IDP Waiver Suggestions and Start/Sits - Week 3

Sep 21, 2016

The dust from Week 2 has settled. There was no shortage of carnage this week, with DeAndre Levy, Ezekiel Ansah, Demarcus Ware and Carl Nassib all going down with injuries. Week 2 also had some strange anomalies. Lavonte David, for example, produced a goose-egg in 66 snaps which was a first for the elite linebacker. With all that behind us, we say goodbye to Week 2 and look ahead to Week 3 with waiver wire pickups and matchup plays for the week.

Note: In parenthesis (Snaps Appeared That Week/Percentage of Defensive Snaps)

Defensive Line

Frank Clark, DE, Seattle Seahawks (35 snaps/56 percent)

Clark should be on your IDP radar by now, but his two-sack performance against the Rams in Week 2 should cement that. Clark has a motor. His snaps are increasing, which is leading to an increase in pass rush opportunities he’s taking advantage of.

Timmy Jernigan, DE, Baltimore Ravens (43 snaps/69 percent)

Jernigan has recorded sacks in back-to-back weeks and was a force against Cleveland’s offensive line in Week 2, notching six tackles (including two for loss) and a sack. He’s also hitting the QB consistently, with five hits on the season. Jernigan is worth a look in big-play formats and deeper leagues where you’re starting two or more DL.

Zach Kerr, DE, Indianapolis Colts (40 snaps/56 percent)

Kerr played extremely well against a decent Bronco offensive line, producing a sack and five solo tackles. He’s getting the base defensive snaps (and I’m hoping he can get in on nickel packages), but Jernigan is making the most of his playing time as of now. Through two weeks, he’s generating consistent pressure on his rush snaps, producing a near 13-percent QB pressure rate.

Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars (42 snaps/62 percent)

Dante Fowler gets the attention, but Ngakoue has established himself early on in Jacksonville’s defense. He produced big plays in Week 2 with a forced fumble and a sack. Fowler also posted a 10-percent QB pressure rate, which is where his pressure rate is through two weeks. With guys like Fowler, Malik Jackson and Telvin Smith, Ngakoue won’t see too many double teams.

Devin Taylor, DE, Detroit Lions (52 snaps/78 percent)

Taylor’s usage and snap counts should go up with Zeke Ansah expected to miss a month with a high ankle sprain. Taylor followed up his six-tackle Week 1 with 1.5 sacks and seven tackles (two for loss) in Week 2. After only producing six-percent QB pressure rate in Week 1, he followed it up by producing pressure in 10 percent of his rush snaps in Week 2.