Photo: USA Today Sports

The market goes by way of its product. In this case, we have quite the selection of talented defensive playmakers. As you may notice, this isn’t a market that forgets the ones who contribute the most. Quite the contrary. It is important to recognize that in these style fantasy leagues, certain guys can win you the game outright with their performance. Others, though can do just the opposite. Like a company that is going bankrupt, depreciating players can cause a serious impact on your team’s goals. Whether you’re in dynasty rebuild mode after four frustrating weeks or looking for that shining star to put you over the edge, one thing is always the same in stock market cases. Buy low and try to sell high! So, who do we have on tap this week as the performers to buy into or sell out of? Ring the bell!

High Dollar Stocks Trending Up

S Minkah Fitzpatrick: Maybe you’re noticing that Fitzpatrick has been a mainstay of this article, but he is seriously turning football on its head this year. He sits as IDP1 currently. There are rarely players who, regardless of opponent or circumstance, can truly bust open both a football game and fantasy matchup, but Fitzpatrick is one of those guys ala Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu. 32 tackles, four defended passes, three picks, and a touchdown on the year is crazy. What may be crazier than that is he came four yards away from a second touchdown this past weekend. If Fitzpatrick is on the field, he’s in contention for the best player on the field regardless of position. Some guys are just better than others. All hail Minkah Fitzpatrick, the current king of IDP fantasy football.

LB Devin Lloyd: Lloyd is no stranger to the praise of this article, but it’s still important to note that through his first four career games, he currently sits at LB1 and is the fifth highest scoring defensive player in the league. Chances are, if you play IDP dynasty you’re in a league that is both offense and defense. If so, Lloyd likely went a little later meaning he went to a better team if determined by the rank of your team determining draft position. If both statements are true, then there is a strong possibility Lloyd is singlehandedly putting teams into the upper echelon of leagues. Getting a top-10 linebacker, let alone LB1 is a huge addition to any squad so he has to be a top stock.

LB Roquan Smith: Same big numbers, different week. If it weren’t for the wonder rookie above him, he’d likely be the top linebacker in this market currently. He’s still only 25 years old and is now playing for a contract, so you know the motivation for continual improvement is there. He’s the lone bright spot on this defense and arguably of the team. He currently sits as the third-highest-rated linebacker in terms of point production and is showing no signs of slowing down. He has 46 tackles already on the year and is pacing for over 140 total tackles. The man is a stud and needs to be recognized as such. We have a battle for this year’s LB1.

DE Maxx Crosby: Crosby is having an absolute gem of a year. Currently slated as DE1, he has 27 tackles and four sacks through the first four weeks. In a year with a less-than-stellar pool at the defensive end position, he is ahead of DE2 by 13 total points. He is 25 years old and seemingly is an ironman when it comes to being able to suit up most weeks. He is pacing currently to have career highs in both tackles and sacks. He may be worthy of trading for at this position if the manager is crazy enough to part with him. If you have him, he’s gold, especially in dynasty. He could be a rare defensive lineman worthy of a first- or second-round pick for teams in contention, in which case is seemingly fair for both sides. Have a year, Crosby!

LB Jordan Hicks: This is the first mention of a player in the top tier who started in middle-of-the-pack. Hicks is simply too good to ignore at this point and currently sits at LB2. It’s worth noting though he’s coming off his worst performance of the young season with seven total tackles. That being said, if seven tackles are the benchmark of a “bad” game, you’re doing just fine here. Admittedly this wasn’t something easily anticipated, and his value may never be higher this year. He’s a 30-year-old linebacker who may garner more capital than he’s worth, although he’s a gem right now. Managers should look at his trade value and try to capitalize on his insane start to this year. Turn Hicks into picks!

High Dollar Stocks Trending Down

DT Jeffery Simmons: Normally a consistent contributor in IDP fantasy, Simmons has collapsed since a dominating six-tackle, two-sack performance in Week 1. Since then, he has had six total tackles and two defended passes. It’s still too early to panic sell Simmons, but it is worth noting that he went from DT1 to DT15 in a matter of three weeks. Let’s slow down on the fear-mongering here, but admittedly this isn’t good news for the 25-year-old stud defensive tackle. We need a rebound or he could be here again next week. Could it be that the Titans aren’t a viable fantasy team this year?

LB Isaiah Simmons: A top ten pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Simmons saw his career-best year last year with over 100 total tackles finishing as the 26^th best linebacker in only his second year in the league. This year, he will be lucky to eclipse 50 total tackles at his current rate and it’s extremely concerning. He likely went high in rookie drafts in dynasty a few years back and in redraft went as a top 10-15 linebacker depending on your scoring and overall hype. He’s currently the 326th-ranked defensive player and showing no signs of picking it up. This is my highest panic stock to date. Ugly times for Simmons managers.

S Kyle Dugger: This is one of the more surprising downward spirals we have seen all year. Dugger last year finished as S13 even though he missed two games. Had he played with his averages, he would have finished as S3. He’s currently pacing at S78. For a guy who was one of the dark horse players to pop this year, he has regressed heavily and is barely rosterable in most leagues. It may still be too early to go man overboard here, but it’s important to keep an eye on his next few games. He could just be another flash-in-the-pan player who had one decent year and then fell to the wayside as most NFL guys do.