This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
Now that we're four weeks into the season, our teams are starting to take shape. We know who the main contenders are in our leagues, but there's still plenty of time to enter that conversation if you're on the outside looking in. Below, we'll go through some players to move toward and some to avoid to help you get there.
RISING
Jacob Phillips, LB 
Phillips played every defensive snap in the Week 4 loss to the Falcons, while Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah handled a 78 percent snap share. He capitalized on the opportunity with seven tackles (six solo) after he posted seven tackles (two solo) and a sack last week. Phillips should hold onto the starting job all season because Anthony Walker (quadriceps) is done for the year, so he should be a steady IDP option the rest of the way.
Zaire Franklin, LB 
Shaquille Leonard made his season debut but left early with a concussion, and Franklin ended up playing every defensive snap and racking up 15 tackles (eight solo) in the process. Franklin out-snapping Bobby Okereke (70 percent) is key, and he should play every snap in Week 5, too, especially because Leonard is highly questionable with a Thursday game on tap.
Josey Jewell, LB 
Jewell missed the first two games but has done nothing but dominate since he returned to the lineup, as he recorded 23 tackles (14 solo), a sack and a fumble recovery over the last two outings. The 2018 fourth-round pick is two
Now that we're four weeks into the season, our teams are starting to take shape. We know who the main contenders are in our leagues, but there's still plenty of time to enter that conversation if you're on the outside looking in. Below, we'll go through some players to move toward and some to avoid to help you get there.
RISING
Jacob Phillips, LB
Phillips played every defensive snap in the Week 4 loss to the Falcons, while Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah handled a 78 percent snap share. He capitalized on the opportunity with seven tackles (six solo) after he posted seven tackles (two solo) and a sack last week. Phillips should hold onto the starting job all season because Anthony Walker (quadriceps) is done for the year, so he should be a steady IDP option the rest of the way.
Zaire Franklin, LB
Shaquille Leonard made his season debut but left early with a concussion, and Franklin ended up playing every defensive snap and racking up 15 tackles (eight solo) in the process. Franklin out-snapping Bobby Okereke (70 percent) is key, and he should play every snap in Week 5, too, especially because Leonard is highly questionable with a Thursday game on tap.
Josey Jewell, LB
Jewell missed the first two games but has done nothing but dominate since he returned to the lineup, as he recorded 23 tackles (14 solo), a sack and a fumble recovery over the last two outings. The 2018 fourth-round pick is two years removed from posting 113 tackles and can keep up this success as long as he stays healthy.
Rashan Gary, LB 
It took a little longer than usual, but Gary is the truth. He has been a constant menace in opponents' backfields with five sacks and six tackles for loss through four games. Gary often needs to get a sack to make a fantasy impact, and taking on the Giants in Week 5 should help the cause, as QB Daniel Jones has been sacked 14 times this year.
Drue Tranquill, LB 
Tranquill played every defensive snap for the first time this season, and he has posted 23 tackles (16 solo) over the last two games. He won't lose that job as long as he keeps this up, and the matchup against the run-heavy Browns in Week 5 is ideal.
Quinnen Williams, DT 
After recording a goose egg in Week 1, Williams has totaled 14 tackles (nine solo) and 2.5 sacks through the last three games. He's coming off back-to-back seasons with 50-plus tackles and at least six sacks, and given his consistent role, we shouldn't worry about Williams in IDP formats, regardless of his defensive coordinator's comments.
FALLING
Patrick Queen, LB 
Queen's stats are mediocre, at best, as he has posted exactly five tackles (four solo) in three straight games, adding one sack along the way. The 2020 first-round pick simply hasn't lived up expectations, and his real-life results are in question now, too. That's bad news for dynasty purposes, and his ceiling simply isn't that high on a weekly basis anyway.
Jaelan Phillips, LB 
Phillips impressed as a pass-rusher last season, but he has just one sack through four games this year. The 2021 first-round pick has recorded just six tackles (three solo), too, so his IDP appeal is minimal, even when he does get to the quarterback.
Matthew Judon, LB 
Judon needs to get to the quarterback to yield fantasy value. He has posted a sack in every game this season, which has helped cover up his low tackle counts. Unfortunately, his task will be tougher in Week 5 against the Lions, as QB Jared Goff has been sacked just five times this season.
