sack and an interception last season. He played every snap in the season opener against the Browns, and per Pro Football Focus, he spent 41 percent of his time in the box. Those box snaps will allow Chinn to rack up tackles at a higher rate than other defensive backs this season.
Hufanga won the starting strong safety job in training camp, and his role will be safe even when Jimmie Ward – the free safety – returns. A 2021 fifth-round pick, Hufanga impressed Sunday in brutal conditions against the Bears, as he compiled 11 tackles (nine solo), a pass breakup and an interception. We should expect him to be a steady IDP contributor as long as he's healthy.
Von Miller, LB
Miller looked explosive in the season opener against the Rams; he posted four solo tackles – three for a loss – and two sacks. The Bills' defensive front is rightfully feared, and opponents can't simply zero in on one player. Miller will continue to get his chances as long as he's upright. He'll face Titans QB Ryan Tannehill – who was sacked on 8.1 percent of dropbacks last year – in Week 2.
Devin Lloyd, LB 
Lloyd was impressive in his NFL debut. The rookie first-round pick played nearly 90 percent of the defensive snaps and led the Jaguars with 11 tackles (eight solo). He often got to the quarterback in college, too, so we know he has a high fantasy upside on a weekly basis. Now, he'll get to face the run-heavy Colts in Week 2.
Zaven Collins, LB 
Collins handled a larger role than he did last season, as we hoped and expected. In fact, he led all Arizona linebackers with 70 snaps, translating into seven tackles (four solo) and two tackles for loss. He can line up in the box or on the edge, so he has a high weekly upside. If he's available, it would be wise to pick up the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
T.J. Edwards, LB 
The Eagles signed Kyzir White and drafted Nakobe Dean in the third round this offseason, but Edwards still played every snap in Week 1 and finished with seven tackles (five solo). Edwards was impressive last season with 130 tackles (64 solo), five pass breakups, an interception and a sack. As long as he's handling this type of workload, we should feel comfortable with him in IDP formats.
Kwity Paye, DE 
Paye started to heat up toward the end of his rookie campaign, and he's starting to accelerate. He registered seven tackles (six solo) and two sacks in Week 1 against the Texans. Having Yannick Ngakoue on the other side of the line is helping, so look for Paye to keep it going in Week 2 against the Jaguars.
FALLING
Damien Wilson, LB
Wilson stacked up 106 tackles with the Jaguars last season, and he was expected to start this year after signing a two-year deal with the Panthers during the offseason. However, Wilson was limited to a 39 percent snap share in the season opener while Frankie Luvu handled 85 percent of the snaps, per Pro Football Focus. If this keeps up in Week 2 against the Giants, Wilson will move into cut territory while Luvu becomes an intriguing option.
Hamilton endured some tackling issues in his NFL debut, and he finished with just three tackles. With Marcus Williams and Chuck Clark already capable at safety, the Ravens can afford to take their time with their first-round pick. Hamilton needs to be stashed in dynasty, but we may need to wait a while before we can feel comfortable starting him.
Montez Sweat, DE 
Chase Young (knee) is still out of the lineup, and Sweat couldn't get to the QB in Week 1. He'll be a downgrade in Week 2 because of how stout Detroit's offensive line is, and it doesn't help that he'll get a lot of attention as the team's top pass rusher. Facing the Eagles in Week 3 will be difficult, too.
