Whew, that was a lotta injuries in Week 2. Not totally unexpected given the limited training camp schedule and lack of preseason games, but still, woof. It is essential that as fantasy owners we make adjustments, and find replacements for those starting IDPs we were so excited that we landed in our drafts. Now the work begins…and the fun, to be quite honest.

Bye Weeks coming up: Do not concern yourself until Week 5. 

Elevator Going Up

Linebackers

Joe Thomas DAL

Thomas racked up double digit total tackles (TT) with six each solo and assisted, one being for a loss of yards (TFL). He also contributed a QB hit/hurry (QH) against the visiting Falcons. He should continue to see plenty of snaps on defense with Leighton Vander Esch and Sean Lee both sidelined.

Kyle Van Noy MIA

Van Noy was on the field for nearly every defensive down (95%) in Week 2, and managed to force a fumble (FF) against the Bills. He also had four solo tackles and a PD. He should continue to see plenty of game action, with corresponding fantasy production for his owners.

Kevin Pierre-Louis WAS

The veteran has never managed to stick around any team for long in his career, but he was nearly an every down LB in Week 2, playing 75 of the 77 defensive snaps against the host Cardinals. He had 15 TT (10 solo) along with a FF. He has a great matchup against Cleveland on tap, to boot.

Kenneth Murray LAC

Murray collected a team-high 10 TT against the Chiefs last week (six solo). He also had a PD in that contest. With Carolina coming to visit in Week 3, he has a decent matchup on the schedule to continue to provide tackle numbers for his fantasy owners.

Eric Wilson MIN

Anthony Barr is lost for the season in Minnesota, which will thrust Wilson into an every down role on the weakside. The Vikings have been struggling to open the season, but will look to get things going in Week 3 against the visiting Titans, and that should allow Wilson to continue to produce, as he did when he collected eight TT (five solo) with an INT and PD against the Colts last contest.

Defensive Linemen

Kerry Hyder DE SF

Our lone DE this week, he is thrust into a bigger role due to the edge rusher injuries plaguing the 49ers. He gets to face the Giants, who feature a weak offensive line at best, so for short term production, he is primed to produce.

Ed Oliver DT BUF

Oliver had a full stat line in Week 2: four solo tackles, one sack, two QH and a PD. Getting that production from a DT is incredibly valuable.

Grady Jarrett DT ATL

A second DT to consider picking up, he had five tackles two weeks in a row. The matchup against the Bears is not bad this coming week, either. 

Defensive Backs

Justin Simmons S DEN

Simmons was a big-time producer in both tackles and big plays against the Steelers in Week 2, rolling up eight TT (seven solo, one TFL), with an INT and a pair of PDs as well. He has been a solid source of tackles over the past couple of seasons, and expect that production to continue as he plays out his franchise player season.

Ugochukwu Amadi S SEA

Amadi will benefit from the season-ending injury to Marquise Blair , returning him to the nickel back role he was expected to earn out of camp. He had eight solos (one TFL) this past contest, and should be in position to continue that production going forward.

Justin Reid S HOU

Reid finally put up some impressive numbers, with 10 TT (eight solo, one TFL) against the Ravens. Even heading to Pittsburgh, this is a good matchup on tap for another week of good production by the Texan safety.

Jeff Okudah CB DET

The rookie took the field in Week 2, and while he collected seven solo tackles, he was also attacked frequently. That in itself is a wonderful thing for fantasy owners to exploit, and until he adjusts, expect him to see plenty of activity in the coming weeks.

Holton Hill CB MIN

Another corner that is struggling to perform in his role, and that means plenty of potential fantasy production for the Viking starting right cornerback. He did pick up a sack against the Colts, to go with his seven solo tackles.

Mike Hilton CB PIT

The 5’9” nickel corner for the Steelers is seeing considerable time on the field, and due to his size, draws a lot of attention from opposing offenses. Good thing for his fantasy value. Witness last week’s stat line: eight solo tackles (two TFL), a sack, two QH, a PD and a fumble recovery (FR). He has a great matchup in store with the Texans visiting Pittsburgh in Week 3.

Marlon Humphrey CB BAL

Playing opposite Marcus Peters is likely to result in more action being directed toward the other CB on the field, and that showed up in Week 2. Humphrey had seven TT (six solo), a QH, a FF and half a sack against the host Texans. He has a good matchup coming up in Week 3 when the Ravens host the reigning champs, the Chiefs. 

Quinton Dunbar CB SEA

The Seahawk DB has 10 TT over his first two games of 2020 (nine solo), and also picked off a pass this past game and deflected a pass (INT, PD). He has a history against the Week 3 opponent Cowboys, so if you are stretched thin at DB, this is a fine time to snap him up.

Troy Hill CB LAR

Hill plays opposite Jalen Ramsey , which means he is getting plenty of opportunity to defend opposing receivers that are being targeted. He had eight TT in Week 2 (seven solo), and also contributed a couple of big plays with an INT and a PD. He gets to face the Bills this coming week, who are ranked as the fourth most generous to opposing fantasy CBs.

Escalator Going Down

Linebackers

Germaine Pratt CIN

Despite playing nearly ¾ of the defensive snaps against the Browns, who ran the ball a ton in Week 2, he managed just a pair of tackles (one solo). Poor effort and decision making on the field is not worth an IDP starting role for fantasy.

Duke Riley PHI

Riley is not alone in poor production in the Eagle linebacking corps, but a goose egg in the tackle column against the Rams in Week 2 is certainly grounds to avoid using him going forward. If you are considering using a Philly LB in your IDP starting lineup, please reconsider, at least for now.

Shaq Thompson CAR

Luke Kuechly may be gone, which would seem to open the door for Thompson to excel, but that has not been the case so far. Week 2’s trio of TT (one solo) is a far cry from a LB1. Unless his run support improves dramatically, he is unrosterable.

Matt Judon BAL

Judon’s production has been down, along with his decrease in playing time as part of the Raven defense in 2020. He managed just one assisted tackle and a QH against the Texans in Week 2. He has been a sack producer in the past, but without enough PT to generate decent tackle numbers, he is worthless unless and until he starts producing big plays.

Defensive Linemen

Josh Allen DE JAX

A huge zero in tackles this past week is certainly a sign that Allen has plenty of room to develop. Playing for the Jags is not exactly a stellar opportunity for his value to increase, although he is seeing plenty of snaps on defense. No sacks and only a pair of tackles in two games puts him on the sidelines for fantasy purposes.

Defensive Backs

Taylor Rapp S LAR

Rapp is out as the starter in LA after a weak four TT (all solo) effort in Week 2. Note that two of those tackles came on special teams, making his effort even more pathetic. Instead of Rapp, look at 6th round rookie Kyle Fuller who is putting up far better numbers currently.

Byron Murphy CB ARI

Murphy’s production has been putrid to open the season, with just three TT in two games, only one in Week 2 (solo). Before writing him off entirely, though, look to see how he performs against the Lion offense at home this coming Sunday. If the tackles are still mostly absent, time to look elsewhere for cornerback production.

Matchups to Exploit

Remember, the first team listed is the one to use your IDPs against. Do not go crazy, and play a LB5 against the Giants, but certainly you will do well if you own a top DT on either the Dolphins or Jaguars, or a Ram safety that you can plug in this week, for the most part.

Linebackers

New York Giants vs San Francisco

Washington @ Cleveland

Denver vs Tampa Bay

Defensive Ends

Seattle vs Dallas

Cincinnati @ Philadelphia

Los Angeles Chargers vs Carolina

Tennessee @ Minnesota

Defensive Tackles 

Las Vegas @ New England

Miami @ Jacksonville

Jacksonville vs Miami

Dallas @ Seattle

Safeties

Buffalo vs Los Angeles Rams

Atlanta vs Chicago

Cornerbacks

Cincinnati @ Philadelphia

Indianapolis vs New York Jets

Detroit @ Arizona

Buffalo vs Los Angeles Rams

Waiver Wire Targets

This section is intended to serve as a shortened cheat sheet listing those waiver wire targets you should be considering if you need to plug a hole in your starting lineup. All these players are spotlighted above, and you can read my comments about them in the "Elevator Going Up" section of this article. This group consists of those that you may have a chance of locating on your league's waiver wire in that they are owned in significantly less than 50% of leagues. Happy claiming for your weekly matchups.

Linebackers

Joe Thomas DAL

Kyle Van Noy MIA

Kevin Pierre-Louis WAS

Kenneth Murray LAC

Eric Wilson MIN

Defensive Linemen

Kerry Hyder DE SF

Ed Oliver DT BUF

Grady Jarrett DT ATL

Defensive Backs

Justin Simmons S DEN

Ugochukwu Amadi S SEA

Justin Reid S HOU

Jeff Okudah CB DET

Holton Hill CB MIN

Mike Hilton CB PIT

Marlon Humphrey CB BAL

Quinton Dunbar CB SEA

Troy Hill CB LAR

 

Ouch (My Aching Roster)

All the injury reports below need evaluation prior to kickoff.  Teams are notoriously sketchy about injury reports, and we often do not know a player's status until just before game time. Consider the list below as a "heads up" as to what is going on early in the week, and should not be considered definitive.

Linebackers

Foyer Oluokun ATL hamstring

Tremaine Edmunds BUF shoulder

Del’Shawn Phillips BUF quadriceps

Matt Milano BUF hamstring

Brain Burns CAR thigh

Jason Ferris CAR undisclosed

Khalil Mack CHI knee

Mack Wilson CLE knee

Jacob Phillips CLE knee

Sean Lee DAL sports hernia IR

Leighton Vander Esch DAL collarbone IR

Mark Barron DEN hamstring

Von Miller DEN ankle

Randy Ramsey GB groin

Peter Kalambayi HOU hamstring

Matthew Adams IND ankle

Nick Kwiatkoski LV pectoral

Drue Tranquill LAC ankle IR

Vince Biegel MIA Achilles IR

Troy Dye MIN foot

Anthony Barr MIN pectoral

Chase Hansen NO hip

David Mayo NYG knee-meniscus IR

Blake Cashman NYJ groin IR

Bud Dupree PIT shoulder

Dre Greenlaw SF quadriceps

Bruce Irvin SEA knee-ACL IR

Derick Roberson TEN knee

Thomas Davis WAS illness

Ryan Kerrigan WAS toe

Cole Holcomb WAS knee

Defensive Linemen

DE

Jordan Phillips ARI ankle

Dante Fowler ATL ankle

Charles Harris ATL ankle

Takkarist McKinley ATL groin

Yetur Gross-Matos CAR concussion

Mike Daniels CIN groin

Olivier Vernon CLE abdomen

Adrian Clayborn CLE hip

Demarcus Lawrence DAL knee

DeMarcus Walker DEN calf IR

Jurrell Casey DEN undisclosed

Dre’Mont Jones DEN knee-PCL IR

J.J. Watt HOU groin

Akex Okafor KC hamstring

Frank Clark KC illness

Carl Nassib LV illness

Danielle Hunter MIN neck IR

Trey Hendrickson NO groin

Marcus Davenport NO elbow

Anthony Lanier NO undisclosed

Vinny Curry PHI hamstring IR

Solomon Thomas SF knee-ACL IR

Nick Bosa SF knee-ACL IR

Dee Ford SF back

Rasheem Green SEA neck

Jason Pierre-Paul TB knee

Ryan Anderson WAS leg

DT

Tyeler Davison ATL ankle

Marlon Davidson ATL knee

Justin Madubuike BAL knee

Ed Oliver BUF knee

Kawann Short CAR foot

John Jenkins CHI thumb

Geno Atkins CIN shoulder

Nick Williams DET shoulder

Montravius Adams GB toe

Kenny Clark GB Groin

Treyvon Hester GB undisclosed

Khalen Saunders KC elbow IR

Justin Jones LAC shoulder

Adam Butler NE shoulder

Malcolm Brown NO foot

Fletcher Cox PHI oblique

Jarran Reed SEA undisclosed

Defensive Backs

S

Jalen Thompson ARI ankle IR

Damontae Kazee ATL hamstring

Kendall Sheffield ATL foot

Ricardo Allen ATL elbow

Natrell Jamerson CAR illness

Shawn Williams CIN calf

Trey Marshall DEN undisclosed

Julian Blackmon IND knee

Malik Hooker IND Achilles IR

Jarrod Wilson JAX hamstring IR

Rayshawn Jenkins LAC groin 

Clayton Fejedelem MIA pectoral

Nate Brooks MIA undisclosed

Adrian Colbert NYG quadriceps 

Xavier McKinney NYG foot IR

Ashtyn Davis NYJ groin

Rudy Ford PHI groin

Marquise Blair SEA knee-ACL IR

Jamal Adams SEA finger

Chris Jackson TEN hamstring

CB

Byron Murphy ARI shoulder

Tavon Young BAL knee-ACL

Tre’Davious White BUF shoulder

Taron Johnson BUF groin

Josh Norman BUF hamstring IR

Greedy Williams CLE shoulder

Kevin Johnson CLE abdomen

Chidobe Awuzie DAL hamstring

Trevon Diggs DAL shoulder

Anthony Brown DAL ribs IR

Davontae Harris DEN hamstring

A.J. Bouye DEN shoulder

Desmond Trufant DET hamstring

Justin Coleman DET hamstring IR

Rock Ya-Sin IND illness

Charvarius Ward KC hand

Antonio Hamilton KC groin

Byron Jones MIA groin

Mike Hughes MIN neck

Cameron Dantzler MIN ribs

Monte Hartage NYG hamstring

Nate Hairston NYJ hip

Arthur Maulet NYJ groin IR

Quincy Wilson NYJ concussion

Craig James PHI thigh

Richard Sherman SF calf 

Tre Flowers SEA finger

Malcolm Butler TEN quadriceps 

Adoree’ Jackson TEN knee IR

As ever, good luck and Godspeed in your fantasy efforts. Make sure to read all of our great articles to help you win your fantasy match ups every week and ultimately bask in championship glory. FANation Chat is now live on the site, to help you work through your fantasy football dilemmas. Or if you have any fantasy football questions, especially about IDP leagues, you can also send a message to ia@fantasyalarm.com for a personal response from the writer of this article. Naturally, the more detail you can send about your league, such as number of teams, platform you play in (Yahoo, ESPN, etc.), scoring and roster system, the better the ability to provide accurate advice.