What we learned this week
The Tampa Bay defense went off on Sunday. On the road, albeit against the Broncos backup quarterback, the Buccaneers beat up Denver’s offense. On the day, the group tallied six sacks, two interceptions, a safety, and a blocked kick while surrendering only 10 points. IDP performers who produced include Shaquil Barrett, Antoine Winfield, Lavonte David, and Mike Edwards. Expect more from this group as Tom Brady and the Tampa offense will put them in a position to attack on a weekly basis.
Speaking of Tom Brady, his former team the New England Patriots also had a field day on defense this weekend. The unit held a formidable Raiders offense to 20 points while producing two sacks, three fumbles, and a touchdown. Relatively un-rostered players like Shilique Calhoun, Jonathan Jones, Chase Winovich, and Ja’Whaun Bentley lead the way for New England. If you’re thin at a position, check out which young Patriots are available in your leagues; there could be untapped value coming out of the Patriots defense all season long.
The odd game of the day was held in Philadelphia this week. Despite giving up only 304 total yards and registering eight sacks, the Eagles only managed a tie with the Cincinnati Bengals. For the Eagles, Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett created two sacks each on the day. The bigger story here is the Bengals, who now lead the league in sacks allowed. If you have pass rushers with Cincinnati on their schedule, make sure they are in your lineup.
Top Player Performances
Aaron Donald – DT – LOS ANGELES RAMS
The beast defender did what Aaron Donald does, impacting the game in multiple ways. On the afternoon, the All-Pro Pitt alum notched six total tackles, two TFLs, a forced fumble, fumble recovery, and two sacks. Some players are just special, and if you indeed roster Donald, you are one of the lucky ones.
Carlos Dunlap – DE – CINCINNATI BENGALS
It’s not every day that you see a defensive end register nine tackles, but that is exactly what Dunlap achieved in week three against the Eagles. Dunlap hadn’t done much in the first two weeks of 2020, but week three could catapult the veteran defender to DE1/2 levels moving forward. At 31, he could fit into a win-now roster for a low cost.
Shaq Thompson – LB – CAROLINA PANTHERS
Thompson’s line was spectacular on Sunday. He totaled 13 tackles, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and defended two passes on the day. The Panthers linebacker is asked to do a lot in a defense that has a hard time stopping opponent offenses. Confidently start the 2015 first-round pick in all formats.
Notable Injuries
Matthew Ioannidis and Chase Young– DEs – WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM
Matt Ioannidis was placed on IR Tuesday with a torn biceps. Chase Young was scheduled for an MRI as well. Look for Ryan Kerrigan and possibly Nate Orchard to take on the snaps missed by Ioannidis and Young.
Christian Kirksey – LB – GREEN BAY PACKERS
Kirksey injured his should in the Packers win over the Saints on Sunday night. He is expected to miss some time, but luckily for the Packers, the injury isn’t expected to require surgery. While Kirksey is out, Ty Summers will fill in and produce solid IDP numbers.
Jabrill Peppers – S – NEW YORK GIANTS
Peppers sustained an ankle sprain in the loss to the 49ers. Peppers’ is considered day-to-day and his status for Week 4 is unclear. If he were to miss the game, Nate Ebner should log more snaps at safety.
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to check out all of the content we offer here at Dynasty Football Factory. Also, you can interact with me on Twitter at @FF_EvilEmpire. Now go forth and build your empire!
