Thursday Night Football gave us another intriguing matchup. The Minnesota Vikings did their best to keep it close against a superior Philadelphia Eagles team but ultimately fell short. The buzz will surround D’Andre Swift, Justin Jefferson, DeVonta Smith, and Jalen Hurts, but there were, of course, some IDP fireworks, including Danielle Hunter hosting a one man sack party, taking down Halen Hurts three times. Other notable IDP storylines include Jordan Hicks tallying 11 stops, Ivan Pace continuing to play over Brian Asamoah, Nicholas Morrow making his Eagles debut, and Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis continuing to wreak havoc in the middle. Looking ahead to this weekend, we will take a look at five players fantasy managers should do their best to plug into their lineups and five others who are better left on benches despite promising upside. Let’s dig in.
Start em
Cody Barton (LB – WAS)
Barton was an every snap player for Washington, while Jamin Davis played just 65 percent. Suffice it to say that it is Cody who should be getting the first tap as long as the snap counts remain the same. Barton is a liability in coverage, so the every down role may not last, but as long as it does, Barton is an LB2 play. Treat him as such for a plus matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (LB – CLE)
JOK had a relatively tame Week 1, recording just two solos and one assist, but the more important revelation was that he played ahead of Anthony Walker. JOK saw a healthy 77 percent of the snaps, while Walker saw 59 percent and Sione Takitaki 41 percent. JOK should have a field day against a struggling Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, making him an easy LB2 play with LB1 upside. Start Owusu-Koramoah wherever possible.
DeShon Elliott (S – MIA)
DeShon Elliott was excellent in Week 1, recording a robust eight solos and five assists. He played every snap for the Dolphins, in turn relegating popular breakout candidate Brandon Jones to a strict reserve role (two defensive snaps all game). DeShon is a high level yet underrated talent who is more than capable of holding Jones off for multiple seasons. He has a plus matchup in Week 2 against New England and should once again extra tackle opportunities due to Jalen Ramsey‘s absence. Tap him as a DL2 option for Week 2.
Jermaine Johnson (DE – NYJ)
Johnson was excellent in Week 1, recording four solos, one assist, one sack, and two tackles for loss on 77 percent of the snaps. He shined with Carl Lawson inactive and could have another big day even if Lawson is active in Week 2. Lawson was dealing with back tightness for most of training camp and will be eased back in whenever he does return. The Jets defensive front is rolling after a five sack night on Josh Allen and should help provide ample opportunities for Johnson to get home against Dak Prescott. Tap him as a low end DL2 play where needed.
Demario Davis (LB – NO)
Telling people to start Demario Davis feels like cheating. However, he was just six percent rostered in Week 1. He is up to 10 percent now, but there are still 40 linebackers on more rosters on Yahoo. Yes, this includes outside linebackers, but names more rostered include Nick Bellore, Jake Gervase, and Kamu Grugier-Hill. Demario needs to be started in all competitive leagues. Davis played every snap in Week 1, racking up nine solos, one assist, and one tackle for loss. Pete Werner gets most of the hype, but Demario is still as solid as ever. Tap him as an LB2 option for Week 2’s plus matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Sit em
Isaiah Simmons (S/LB – NYG)
Isaiah Simmons was quiet in Week 1. He managed just one tackle on 26 percent of the snaps. There are high hopes for him under Wink Martindale, and his usage as an outside linebacker leaves some cause for optimism. However, he simply isn’t seeing enough snaps to be started in fantasy leagues. Keep the talented but underutilized Simmons benched until further notice.
David Long (LB – MIA)
Long played just 21 percent of the snaps for the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. Signed to play a key role in the middle, Long mostly watched from the sidelines as Jerome Baker played every snap. Long also played behind Andrew Van Ginkel (63 percent). Long’s past success suggests he should see an expanded role eventually, but his Week 1 usage is indeed a cause for concern. Long should be left on benches in deeper leagues, while those in shallower formats may want to consider other options altogether.
Emmanuel Ogbah (DL – MIA)
Ogbah’s role was in immediate jeopardy when the Dolphins traded for Bradley Chubb, but the buzz this offseason was that Ogbah would remain a key contributor by not only taking snaps as an edge rusher but as an interior defender as well. Week 1 didn’t turn out that way. Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb played 90 and 88 percent of the edge snaps, respectively, while Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler played 84 and 80 percent. The Dolphins will not want any of those four playing that much on a consistent basis, but what this game did teach us is that they are capable of being snap hogs when gamescript calls for it. This is going to severely limit Ogbah’s weekly upside and lowers his floor to that of a waiver wire player. He has double-digit sack potential, but without a role, he is nothing more than a deep league/dynasty stash. Look elsewhere for Week 2 despite the plus matchup against the New England Patriots.
Josh Uche (DE/LB – NE)
Uche had a strong Week 1 with one solo, one assist, and one sack but played a concerning 36 percent of the snaps, while rookie Keion White played 35 percent. He has proven that he can produce on sub-50 percent of the snaps, but it also means he will be inconsistent and that the counting stats may not be there when he doesn’t record a sack. Uche is still a massive hold due to his double-digit sack potential, but without the expanded role, some expected he should be treated as more of a DL3 than DL2. Keep him benched for Week 2’s matchup in leagues where you start two or fewer DLs.
Tyrel Dodson (LB – BUF)
The favorite to win Tremaine Edmunds vacated spot beside Matt Milano this offseason, Dodson played all of zero defensive snaps in Week 1. Yes, you read that right. Zero. He was active on special teams but was otherwise a pure backup to Terell Bernard. He is safe to drop in shallower formats and should be in exactly zero starting lineups for Week 2. Dodson could fall even further down the depth chart when Christian Kirksey gets a firm enough grasp on the playbook. Look elsewhere for Week 2.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
