Three-Down Linebackers for 2020 IDP Leagues

Dec 21, 2020

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Keeping tabs on the three-down linebackers is going to be vital in 2020 - between potential injuries and COVID19, players could miss time for a myriad of reasons. So knowing who's going to be on the field will provide a leg up on your competition.

This will be updated throughout the rest of the season as information is presented. Here is how the snaps are playing out among the linebackers and who were calling the plays.

*-I do point out if a non-LB is calling the plays in my notes

2020 Three-Down Linebackers
Team	First Name	Last Name	2020 Snaps	2020 Team Snaps	2020 Snap Rate	2020 Playcaller
ARI	Jordan	Hicks	952	979	97.24%	x
ARI	De'Vondre	Campbell	801	979	81.82%
ATL	Deion	Jones	843	884	95.36%	x
ATL	Foysade	Oluokun	705	884	79.75%
BAL	Patrick	Queen	717	875	81.94%
BUF	Tremaine	Edmunds	699	811	86.19%	x
BUF	AJ	Klein	649	811	80.02%
CAR	Shaq	Thompson	904	924	97.84%	x
CHI	Roquan	Smith	962	969	99.28%	x
CLE	BJ	Goodson	848	941	90.12%	x
DAL	Jaylon	Smith	902	919	98.15%	x
DAL	Leighton	Vander Esch	421	919	45.81%
DEN	AJ	Johnson	946	959	98.64%
DEN	Josey	Jewell	892	959	93.01%	x
DET	Jamie	Collins	819	966	84.78%	x
GB	Christian	Kirksey	501	966	51.86%	x
HOU	Zach	Cunningham	797	957	83.28%
HOU	Tyrell	Adams	722	957	75.44%	x
IND	Darius	Leonard	692	895	77.32%	x
IND	Bobby	Okereke	605	895	67.60%
JAX	Joe	Schobert	1,031	1,039	99.23%	x
JAX	Myles	Jack	792	1,039	76.23%
LAC	Kenneth	Murray	755	830	90.96%	x
LAR	Micah	Kiser	559	909	61.50%
LAR	Troy	Reeder	314	909	34.54%
LV	Nick	Kwiatkoski	704	945	74.50%
MIA	Jerome	Baker	671	905	74.14%
MIA	Kyle	Van Noy	683	905	75.47%	x
MIN	Eric	Kendricks	755	942	80.15%
MIN	Eric	Wilson	812	942	86.20%	x
NO	Demario	Davis	836	849	98.47%	x
NO	Kwon	Alexander	630	958	65.76%
NYG	Blake	Martinez	845	868	97.35%	x
NYJ	Neville	Hewitt	990	993	99.70%	x
PHI	Alex	Singleton	542	892	60.76%	x
PIT	Robert	Spillane	358	902	46.25%
PIT	Vince	Wiliams	522	902	67.44%
PIT	Avery	Williamson	555	935	59.36	x
SEA	Bobby	Wagner	929	939	98.94%	x
SEA	KJ	Wright	813	939	86.58%
SF	Fred	Warner	755	816	92.52%	x
SF	Dre	Greenlaw	548	816	67.16%
TB	Devin	White	792	792	100.00%	x
TB	Lavonte	David	792	792	100.00%
TEN	Rashaan	Evans	774	983	78.74%
WAS	Jon	Bostic	773	838	92.24%	x

Atlanta Falcons

Deion Jones and Foyesade Oluokun were on the field for 100% of the snaps. Jones came through for his owners, recording 10 tackles and adding another sack to his total.

Week 15 Green Dot: Deion Jones

Arizona Cardinals

Jordan Hicks was on the field for 100% of the snaps. De'Vondre Campbell seems to be yielding playing time to Isaiah Simmons. Campbell was on the field for 42% of the snaps, resulting in 35 total plays. Simmons was on the field for 76% of the snaps. It will be hard to trust Campbell heading into Week 16.

Week 15 Green Dot: Jordan Hicks

Baltimore Ravens

Patrick Queen received his usual workload in Week 15. Queen was on the field for 81% - recording six tackles and pitching in a sack. No other Baltimore ILB played more than 65% of the snaps. Queen is the only Baltimore LB to trust in Week 16.

Week 14 Green Dot: Chuck Clark

Buffalo Bills

Tremaine Edmunds saw some of his snaps scaled back this week due to a blowout against the Broncos. Edmunds played in 77% of the snaps. Neither AJ Klein nor Matt Milano should be on the IDP radar at this point.

Week 15 Green Dot: Tremaine Edmunds

Carolina Panthers

Although he's getting the volume, the production hasn't matched for Shaq Thompson. He hasn't had more than five tackles in the last four weeks. After registering 80% of the snaps in Week 14, Jermaine Carter saw the field for just half the game.

Week 15 Green Dot: Shaq Thompson

Chicago Bears

Roquan Smith was on the field for 100% of the snaps but had an average game, recording six tackles. Danny Trevathan was on the field for 72% of the snaps and notched 11 tackles - four being solos. Smith should be in your Week 16 lineup and Trevathan, even with his usage, is startable weekly.

Week 15 Green Dot: Roquan Smith

Cincinnati Bengals

Germaine Pratt and Josh Bynes led the linebackers in snaps and each appeared in over 65% of the snaps. Either will be hard to trust in Week 16.

Week 15 Green Dot: Vonn Bell

Cleveland Browns

BJ Goodson was on the field for all but one snap against the Giants and recorded seven tackles. No other Cleveland linebacker received more than 60% of the snaps.

Week 15 Green Dot: BJ Goodson

Dallas Cowboys

Jaylon Smith appeared in 100% of the snaps and recorded his third-straight 10+ tackle game. He's producing for his owners at the right time. Leighton Vander Esch suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the game after 32 snaps. Keep an eye on the injury throughout the week. Sean Lee received more snaps than Joe Thomas in LVE's absence. Lee received 27 snaps to Thomas's 18.

Week 15 Green Dot: Jaylon Smith

Denver Broncos

Josey Jewell and AJ Johnson were Denver's full-time inside linebackers against Buffalo in Week 15.

Week 15 Green Dot: Josey Jewell

Detroit Lions

Jamie Collins called the plays but was on the field for just 80% of the snaps and the production matched, with just four tackles this week.

Week 15 Green Dot: Jamie Collins

Green Bay Packers

Lots of speculation on Christian Kirksey's role this week and what his snaps would look like. Lots of articles that Kirksey would be yielding to Krys Barnes, and while that was still the case, Kirksey was still productive. Kirksey appeared in 71% of the snaps and still recorded nine tackles. Barnes was on for just 45% of the snaps.

Week 15 Green Dot: Christian Kirksey and Krys Barnes

Houston Texans

After seeing his play dip to the 70% range, Zach Cunningham was on the field for 100% of the snaps alongside Tyrell Adams. Adams and Cunningham combined for 21 tackles - Adams getting 11 of those with Cunningham pitching in the other 10. Cunningham hasn't recorded fewer than eight tackles since Week 9. Keep both in your lineup heading into Week 16.

Week 15 Green Dot: Tyrell Adams

Indianapolis Colts

Darius Leonard was the lone Indy LB to get 100% of the snaps in Week 15. Leonard recorded 12 tackles and added a forced fumble. Bobby Okereke was on the field for 70% of the snaps. At this point, it's hard to trust Okereke outside of deeper leagues where you're starting four LBs.

Week 15 Green Dot: Darius Leonard

Jacksonville Jaguars

Joe Schobert and Myles Jack were on the field for 100% of the snaps. Jack and Schobert each came through this week. Schobert recorded 12 total tackles - including seven solos. Jack pitched in 10 tackles of his own, also recording seven solos. Start both as you normally would in Week 16.

Week 15 Green Dot: Joe Schobert

Kansas City Chiefs

Ben Niemann was on the field for 85% of the snaps - his second-straight games of a usage rate above 80%. Niemann finished with eight tackles. Anthony Hitchens was on the field for 60% of the snaps. I'm not trusting Hitchens in Week 16. Even with his usage over the last few weeks, it's still tough to trust Niemann.

Week 15 Green Dot: Rotation. When Hitchens was off the field, Ben Niemann called the plays.

Las Vegas Raiders

With Nicholas Morrow inactive, Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton were the three-down LBs for Las Vegas in Week 15.

Week 15 Green Dot: Nick Kwiatkoski

Los Angeles Chargers

Kenneth Murray was on the field for 100% of the snaps against the Raiders. No other Charger LB played over 65% of the snaps.

Week 15 Green Dot: Kenneth Murray

Los Angeles Rams

Troy Reeder appeared in 95% of the snaps against the Jets in Week 15. Reeder recorded his third 10+ tackle game in the last four weeks - notching 11 tackles. Start him as you normally would in Week 16.

Week 15 Green Dot: John Johnson (Safety)

Miami Dolphins

Kyle Van Noy returned to the field in Week 15 and was on the field for 100% of the snaps. Jerome Baker also received 100% of the snaps. Baker recorded eight tackles and pitched in a sack.

Week 15 Green Dot: Kyle Van Noy

Minnesota Vikings

Eric Kendricks and Todd Davis were inactive against New Orleans. Blake Lynch and Hardy Nickerson received the snaps in their absence. Lynch received the full-time treatment - receiving 96% of the snaps. Lynch finished the game with 10 tackles. Eric Wilson was on the field for 100% of the snaps and chipped in nine tackles and two defended passes.

Week 16 Green Dot: Eric Wilson

New England Patriots

Ju'Whaun Bentley suffered an arm injury that knocked him out of the game. Bentley had played in just 16 snaps. Terez Hall will be a name to monitor throughout the week with Bentley's injury. He appears to be the more productive LB. Hall appeared in 88% of the snaps and recorded 13 tackles - including 12 solos.

Week 15 Green Dot: Devin McCourty (Safety)

New Orleans Saints

Demario Davis was on the field for 100% of the snaps against Minnesota. Kwon Alexander suffered a torn Achilles' and will miss the remainder of the season. Davis is the only LB worth owning for New Orleans at this point.

Week 16 Green Dot: Demario Davis

New York Giants

Blake Martinez was on the field for 100% of the snaps against Cleveland in Week 15. Martinez came through with a double-digit tackle performance, producing 10 stops against the Browns.

Week 15 Green Dot: Blake Martinez

New York Jets

Neville Hewitt and Harvey Langi were on the field for 100% of the snaps against the Rams. Hewitt came through for his owners - recording 10 tackles (seven solos). Keep starting Hewitt in Week 16.

Week 15 Green Dot: Neville Hewitt

Philadelphia Eagles

Alex Singleton was on 100% of the snaps and wore the dot. TJ Edwards returned to the field in Week 15. Although Edwards was on the field for just 20 snaps, it cut into Duke Riley's playing time, Riley was on the field for 69% of the snaps. Singleton has three-straight games of 11 tackles.

Week 15 Green Dot: Alex Singleton

Pittsburgh Steelers

Avery Williamson was the three-down LB against Cincinnati. He'll be startable in Week 16 against the Colts as a high-end LB2.

Week 15 Green Dot: Avery Williamson

San Francisco 49ers

A neck stinger caused Fred Warner to miss the majority of the game against Washington. Warner appeared in just 33 snaps. Dre Greenlaw was on the field for 95% of the snaps. Azeez Al-Shaair appears to be Warner's back-up, as he was on the field for 36 snaps.

Week 14 Green Dot: Azeez Al-Shaair wore the dot when Fred Warner left the game.

Seattle Seahawks

Bobby Wagner was on the field for 100% and called the plays for Seattle. KJ Wright received 85% of the snaps. Bobby Wagner did Bobby Wagner things in Week 15, recording 13 tackles. Wright had a solid game with eight solo tackles.

Week 15 Green Dot: Bobby Wagner

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Devin White and Lavonte David were on the field for 100% of the snaps against Atlanta. White dominated the Falcons to the tune of 12 tackles, three sacks, and two defended passes. A huge game for an elite IDP-producer in 2020.

Week 15 Green Dot: Devin White

Tennessee Titans

David Long was on the field for all but one snap and recorded 12 tackles. Rashaan Evans was on the field for 58 snaps (86%) and chipped in seven tackles.

Week 15 Green Dot: David Long