IDP Rookie Review: Week 14
Quite a few rookie IDPs stepped up in a major way for the playoffs. The DE1 (Chase Young), the S1 (Kamren Curl) and the CB1 (AJ Terrell) came from the rookie ranks, while two other rookie safeties (Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jeremy Chinn) placed as S1s.
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. Once the season ends in a few weeks, 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
Derrick Brown, DT CAR
49 of 61 (80%) snaps; one solo tackle, one assist; one quarterback hit
Yetur Gross-Matos, DE CAR
42 of 61 (69%) snaps; one solo tackle, three assists; two quarterback hits
Bravvion Roy, DT CAR
44 of 61 (72%) snaps; three assists
Gross-Matos had one of his better games as a pro, hitting Drew Lock twice – including once when he lined up as an inside rusher and had a free run at the Denver quarterback on a play-action bootleg. Lock, who was scrambling backward into his own end zone, managed to leap and rocket a strike to the tight end before Gross-Matos put him on his back.
In the run game, he teamed with Roy to drop Melvin Gordon for a loss on a first-down run from the Carolina three-yard line toward the end of the first half. He fought through a double-team to stop a Phillip Lindsay run for no gain in the third quarter, then combined with Jeremy Chinn to drop Lindsay for a four-yard loss at the Broncos’ own four-yard line late in the game. On the next play, Brown bull-rushed the right guard and delivered a hit on Lock in the back of the end zone.
K’Lavon Chaisson, DE JAX
25 of 66 (38%) snaps; three quarterback hits
Chaisson’s snaps dropped significantly from week 13, but he again showed signs of life after being totally ineffective for most of the season. All three of his hits on Ryan Tannehill came with his hand in the dirt. Chaisson showcased spin moves to the outside and inside, and was too quick for David Quessenberry when the left tackle tried a low block and completely whiffed.
Michael Danna, DE KC
32 of 83 (39%) snaps; four solo tackles; one sack; three tackles for loss; one quarterback hit
Tershawn Wharton, DT KC
47 of 83 (57%) snaps; two solo tackles; one sack; one tackle for loss; one quarterback hit
Danna is a bit short-armed but does a good job of consistently getting his hands inside on tackles during his pass rush, and then getting free while using his power to push back the protection and get his man off-balance. These best traits were on display against the Dolphins, including on his sack of Tua Tagovailoa in the second quarter and his near safety (Chris Jones got there first) in the third. Danna played his most snaps since week two and seems to have carved out a nice early-down role.
Wharton also picked up a sack – his second of the season – with an outside-in downhill rush that fooled fellow rookie Solomon Kindley, who was playing his second professional game at left guard for the Dolphins (he’s been starting at right guard all year).
Javon Kinlaw, DT SF
44 of 63 (70%) snaps; three solo tackles, one assist; one tackle for loss
Kinlaw continues to show improvement and was solid against Washington’s run game. In the second quarter, he made Peyton Barber pay for trying to cut back on an outside zone run, dropping the Washington running back for a two-yard loss with a hard hit.
Chase Young, DE WAS
61 of 81 (75%) snaps; two solo tackles, four assists; one sack; one tackle for loss; two quarterback hits; two passes defensed; one forced fumble; one fumble recovery; one touchdown
What. A. Day. We all expected big things from Young, even as a rookie. This was the stuff of fantasy playoffs legend though, and probably helped a good number of Young’s owners through to the next round. Here are the highlights:
- The sack: Young dropped into shallow zone coverage, then rushed once the left tackle turned inside to look for someone to block. Young quickly closed the ten yards and smothered Nick Mullens before the tackle could recover.
- The forced fumble: Young got into the backfield and ran down running back Jeffery Wilson from behind on an outside zone run that Montez Sweat blew up on the play side.
- The defended pass: Young closed on Mullens in a hurry and batted down a shovel pass intended for Raheem Mostert.
- The points: Young recovered a fumble caused by Da’Ron Payne and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown.
- Another hit: On his second-half hit on Mullens, he made a quick inside move and got skinny to blow through “A” gap.
I actually felt bad for Mullens after watching the 49ers’ offensive snaps. He’s going to have nightmares about that Washington defensive front for a few weeks.
Others of note:
- Doug Costin, DT JAX – 49 of 66 (74%) snaps; two tackles, two assists; one quarterback hit; one fumble recovery; soaking up snaps with fellow rookie DaVon Hamilton on injured reserve
- Raekwon Davis, DT MIA – 41 of 62 (66%) snaps; three solo tackles, two assists
- AJ Epenesa, DE BUF – 21 of 57 (37%) snaps
- Neville Gallimore, DT DAL – 37 of 72 (51%) snaps; one solo tackle
- Justin Madubuike, DT BAL – 31 of 83 (37%) snaps; one solo tackle, two assists; returns after two-week COVID-19 absence
- John Penisini, DT DET – 35 of 67 (52%) snaps; two solo tackles; one tackle for loss
- Alton Robinson, DE SEA – 31 of 53 (58%) snaps; two assists
- DJ Wonnum, DE MIN – 29 of 51 (57%) snaps; one solo tackle, one assist; one tackle for loss
Notable inactives and injuries:
- Teair Tart, DT TEN – served one-week suspension for stomping on knee of Browns’ Wyatt Teller in Week 13
LINEBACKERS
Krys Barnes, LB GB
40 of 68 (59%) snaps; three solo tackles
Kamal Martin, LB GB
12 of 68 (18%) snaps; one assist; one quarterback hit
Upon Christian Kirksey’s return to the lineup in week ten, Barnes missed three games due to COVID-19 then played special teams snaps only in week 13. With Kirksey struggling mightily in pass coverage in Detroit, Barnes stepped in and played in single linebacker packages over Kirksey late in the first half and early in the second half. He wasn’t much better in coverage, though.
Week 15 could be telling on Kirksey’s future in Green Bay: was his reduced role a one-week thing, or has the coaching staff truly soured on him already? Barnes and/or Martin could build some significant value this off-season. Kirksey seems unlikely to see the second and final year of his contract with the Packers; the team can cut him and save $6 million against the cap while only absorbing $2 million in dead money.
Carter Coughlin, LB NYG
64 of 79 (81%) snaps; five solo tackles, two assists; one tackle for loss
Tae Crowder, LB NYG
45 of 79 (57%) snaps; two solo tackles, two assists; one quarterback hit
As you might guess with Joe Judge’s roots in the “Patriots Way,” the Giants show a lot of different looks on defense. Coughlin, who was billed as an undersized and low-end edge rush prospect, is used in multiple pre-snap alignments and disguises. On almost every play he made in week 14, he did something to try to confuse the offensive line or the quarterback pre- or post-snap. For example, early in the second quarter, Coughlin lined up on the line over the tight end’s outside shoulder. At the snap, he took a step with the tight end on his route to show Kyler Murray man coverage, but then turned and rushed the read-option mesh point. Murray handed off to Drake for a run up the middle, and Coughlin came in to hold Drake to three yards on the run.
He’s also been used as a spy on the quarterback since he started seeing snaps following New York’s week 11 bye, and he helped to angle Murray out-of-bounds for a four-yard gain on a first-down run early in the third quarter.
Crowder continues to play the role as the second linebacker next to Blake Martinez. He should have good value should Martinez be sidelined with an injury; for now he’s a decent stash that you can’t play due to his snap count ceiling. He almost bagged Murray for a sack on an early second-quarter rush, but Murray saw him just in time and got a pass off before the hit.
Alex Highsmith, LB PIT
68 of 75 (91%) snaps; one solo tackle; one tackle for loss; one quarterback hit
Highsmith hasn’t been overly productive since taking over as one of Pittsburgh’s starting outside linebackers following Bud Dupree’s season-ending torn ACL, but it is notable though that he out-snapped TJ Watt (64 snaps) in week 14. He did land a hit on Josh Allen on a stunt into the “A” gap on a third-and-11 incompletion to start the second quarter. And in the fourth, with the Bills on the Steelers’ one-yard line, he lined up over the “A” gap and barreled through to drop Zack Moss for a four-yard loss on first down. Buffalo ended up settling for a field goal on the drive.
Kenneth Murray, LB LAC
56 of 57 (98%) snaps; four solo tackles, three assists
Murray predictably came back down to Earth after his 14-tackle, one-sack outburst in week 13, but still led Bolts linebackers in snaps and tied for the team lead in tackles. The biggest knock on Murray this year has been his coverage skills, and he gave up a couple of completions against Atlanta. On the first, he was draped all over Hayden Hurst, and it took a well-placed pass from Matt Ryan for a seven-yard completion. On the second, Murray was sitting in zone coverage and didn’t react quite fast enough to prevent a four-yard completion to Russell Gage.
Patrick Queen, LB BAL
63 of 83 (76%) snaps; three solo tackles, five assists
Queen had a solid outing on Monday Night Football, racking up all but one of his tackles against Cleveland running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. His snap share isn’t ideal though, so hopefully you aren’t relying on him heavily in the playoffs.
Isaiah Simmons, LB ARI
27 of 49 (55%) snaps; two solo tackles
Simmons was pretty quiet, only coming up with a couple of stops in the passing game. He’ll be a hot IDP commodity this off-season; keep in mind that De’Vondre Campbell’s contract voids on Feb. 12.
Josh Uche, LB NE
16 of 63 (25%) snaps; two solo tackles; one tackle for loss; one quarterback hit
Uche’s snaps regressed significantly from week 13. He was efficient with the snaps he got, though, and got the edge on backup left tackle Joe Noteboom to get a hit on Jared Goff on a third-and-long pass completion. He also cleaned up a tackle on Robert Woods for a two-yard loss.
Others of note:
- Jordyn Brooks, LB SEA – 18 of 53 (34%) snaps
- Troy Dye, LB MIN – 21 of 51 (41%) snaps; one solo tackle; played third linebacker role behind Todd Davis and Eric Wilson with Eric Kendricks out
- Willie Gay, LB KC – 17 of 83 (20%) snaps; two solo tackles, one assist; not much of a factor even with Damien Wilson inactive
- Malik Harrison, LB BAL – 18 of 83 (22%) snaps
- Anfernee Jennings, LB NE – 22 of 63 (35%) snaps; one solo tackle
- Jacob Phillips, LB CLE – 10 of 60 (17%) snaps; two solo tackles
- Mykal Walker, LB ATL – 18 of 73 (25%) snaps; four solo tackles
- Logan Wilson, LB CIN – eight of 51 (16%) snaps; limited with a foot injury
Notable inactives and injuries:
- Terrell Lewis, LB LAR – missed third straight game with a knee injury; it sounds as if he will return in week 14
- Davion Taylor, LB PHI – placed on injured reserve with a knee injury suffered in Week 13
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Jeremy Chinn, S CAR
61 of 61 snaps; seven solo tackles, one assist; one sack; one tackle for loss; one quarterback hit; one forced fumble
Chinn added to his case for Defensive Rookie of the Year and had his second-best fantasy showing. His big day included his first career sack, which forced a fumble that Efe Obada almost took to the house. He’s currently a top-five safety in all of my leagues.
Kamren Curl, S WAS
81 of 81 snaps; seven solo tackles; one quarterback hit; one interception; two passes defensed; one touchdown
Curl has to be the IDP surprise of the year. Not only was he money again in the tackle department, he added big plays against San Francisco, including a touchdown. Covering Kyle Juszczyk out of the backfield, Curl jumped a sideline pass from a scrambling Mullens and returned it 76 yards for the score.
As Ryan Miller mentioned in his IDP Waiver Wire article, it’s going to be interesting to see what Washington does this off-season with Curl and Landon Collins. Is Curl versatile enough to move to free safety? Could Collins or Curl play a hybrid linebacker role? Collins’ contract makes it unlikely he is cut until after 2022.
Jordan Fuller, S LAR
59 of 59 snaps; six solo tackles
Fuller wasn’t especially good in coverage against the Patriots, but six solos is serviceable for fantasy, and he came up with a couple of nice tackles against the run.
Xavier McKinney, S NYG
38 of 79 (48%) snaps; one solo tackle, three assists
With fellow rookie Darnay Holmes shelved with a knee injury, McKinney played as the nickel defensive back in the first half, but I think was demoted to dime duty in the second half. The Giants are a heavy zone team, and McKinney was often playing shallow coverage on the outside. I’ve read that the Giants are serious about easing him back, so we may not see much of him once Holmes returns from injury.
AJ Terrell, CB ATL
73 of 73 snaps; 13 solo tackles; one pass defensed; one forced fumble
Box score surprises are always fun, and since I didn’t watch the game live, don’t own Terrell in any leagues, and wasn’t playing anyone with Terrell in their lineup, my eyes went Mike Tomlin-googly big when I saw 13 solos. Given the volatility with the cornerback position and the lack of dynasty value, I feel like I spend too much time writing about rookie cornerbacks, but Terrell’s stat line is an attention-grabber. It was, of course, a great matchup, as you always like to see the Chargers and Keenan Allen in your cornerback’s matchup column.
Antoine Winfield Jr., S TB
78 of 79 (99%) snaps; nine solo tackles, two assists; one sack; one quarterback hit; one forced fumble
Winfield has been guilty of a couple of duds this season, but he’s also had two massive fantasy days. This one was the best, and it included his third sack of the year on a perfectly timed blitz around the left edge. The hit dislodged the ball from Kirk Cousins, and Winfield recovered the fumble. I do love watching Winfield. He’s quick to diagnose plays, and closes quickly on the ball. I’d just like to see him get more opportunities near the line, where he’s been an effective blitzer.
Others of note:
- Julian Blackmon, S IND – 59 of 68 (87%) snaps; one solo tackle; one assist
- Cameron Dantzler, CB MIN – 51 of 51 snaps; two solo tackles
- Kyle Dugger, S NE – 46 of 63 (73%) snaps; two solo tackles, one assist
- Jeff Gladney, CB MIN – 49 of 51 (96%) snaps; three solo tackles, two assists; one quarterback hit
- Javelin Guidry, CB NYJ – 63 of 73 (86%) snaps; two solo tackles, three assists; one quarterback hit
- Bryce Hall, CB NYJ – 73 of 73 snaps; three solo tackles
- Jaylon Johnson, CB CHI – 47 of 66 (71%) snaps; three solo tackles; injured on late third-quarter stop but should be good to play in Week 15
- Brandon Jones, S MIA – 34 of 62 (55%) snaps; four solo tackles, four assists
- Michael Ojemudia, CB DEN – 67 of 67 snaps; five solo tackles; one pass defensed
- Troy Pride, CB CAR – 37 of 61 (61%) snaps; two assists
- L’Jarius Sneed, CB KC – 59 of 83 (71%) snaps; seven solo tackles; one pass defensed
Notable inactives and injuries:
- Luq Barcoo, CB JAX – healthy scratch; hope you didn’t stream him
- Essang Bassey, CB DEN – placed on injured reserve Dec. 9 with knee injury
- Ashtyn Davis, S NYJ – placed on injured reserve with a foot injury; his season is over
- Kristian Fulton, CB TEN –
- Darnay Holmes, CB NYG – slot corner was inactive with knee injury
- Jeff Okudah, CB DET – placed on injured reserve Dec. 12, ending a disappointing rookie season. He’s headed for surgery on his groin. No thank you.
- 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
