Photo: Tim Heitman, USA Today Sports

The reason the NFL is king is the parity involved within the league. Any given Sunday, it seems that anyone can win. This is true, at least for most teams. The best teams, in theory, have the best players, but that’s not always the case, especially in terms of defense. Some bad teams have high-performing players, and some great teams have middle-of-the-road players. What can’t be debated is that good players win in fantasy football. IDP is no different from standard formats in this regard. Whether it’s a stud middle linebacker making plays all over the field or a refrigerator-sized defensive tackle stuffing the run and meeting the running back at the point of attack one thing is for sure. Footballguys is here to break it down for ya. Here’s this week’s group of stocks ready to improve your team, whether it’s via acquisition or liquidation.

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Linebacker Devin Lloyd: This week’s highest performer is no stranger to the shoutout seeing as he’s been a focal point of the article through the beginning of this year. Lloyd is currently the fourth highest scoring defensive player in standard scoring leagues. He is also LB2 on the year through his first three games EVER. Lloyd has yet to score below 14 points and is seemingly just as deadly in pass coverage as he is in tackling the ball carrier. He’s beginning to run away with defensive rookie of the year with production like that.

Defensive End Demarcus Lawrence: Time to take an L here. Lawrence in his first game looked like a man who had seen his best days go by and was covered in this article as such. That was until he got a Primetime game against a division rival where compiled six tackles and three sacks. He has increased his production in each game played this season and that needs to be recognized. Games like Monday night are few and far between, but the fact remains he’s increasing in production and is trending up. Is this the trade window frustrated owners needed or will he continue this trend?

Linebacker Roquan Smith: Smith had one of the best defensive performances we will see all year. Sixteen total tackles, a pass defended, and an interception helped catapult him to the LB3 spot, just six total points off the lead spot. Another name IDP fans are quite familiar with, Smith had some weird preseason contract dispute with the Bears, which made him a risky asset at best for the price that was necessary to acquire him in most leagues, whether through draft or trade, but fans have to be happy now that we are getting the normal Smith a stud, no-doubt top-three guy.

Defensive End Maxx Crosby: Hopefully, you didn’t dump all your shares of Maxx Crosby during the defensive positioning Armageddon this past offseason. If you didn’t, boy has it paid off. Crosby has 23 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble through three games played and looks as good as ever on an otherwise disappointing Raiders team. In a league full of surprises each week, one thing remains certain, Mad Maxx is still a top-flight edge rusher and needs to be treated as such on your teams. Look for him to continue being a focal point of this article trending upwards.

Linebacker Nick Bolton: Bolton had a monster game last week against the Colts, registering two sacks and nine tackles. This was his first week with fewer than ten total tackles, but he made up for that with splash plays getting to the quarterback. Bolton has been seemingly under-the-radar in IDP circles this year despite the capital likely used to acquire him. He is far and away the best defender to have on the Kansas City Chiefs and needs to be a focal point of your IDP team if he isn’t already. He is a bona fide stud and is only 22 years old.

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Defensive End Von Miller: Miller got off to a crazy start on the Thursday night opener against his former team with four tackles and two sacks. Since then, he has totaled one tackle, and two defended passes. This has made managers nervous, as well as some Bills executives surely. He is residually benefitting his teammates on the line but was likely overdrafted at this point and could trend to losing games for managers at some point. Is the Von Miller of old just that, old? Managers will need to see some production here soon, or he could be on his way to the bench of IDP teams.