UPGRADES
DE Cameron Wake, MIA (3 solos, 2 sacks, 2 FF)
Wake made the Pro Bowl last year and arguably played pretty well most of the year, but it didn’t always show up on his stat sheet. He got the new year off to a great start in a big win over the Patriots where he helped spark a 2nd half comeback with a strip sack of Brady. He has the talent to put up elite numbers at the position.
DE Justin Smith, SF (4 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks)
Although Smith only saw 49 snaps in the game, he made the most of them with 6 combined tackles and a pair of sacks. He was equally strong against the run or pass, and despite turning 35 later this month it looks like he could help offset some of the pass-rushing gap created by the suspension to Aldon Smith.
DE Fletcher Cox, PHI (6 solos, 1 FR, 1 TD)
The Eagles like to use a rotation on their defensive line, but Cox wound up seeing significantly more playing time than the other linemen in week 1. He came up with plenty of stops as the Jaguars were shutout in the second half, and put the finishing touches on the comeback win with a 17-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
DE Ryan Davis, JAX (2 solos, 2 sacks, 1 FR)
Davis is an underdog who spent some time on the Jaguars’ practice squad, but he could wind up being a key piece of their defensive line rotation as a pass rush specialist this year. He has exceptional speed around the edge, which was evident on Sunday as he got to Nick Foles for two sacks and a fumble recovery.
DT Linval Joseph, MIN (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack)
Joseph has been an underrated player during his past few years with the Giants, but he appears headed for a key role in the middle of the Vikings defensive line. Despite getting shot by a stray bullet a month ago, Joseph appears to be no worse for wear as he terrorized the Rams with 6 combined tackles and a sack in just 37 total snaps played.
LB Sio Moore, OAK (11 solos, 2 asst, 1 sack, 2 FF)
Moore lost some of his luster when the Raiders added Khalil Mack early in the first round this year, but there should be enough playing time for both to make an impact. It was Moore who played every snap in this game and filled up the box score. The Raiders were without their normal MLB in Nick Roach and the Jets ran the ball a ton so that likely helped, but Moore is certainly an intriguing young player with upside.
LB Emmanuel Lamur, CIN (5 solos, 6 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Lamur played all but a single defensive snap for the Bengals and was extremely active with 11 combined tackles and a diving interception. His numbers were helped by the fact he was the primary coverage option for Ravens TE Dennis Pitta, who piled up 10 catches on 15 targets. Also, Vontaze Burfict left the game early with a concussion, but it looked like Lamur was a 3-down linebacker regardless.
LB Paul Kruger, CLE (4 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks)
The Browns have a nice rotation of outside linebackers to rely on this year, and new head coach Mike Pettine figures to take full advantage of them. Last year, he helped turn players like Jerry Hughes and Manny Lawson into decent fantasy options in big play leagues and he could help rescue Kruger’s career as well. Despite seeing just 45 snaps, Kruger managed to put up 5 combined tackles and a pair of sacks as the Browns comeback attempt fell just short.
LB Jamie Collins, NE (8 solos, 1 FF, 1 PD)
While it was likely that Collins would earn a 3-down role with the Patriots this year, it was still nice to see him play every snap in the game. The Patriots mixed things up by keeping all three of their starting linebackers on the field in their nickel and dime packages, but Collins is the more versatile player. Despite playing the same number of snaps, Collins out produced Dont’a Hightower by a wide margin and could be a reliable everyweek starter this year.
LB Josh Mauga (8 solos) and James-Michael Johnson (2 solos, 1 asst), KC
With Derrick Johnson suffering a torn Achilles that will end his 2014 season, both Chiefs inside linebackers figure to see a bump in value. Mauga earned the starting spot next to Johnson this year and had an impressive Chiefs debut with 8 solo tackles. The other Johnson took over midway through the game and wasn’t quite as productive, but looks headed for a big increase in playing time.
S D.J. Swearinger Sr, HOU (6 solos, 2 asst, 1 sack, 1 FF)
Swearinger played every snap for the Texans this week and put up some great numbers despite making some mistakes. The Texans are somewhat weak up the middle, which should result in plenty of tackle opportunities for Swearinger who often lines up in the box. In addition to a sack, he also came up with a forced fumble after a blown coverage that allowed fullback Darrell Young to rumble for a 48-yard gain.
S Donte Whitner, CLE (12 solos, 1 asst)
There was some concern in the preseason that Whitner might wind up playing more of a deep free safety role, but that didn’t appear to be the case on Sunday against the Steelers. He played every snap and was extremely active throughout the game as he piled up 13 tackles against the Steelers no-huddle spread offense. Could be in line for a big year following the move to his hometown team.
CB Leodis McKelvin, BUF (13 solos, 1 asst)
McKelvin has always been a physical and capable tackler, but what hurt him is a general lack of ball awareness and hands of stone. His huge game this week was driven in part by the matchup as the Bears threw the ball quite often and had three players with 8 receptions. With Stephon Gilmore battling injuries again, McKelvin currently sits as the Bills #1 corner so he will likely see plenty of targets while also seeing time as a punt returner.
CB Antoine Cason, CAR (9 solos, 1 INT, 2 PD)
Cason played the entire game and tied for the team lead with 9 tackles (all of them solo), while also picking off a pass on a poor decision by Bucs QB Josh McCown. He is a former 1st round pick who appears to be a good fit in the Panthers defense. Look for him to have another busy day next week in a matchup with the Lions.
DOWNGRADES
DE Quanterus Smith, DEN (0 tackles)
Smith served as a rotational end for the Broncos on Sunday night against the Colts but he was ineffective and failed to crack the stat sheet in 25 snaps. There is a chance Smith could earn a bigger role eventually, but it looks like he’s clearly behind DeMarcus Ware, Derek Wolfe, and Malik Jackson for now.
DE Sheldon Richardson, NYJ (0 tackles)
This was a strange game for Richardson as he played nearly the entire game but wound up getting shutout in fantasy leagues. He was credited with several QB hurries and hits, however, so was likely a victim of bad luck as well as a tough matchup with limited opportunities as the Raiders only ran the ball 14 times.
DE Chris Long, STL (0 tackles)
Long played about half the game and registered some early QB pressures, but he was not great against the run and eventually knocked out with an ankle injury. He was reportedly wearing a brace after the game, but the severity of the injury was not immediately known. William Hayes and Eugene Sims appear to be next in line for playing time.
DE Rob Ninkovich, NE (5 solos)
There’s nothing wrong with the 5 solos Ninkovich put up in this game, but the bigger concern is how he was used. The Patriots didn’t play him in their nickel and dime packages so he was only out there for about half the game. Given the lack of pressure the Patriots were able to get on Ryan Tannehill in the game, maybe they will consider giving Ninkovich more opportunities in passing situations.
DT Henry Melton, DAL (0 tackles)
It’s been a full year since Melton tore his ACL, but he sat out the entire preseason and it looks like the Cowboys are trying to take things slowly with him. They used a rotation on the defensive line so 8 players saw regular playing time in the game. It didn’t seem to help them much, however, so perhaps there is a chance for a bigger role once he gets up to speed.
LB D.J. Williams, CHI (0 tackles)
The Bears showed in the preseason that they were going to replace Williams with Jon Bostic in their nickel package and that’s what happened on Sunday against the Bills. However, Bostic actually wound up seeing more snaps in the game and that was not exactly expected. Williams is the more reliable veteran and the Bears run defense showed that they still have some big issues to fix, but they also looked old and slow at times and would probably like to see Bostic take over that job eventually.
LB Craig Robertson, CLE (0 tackles)
Robertson got the start at ILB next to Karlos Dansby but only managed to see 12 snaps in the game. The Steelers attacked with a spread offense for much of the game and that left Robertson in coverage more than the Browns wanted. It was rookie Christian Kirksey who relieved Robertson early on and eventually went on to see 60 snaps in the game. We can probably expect Kirksey to stick, which leaves Robertson without much value.
LB Audie Cole, MIN (0 tackles)
The Vikings went with Jasper Brinkley as their starting MLB this week, but he did not play in passing situations. The rookie Anthony Barr played in the nickel and it looked like he saw more time in coverage than expected. Cole was competing with Brinkley for a starting spot, but there might not even be a 3-down role available if he won it.
LB Zach Brown, TEN (0 tackles)
Brown was expected to play a key role in the middle of the Titans defense this year, but he only lasted four plays before leaving the game with an injury. Brown suffered a torn pectoral muscle that could wind up ending his season. If he’s out long-term, it looks like Zaviar Gooden could be next in line but the Titans may go to more of a big nickel as their base.
LB Dont’a Hightower, NE (1 asst)
Hightower played every snap in the game against the Dolphins and only finished with a single assist. The Patriots used three down linemen and three linebackers in passing situations, and that meant that Hightower probably had to spend more time either rushing the passer or dropping into coverage than he’s used to. He did generate some pressure on Tannehill, but not sure that role fits him all that well.
LB Jadeveon Clowney, HOU (1 solo)
Clowney played 23 snaps this week but was forced to leave early with a knee injury. His fantasy value was already hurt by the LB designation he received in the Texans 3-4 front and now it looks like he’ll miss 4 to 6 weeks as well. Certainly still has value in dynasty leagues as a long-term hold, but this is a big blow to his value in redraft leagues that don’t have sack-heavy scoring systems or deep benches.
LB Derrick Johnson, KC (4 solos)
Johnson has been one of the most reliable fantasy linebackers in the league over the past 4 seasons, but he will miss the rest of 2014 with a torn Achilles he suffered this week against the Titans. It’s a huge blow to a Chiefs defense that played very well in 2013.
LB Robert Mathis, IND (DNP)
Mathis was already suspended for the first four games of the season, but he reportedly suffered a torn Achilles while working out on his own. If the reports are accurate, he will miss the rest of the year and at 33 years of age it’s unlikely he would be able to regain the level of play he showed last year when he led the league with 19.5 sacks.
S Johnathan Cyprien, JAX (0 tackles)
Cyprien came into the season with a chance at putting up elite numbers for his position. That could still happen, but he had a rough start to the year. He only made it through about half the game this week before leaving with a concussion after slamming his head against the turf. It’s unclear if he’ll be cleared in time to play next week so keep an eye on the situation throughout the week.
S Aaron Williams, BUF (2 solos, 1 asst)
Williams is expected to replace Jairus Byrd at free safety, but it was strange to see him wind up with just 3 combined tackles on a day when Jay Cutler completed 34 passes for 349 yards. Also a cause for concern is that he left the game early with concussion-like symptoms so his status for next week could be in doubt.
CB Richard Sherman, SEA (0 tackles)
The risk with any shutdown corner as good as Sherman is what happened on Thursday night in the season opener. The Packers did not target him once in the game, and that gave him very little opportunity to get involved on the stat sheet. Obviously Sherman is an elite NFL player but his fantasy value is hurt by the fact he’s so good that teams are afraid to throw in his direction.
CB Cary Williams, PHI (1 solo)
Williams played the entire game for the Eagles (76 snaps) and managed just a single solo tackle. He was victimized badly by undrafted rookie Allen Hurns early on, and that helped the Jaguars build a big lead. Sometimes it’s not such a bad thing for fantasy purposes to have a corner that struggles in coverage, but they still need to make the tackle after allowing the catch and Williams wasn’t even close enough to do that on Sunday.