Has there ever been a more difficult week in which to set line-ups for fantasy football? The sheer number of players entering the weekend with a “questionable” injury designation coupled with the threat of game postponements challenged roster depth or triggered a flurry of transactions Sunday morning.
Some fantasy gamers and writers assign blame to the uncertainty and question the skill involved in assembling a competitive line-up under such conditions. Your writer feels that gamers who understand the depth of options on the waiver wire and the back end of other teams’ rosters earns an advantage over the competition.
The “next man up” came through for huge stat lines in several spots around the league in Week 5. This column aims to assist gamers in pursuit of additions with lasting value. In this season of uncertainty, burning through FAAB to chase points is a cardinal sin.
Those leaving the field with injuries sustained in Week 5 include Chiefs’ LB Anthony Hitchens, Cardinals’ OLB Chandler Jones, Giants’ OLB Lorenzo Carter, Falcons’ DE Takk McKinley, Bengals’ DE Sam Hubbard, Browns’ DE Olivier Vernon, Colts’ DL Denico Autry, Bengals’ NT DJ Reader, Bucs’ NT Vita Vea, Browns’ safety Ronnie Harrison, and no fewer than three Panthers: DE Brian Burns, DT Kawann Short, and CB Donte Jackson. Several of them appear lost for the year.
The players recommended below are available in at least two-thirds of IDP leagues on MyFantasyLeague.com (MFL). Recommendations are position-specific for lineup requirements including cornerbacks and defensive tackles unless noted otherwise.
Dalvin Tomlinson, DT – New York Giants
The Giants’ big investments in their defensive line are paying dividends. The unit ranks twelfth in Adjusted Sack Rate by Football Outsiders.
Dalvin Tomlinson opened the season as the Giants’ nose tackle, but over the past three weeks, the Giants have moved him around the line. Tomlinson has capitalized on the opportunities with five tackles for loss and three quarterback hits in three games.
LJ Collier and Alton Robinson, Defensive Ends – Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks’ lack of pass rushers has been a story for the past two offseasons. The team refused to meet Jadeveon Clowney’s asking price. The story overshadowed all the draft capital they’ve pumped into edge defenders in recent drafts. Two of those selections, 2019 first-rounder LJ Collier and 2020 fifth-rounder are beginning to emerge. Given the scarcity of options at defensive end, proactive pick-ups are in order now.
The 291-pound Collier and 264-pound Robinson complement each other nicely. Collier, at big end, and the LEO Robinson could be a potent duo playing downhill in positive game flow for the undefeated Seahawks.
Foye Oluokun, LB – Atlanta Falcons
Opportunities to chase points at the linebacker position abound this week. Cardinals core special teamer Dennis Gardeck scored two sacks when pressed into service for ten defensive snaps. Giants OLB Kyler Fackrell, an edge defender with a mere four QB pressures per Pro Football Focus, scored a touchdown. LB Cody Barton lit up the box score on primetime television. Injuries among Seattle safeties forced the Seahawks back to the 4-3 base sets they used in 2019, thus propelling Barton to a 68% snap share.
Kansas City’s Willie Gay and Troy Reeder of the LA Rams are more attractive options, but they might need injuries to continue to play full-time. They certainly made their cases for increased roles with their play in Week 5. The second-rounder Gay simply needs time to develop, but Reeder is a shock. He was bad in Wade Phillips’s scheme last year. He couldn’t earn his place at MLB even though the Rams needed to protect Cory Littleton on the weak side. Both Gay and Reeder will be risky, expensive waiver candidates, but they deserve bids.
The numbers to chase are Foye Oluokun’s 14 tackles, a total that matches Barton’s. Those who follow my preseason ranks have him rostered as their LB5.
The third-year Falcon linebacker has taken 97% of the Falcons’ defensive snaps after rotating with rookie Mykal Walker to start the season. The Falcons’ defense, meanwhile, is a perennial leader in snaps played due in part to their uptempo offense led by QB Matt Ryan.
Now-fired head coach Dan Quinn called Oluokun’s Week 2 performance “the best 17 plays of a linebacker I can remember.” Injury cut the weak-side linebacker’s day short then. He looked back up to speed in Week 5. Oluokun leads the league in tackles per opportunity. He represents the perfect storm of volume and efficiency.
https://twitter.com/Shock1K9/status/1307757335838945282?s=20Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB – Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals new starting weak-side linebacker might also be on your roster if you relied on DFF ranks for your draft. Akeem Davis-Gaither led his team’s LB corps in snaps for the first time this season. The 2020 fourth-round selection slid in the NFL draft due to a suspect knee, but that’s no reason to overlook him in fantasy waivers.
Davis-Gaither’s situation is similar to Willie Gay’s in that both are involved in four-man rotations for two full-time linebacker roles on their respective teams. The Bengal will cost fewer FAAB dollars because he didn’t score the QB sack that Gay did. Like the Falcons, the Bengals defense can’t get off the field, so Davis-Gaither might have as much upside as Gay for 2020 fantasy teams.
In Closing
Week 5 showed us, several candidates, to hold season-long value at the linebacker position. Other sites might simply list them and their stat lines. I aim to identify the durable assets worthy of your finite FAAB budget. The time for ambulance-chasing isn’t far off. Meanwhile, invest now in players that can solve your line-up woes.
Clemson and Michigan alum…Panthers and Cowboys fan…I try to see both sides of every debate and each trade. Find me on Twitter @DynastyTripp.
