POSITIONAL TIERS
These tiers will not be as extensive as my offseason tiers. During the season, I put players into three categories: Matchup Independent Starters, Matchup Dependent Plays, and Priority Watch List. Dynasty league owners should have an additional category: Stashes you must keep on your roster. In deeper leagues, the matchup dependent list will obviously need to be longer.
This week: Linebacker
LINEBACKER TIERS
Matchup Independent Every-Week Starters
Luke Kuechly, Benardrick McKinney, Alec Ogletree, Bobby Wagner, Kwon Alexander, Zach Brown, Zach Orr, Ryan Shazier, Derrick Johnson, Kiko Alonso, Mark Barron, Jerrell Freeman (susp), Preston Brown, Telvin Smith Sr, Lawrence Timmons, Jamie Collins Sr, Jatavis Brown (inj), Vontaze Burfict, Paul Posluszny, Sean Lee, D'Qwell Jackson, Craig Robertson, Tahir Whitehead, C.J. Mosley, Malcolm Smith, DeAndre Levy (inj), LaVonte David, Nick Kwiatowski, Eric Kendricks, Nigel Bradham, Chris Kirksey
Rosterable Matchup Dependent Plays
Dont'a Hightower, Deone Bucannon, Darron Lee, Dannell Ellerbe, De'Vondre Campbell, Will Compton, Jordan Hicks, Avery Williamson, K.J. Wright, Korey Toomer, Deion Jones, Thomas Davis, Kevin Minter, Nick Bellore, Brandon Marshall, Edwin Jackson, Joe Thomas
Big Play Matchup Plays
Von Miller, Justin Houston, Chandler Jones, Vic Beasley Jr, Lorenzo Alexander, Dee Ford, Terrell Suggs, Melvin Ingram III, Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus, Ryan Kerrigan, Brian Orakpo, Markus Golden, Erik Walden, Jerry Hughes, Shane Ray
Dynasty Watch List / Roster Stashes
NaVorro Bowman (inj), Myles Jack, Su'a Cravens, Shaq Thompson, Preston Smith, Leonard Floyd, Jaylon Smith (inj), Vince Williams, Mychal Kendricks, Denzel Perryman, Reggie Ragland, Blake Martinez, Bud Dupree, Shaq Lawson, Nick Vigil, B.J. Goodson
EVERY-DOWN LINEBACKER PROJECTIONS
Additions to the every-down column in BOLD. Injury situations to monitor this week in italics.
|
TEAM
|
EVERY-DOWN LB
|
75-100% SNAPS
|
INJ | SUSP
|
NOTES
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ARIZONA
|
Chandler Jones : Kevin Minter | |||
|
ATLANTA
|
De'Vondre Campbell | Sean Weatherspoon (IR) | ||
|
BALTIMORE
|
Zachary Orr : C.J. Mosley
|
|
|
|
|
BUFFALO
|
||||
|
CAROLINA
|
Used Klein over Thompson in subpackage last week | |||
|
CHICAGO
|
Nick Kwiatkowski : John Timu
|
|
Jerrell Freeman (susp), Leonard Floyd, Danny Trevathan (IR) | Could move Floyd inside when healthy |
|
CINCINNATI
|
|
|||
|
CLEVELAND
|
Chris Kirksey : Jamie Collins Sr
|
|||
|
DALLAS
|
|
|||
|
DENVER
|
none
|
|||
|
DETROIT
|
DeAndre Levy | Levy could return this week | ||
|
GREEN BAY
|
Joe Thomas
|
Blake Martinez, Jake Ryan |
|
|
|
HOUSTON
|
Brian Cushing |
Clowney at OLB w/ Simon injured
|
||
|
INDIANAPOLIS
|
D'Qwell Jackson |
Erik Walden : Edwin Jackson
|
Trent Cole | Cole activated from IR, practicing |
|
JACKSONVILLE
|
||||
|
KANSAS CITY
|
||||
|
LOS ANGELES
|
||||
|
MIAMI
|
|
Koa Misi (IR)
|
||
|
MINNESOTA
|
||||
|
NEW ENGLAND
|
Dont'a Hightower
|
|||
|
NEW ORLEANS
|
Dannell Ellerbe |
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK GIANTS
|
none | |||
|
NEW YORK JETS
|
Erin Henderson (NFI) |
|
||
|
OAKLAND
|
Malcolm Smith : Cory James
|
Perry Riley, Ben Heeney (IR) | ||
|
PHILADELPHIA
|
|
|||
|
PITTSBURGH
|
||||
|
SAN DIEGO
|
Korey Toomer : Melvin Ingram III
|
Jatavis Brown, Manti Te'o (IR), Jeremiah Attaochu (IR) | ||
|
SAN FRANCISCO
|
Ahmad Brooks : Gerald Hodges | NaVorro Bowman (IR) | ||
|
SEATTLE
|
||||
|
TAMPA BAY
|
||||
|
TENNESSEE
|
none
|
|||
|
WASHINGTON
|
Subscribe to The Audible on iTunes or download our weekly IDP podcast here every Thursday for injury updates, player analysis, and matchup discussion. Follow and ask questions on Twitter @JeneBramel.