IDP Rookie Review: Week 11
This isn’t going to go down as anyone’s favorite year, but I for one am thankful that we’ve had football as a welcome distraction for at least 11 weeks. I hope you all find plenty to be thankful for as we enter the holiday season.
As with each week in this article, I’m keeping watch on a number of IDP rookies to provide a look at playing time and progression. At season’s end, my plan is to provide positional rankings and write-ups to give you a good feel for who you can build around, who you can keep rostered, and who you can let go.
As always, let me know in the comments section if you want more information on anyone covered or not covered. I truly welcome the feedback and discussion.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Ross Blacklock, DT HOU
14 of 69 (20%) snaps; two solo tackles; one quarterback hit
Blacklock had his most productive week though it was still meager. He got leverage on Shaq Mason and pushed the Patriots guard into the backfield to pressure Cam Newton early in the second quarter. Two plays later he pulled down Damien Harris after a short run up the middle. Later in the fourth, he tripped up Newton on a short run up the middle on second-and-one. His day was nothing spectacular, but at least it was something.
Derrick Brown, DT CAR
44 of 56 (79%) snaps; two quarterback hits
Yetur Gross-Matos, DE CAR
27 of 56 (48%) snaps; two assists; half a sack; one quarterback hit
The Panthers dominated Detroit, posting a rare shutout, and Brown got in on the fun with a couple of hits on Matthew Stafford. He came oh-so-close to his first sack on both hits. In the third quarter, he lined up shaded over left tackle and was picked up by the left guard. Brown used a nice inside-out rush and showcased strong hands to get to the Lions quarterback. In the fourth quarter, he broke off a double team and hustled after Stafford as he scrambled toward the sideline before throwing the ball away.
A few plays later, Gross-Matos split a sack with Zach Kerr, starting his rush by jamming the tight end before bursting laterally past the left side of the line. Gross-Matos is getting more snaps with Stephen Weatherly on injured reserve, but still not enough to warrant fantasy consideration. He remains a stash for 2021 and beyond.
K’Lavon Chaisson, DE JAC
46 of 75 (61%) snaps; two solo tackles; one tackle for loss
DaVon Hamilton, DT JAC
44 of 75 (59%) snaps; one assist
Hamilton was a non-factor despite Pittsburgh’s 27 rushing attempts. Chaisson had his moments and played his most snaps since week six due to Josh Allen’s injury. He made a nice read on a short pass to James Conner, quickly closing on the Steelers running back and dropping him for a two-yard loss early in the fourth quarter.
I’ll be interested to see what the off-season brings for Jacksonville. Chaisson didn’t strike me as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher, and it hasn’t worked so far. A different coaching staff may put him in a better position to win off the edge.
Khalid Kareem, DE CIN
Eight of 62 (13%) snaps; one solo tackle; one sack; one quarterback hit
Kareem notched his first career “sack” – chasing Alex Smith on a bootleg and pushing the Washington quarterback out of bounds for no gain – but even with the trade of Carlos Dunlap, Kareem has slipped to the fourth option at defensive end behind Sam Hubbard, Carl Lawson and Amani Bledsoe. He’s not a bad stash if you have the roster space, but he’s by no means a “must” keep right now.
John Penisini, DT DET
46 of 71 (65%) snaps; three solo tackles, one assist; one sack
The sixth-rounder from Utah was credited with his first sack, hustling after PJ Walker and forcing the Carolina quarterback out of bounds for no gain midway through the second quarter. The big tackle got more push up front than anyone else on Detroit’s line. At 333 pounds, he’s more of a nose and lacks dynasty value, but he finished as a DT1 on the week so I wanted to mention him.
James Smith-Williams, DE WAS
15 of 68 (22%) snaps; one solo tackle, one assist; half a sack; two quarterback hits
Chase Young, DE WAS
53 of 68 (78%) snaps; two solo tackles, one assist; one pass defensed; one forced fumble
Young again looked dominant at times against the Bengals even though he didn’t register a sack. In a meeting of the NFL Draft’s top two picks, he absolutely crushed Joe Burrow as the Bengals quarterback scrambled toward the goal line early in the third quarter, causing a fumble that was eventually recovered by the Football Team in its own end zone.
I pegged Smith-Williams as Washington’s defensive sleeper in the pre-season (mainly due to a lack of options), and he showed out with some splash plays late in the game as an inside pass rusher working from a four-point stance. He got a hit in on Ryan Finley by rushing outside the guard then crossing back over into the “A” gap. He sacked his former college teammate on the next play, dropping Finley after cornerback Jimmy Moreland knocked him off-balance. Smith-Williams had an injury-marred senior season at N.C. State, but he made Bruce Feldman’s famed Freaks List and could get some more playing time as a rotational pass rusher.
Others of note:
- Doug Costin, DT JAX – 39 of 75 (52%) snaps; two assists; one pass defensed
- Michael Danna, DE KC – 13 of 59 (22%) snaps; two solo tackles, one assist
- Marlon Davidson, DE ATL – six of 66 (9%) snaps
- Raekwon Davis, DT MIA – 49 of 65 (75%) snaps; three assists
- Jordan Elliott, DT CLE – 17 of 68 (25%) snaps; one solo tackle
- Neville Gallimore, DT DAL – 38 of 64 (59%) snaps; one assist
- Bryce Huff, DE NYJ – 24 of 82 (29%) snaps; one assist
- James Lynch, DT MIN – four of 66 (6%) snaps; one solo tackle
- Justin Madubuike, DT BAL – 33 of 70 (47%) snaps
- Alton Robinson, DE SEA – 12 of 67 (18%) snaps; one assist; fifth among Seattle edge rushers in snaps
- Bravvion Roy, DT CAR – 22 of 56 (39%) snaps; one assist
- Teair Tart, DT TEN – 19 of 65 (29%) snaps; one assist
- Tershawn Wharton, DT KC – 22 of 59 (37%) snaps
- D.J. Wonnum, DE MIN – 28 of 66 (42%) snaps; one solo tackle
Notable inactives and injuries:
- Larrell Murchison, DE TEN – inactive; suffered a rib injury in week ten
- Malcolm Roach, DT NO – healthy scratch one week after playing 44 percent of defensive snaps
LINEBACKERS
Jonathan Greenard, LB HOU
18 of 69 (26%) snaps; one solo tackle; one sack; one tackle for loss; one quarterback hit
Greenard saw limited snaps, but he did produce a sack of Newton on the first play of the fourth quarter, working out of a three-point stance and bullying left tackle Isaiah Wynn with a one-arm bull rush. It was just one of 18 snaps, but Greenard at least has shown some promise over the past three weeks.
Malik Harrison, LB BAL
35 of 70 (50%) snaps; three solo tackles, four assists; one tackle for loss
Patrick Queen, LB BAL
59 of 70 (84%) snaps; three solo tackles, six assists; one quarterback hit
Harrison’s 84 percent snap share in week ten certainly seems like an outlier, and he dropped back down to a 50 percent share this week. I think that’s generally what we can expect from him going forward, meaning he’s for the most part not startable. He still looks to me like a good player and a linebacker I’m picking up when he can be had for cheap.
Queen turned in an LB3 day for fantasy; it would have been better had some of those six assists been credited as solos. He’s been very good at getting through the line when blitzing this season, and his big hit on Ryan Tannehill early in the second quarter resulted in an interception. He has had an issue at times this year with missed tackles, and you’ve probably seen a replay of Queen sliding off of Derrick Henry’s backside, losing his helmet and getting a face full of Henry’s cleat. That’s truly kicking a man while he’s down.
Willie Gay, LB KC
31 of 59 (53%) snaps; four solo tackles, one assist
It continues to be obvious that Gay just moves at a different speed than everyone else on the Chiefs’ defense. Late in the first quarter, he covered a lot of ground, running from midfield to the right sideline to bring down Darren Waller after a seven-yard gain. In the second quarter on a zone run to the right, Gay ran from the opposite hash to hold a potential explosive run by Devontae Booker to a five-yard gain. He’s definitely seeing more action as a run defender. The hope is that by next season, the coaching staff will trust him enough with passing down work that he’ll be a three-down linebacker.
Kamal Martin, LB GB
22 of 84 (26%) snaps; three solo tackles, one assist
With Christian Kirksey back and playing 100 percent of the snaps, this is exactly the amount of usage that we thought we’d be getting out of the second linebacker in Green Bay this year. Keep Martin stashed in case Kirksey gets injured again or is cut in the off-season.
Kenneth Murray, LB LAC
46 of 60 (77%) snaps; four solo tackles, three assists; one tackle for loss
Kyzir White hit the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday, and all Murray owners were likely thinking Murray was ensured a full workload on Sunday. Instead, it was Denzel Perryman leading the linebackers in snap share with 93 percent, and Murray slipping to 77 percent. Furthermore, Perryman looked good, and he’s clearly the apple of the coaches’ eyes right now. Murray, meanwhile, actually had his most productive game since week four. Keep in mind that things change quickly in the Bolts’ linebacker corps, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone in the IDP world if Murray is leading this group in snaps again soon.
Isaiah Simmons, LB ARI
45 of 66 (68%) snaps; nine solo tackles, one assist; one sack; two tackles for loss; one quarterback hit
You can officially wave goodbye to those concerns you had about Simmons over the first half of the NFL season. Granted, he played just a little more than two-thirds of the defensive snaps, but Simmons truly broke out and I don’t know how Arizona goes backward with his usage.
Simmons lined up in multiple places, standing up on line over the “A” gap or over the center, or on the edge, and then dropping into coverage or lurking as a spy on Russell Wilson. His first sack was more of the “coverage” variety. Simmons lined up over the “A” gap and stayed patient, getting home after Wilson pulled the ball in and the pocket collapsed. He looked smooth in man coverage too, although he did almost get beat on a long incompletion to Carlos Hyde late in the first quarter.
Davion Taylor, LB PHI
18 of 67 (27%) snaps; two solo tackles
We got a rare look at Taylor in the cold rain in Cleveland, and he looked just as raw as the weather. We knew going into the season that Taylor had a ways to go on the mental side of the game, and he is truly slow to read and react. Once he does though, you see the speed. Tight end Austin Hooper blew by him for a 21-yard gain in the second quarter, but Taylor showed great closing speed once he figured out he needed to run with the Browns tight end. Continue to be patient with Taylor and hope he figures things out, because the size and athleticism are there.
Others of note:
- Jordyn Brooks, LB SEA – 25 of 67 (37%) snaps; two solo tackles
- Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB CIN – one of 62 (2%) snaps
- Troy Dye, LB MIN – 10 of 66 (15%) snaps; one solo tackle
- Alex Highsmith, LB PIT – 14 of 58 (24%) snaps; two solo tackles
- Terrell Lewis, LB LAR – 14 of 69 (20%) snaps; one quarterback hit
- Jacob Phillips, LB CLE – three of 68 (4%) snaps; active for first time since week five
- Josh Uche, LB NE – 22 of 61 (36%) snaps; one solo tackle; had a handful of nice pass rushes
- Mykal Walker, LB ATL – 21 of 66 (32%) snaps; two solo tackles; one pass defensed; almost came up with an interception of Taysom Hill late in the first quarter
- Logan Wilson, LB CIN – 35 of 62 (56%) snaps; three solo tackles, one assist
- Jabari Zuniga, LB NYJ – 17 of 82 (21%) snaps; one solo tackle
Notable inactives and injuries:
- Krys Barnes, LB GB – remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Julian Blackmon, S IND
60 of 60 snaps; five solo tackles; one forced fumble
Blackmon has been one of the NFL’s top defensive rookies this season, and turned in one of the week’s biggest plays, popping the ball free from Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling in overtime to force a fumble that the Colts would recover and turn into a game-winning field goal. The five solos were nice for anyone who needed to start him.
Jeremy Chinn, S CAR
56 of 56 snaps; two solo tackles, two assists
Chinn played a full complement of snaps but for the second straight week failed to make a big impact numbers-wise. Carolina made a few changes defensively – benching Tahir Whitehead and utilizing Chinn as a deep safety more often – and that could be to blame, but the volume and play style should lead to production. Still, the lack of production over the past two weeks doesn’t inspire confidence as the fantasy playoffs draw near.
Just for fun, go find his second-quarter tackle of Marvin Jones after the receiver’s 21-yard reception. That’s the closing burst and big-hitting style we’ve come to love from Chinn.
Chris Claybrooks, CB JAC
56 of 75 (75%) snaps; seven solo tackles, two assists
Daniel Thomas, S JAC
41 of 75 (55%) snaps; one interception; two passes defensed
When he’s been on the field this season, Claybrooks has been a favorite target of opposing quarterbacks, and that was no different on Sunday for Ben Roethlisberger. The seventh-round pick is a great streaming option if you know he’s going to play, as the Jaguars can’t muster up much of a pass rush and give quarterbacks and receivers plenty of time to work with. First-rounder CJ Henderson and recent acquisition Sidney Jones were out of action due to injuries, and Claybrooks pulled serious snaps but ended up with a groin injury of his own.
Thomas, meanwhile, was in line for full-time snaps at strong safety due to Josh Jones’ chest injury, but he won’t get a chance to make his case for the full-time role in 2021 after suffering an arm injury that landed him on injured reserve. Before he left the game he showed off some playmaking ability, disrupting a pass intended for Diontae Johnson early in the second quarter and then ending the half with an interception of Roethlisberger pass into the end zone. I’d keep him stashed if at all possible.
Kamren Curl, S WAS
68 of 68 snaps; five solo tackles, four assists; one quarterback hit
Curl had another solid game, leading Washington in total tackles and playing every snap. He came screaming in on a blitz to get a hit in on Burrow on his touchdown pass to A.J. Green in the second quarter. Even if you’re loaded at safety, Curl should probably be in your starting lineup every week.
Ashtyn Davis, S NYJ
81 of 82 (99%) snaps; eight solo tackles, four assists; one tackle for loss; one fumble recovery
Bryce Hall, CB NYJ
81 of 82 (99%) snaps; seven solo tackles; one tackle for loss
The churn in the Jets’ secondary has put both Davis and now Hall in position to showcase their abilities and a spot in New York’s long-term plans. Davis has already flashed nice potential with his speed and physicality. Hall has very good height and arm length and a great football character; he only slipped to the fifth round of the draft due to a bad ankle injury he suffered during his senior year at Virginia.
I don’t know that the Chargers’ gaudy passing game statistics was necessarily damning of Davis and/or Hall, but it certainly doesn’t help. It’s not really fair to judge rookies against savvy route-running veterans like Keenan Allen, but they really got blistered in zone coverage by a rookie quarterback (albeit a really good one). I think Davis already has dynasty value as a possible S3 in 2021. Since he’s a cornerback, Hall isn’t a dynasty asset, but you can consider him as a streaming option in cornerback-required leagues. It doesn’t make any sense for New York to not give him serious snaps now to see if he has starting potential in 2021.
Kyle Dugger, S NE
46 of 61 (75%) snaps; four solo tackles, two assists; one tackle for loss
This now makes two consecutive weeks of Dugger reaching at least 75 percent of defensive snaps, so we might be OK to consider him as a starting fantasy safety if needed. Still, it’s Bill Belichick and it’s week-to-week, so only do it if you really need to.
Jordan Fuller, S LAR
69 of 69 snaps; four solo tackles; two interceptions; two passes defensed
Fuller is going down as one of the great values of the 2020 draft class, but his two interceptions were likely the easiest of his career. An off-target Tom Brady all but put a bow on two absolute second-half gifts, including one with less than two minutes left that sealed the win for the Rams.
Jeff Okudah, CB DET
24 of 71 (34%) snaps; five solo tackles, two assists; one tackle for loss
I don’t have a rooting interest in Detroit, but I would like to see this team get a fresh start from the top down. You hate to see elite prospects get destroyed to the point of no return, and Okudah is headed down that path. Every P.J. Walker pass attempt against Okudah went for a completion – resulting in the nice tackle numbers – but you can’t even trust that going forward due to the snap count. In Detroit’s previous two games, Okudah saw his snap share drop from 45 percent to 39 percent to now 34 percent. He took a trip into the injury tent on Sunday, but I haven’t found anything that says it’s anything significant.
AJ Terrell, CB ATL
65 of 66 (98%) snaps; five solo tackles, one assist; one forced fumble
Terrell has arguably been this year’s top rookie corner (it’s either him or Chicago’s Jaylon Johnson) and he was solid again against the Saints despite being targeted six times. He made a nice play on a Taysom Hill 20-yard run in the fourth quarter, stripping the ball away from the Saints quarterback to keep some hope alive for the Falcons.
Antoine Winfield Jr., S TB
71 of 72 (99%) snaps; three solo tackles, five assists
Winfield was busy in the defensive backfield with Jared Goff firing off 51 pass attempts, but it wasn’t an overly productive night. That’s kind of been the story with Winfield lately, who really needs to get in position to make some splash plays to be anything more than a good fantasy fill-in. He was getting those opportunities earlier this season, but it hasn’t happened lately.
Others of note:
- Damon Arnette, CB LV – 71 of 78 (91%) snaps; four solo tackles, one pass defensed
- Cameron Dantzler, CB MIN – 42 of 66 (64%) snaps; four assists
- Jeff Gladney, CB MIN – 66 of 66 snaps; three solo tackles, two assists
- Brandon Jones, S MIA – 19 of 65 (29%) snaps; one solo tackle, one assist; one tackle for loss
- Troy Pride, CB CAR – 33 of 56 (59%) snaps; two solo tackles
- Josiah Scott, CB JAX – four of 75 (5%) snaps; one solo tackle; active for only the second time this season; saw some snaps after D.J. Hayden injured his knee
- L’Jarius Sneed, CB KC – 13 of 59 (22%) snaps; one solo tackle, two assists; returned from broken collarbone suffered in week three
Notable inactives and injuries:
- Sam Franklin, S CAR – inactive; hampered by ankle injury suffered in week ten
- C.J. Henderson, CB JAX – placed on injured reserve Nov. 19 with a groin injury
- Xavier McKinney, S NYG – designated to return to practice on Nov. 23, so may be activated within a 21-day window. Selected by the Giants at No. 36 overall, McKinney had surgery on Aug. 26 to repair a broken bone in his foot.
- 2023 IDP Rookie Review: Safeties - March 13, 2024
- 2023 IDP Rookie Review: Linebackers - March 2, 2024
- 2023 IDP Rookie Review: Edge Rushers, Part Two - February 21, 2024
