IDP Rookie Review: Week 15
It’s championship week and Christmas all rolled into one, and I hope you 1) have much to be thankful for in your life, and 2) have something to play for. Out of my nine leagues, I’m playing for three titles. Santa, if you’re reading, a couple of title belts and some extra cash to pay the Christmas bills would be welcome.
As we’re getting ready to put a bow on the season, I’ll shift the focus of this article soon to take a more forward-facing approach, and will include positional rankings based on how I think players have developed and positioned themselves for roles in 2021 and beyond. Things can certainly change quite a bit between now and next season, as a “normal” off-season should help a number of rookies build strength and understanding of NFL schemes and responsibilities.
As always, let me know in the comments section if you want more information on anyone covered or not covered. Feedback and discussion is always appreciated!
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Derrick Brown, DT CAR
57 of 62 (92%) snaps; three solo tackles; two sacks; two tackles for loss; two quarterback hits
Yetur Gross-Matos, DE CAR
52 of 62 (84%) snaps; one solo tackle
Bravvion Roy, DT CAR
47 of 62 (76%) snaps; two solo tackles, one assist; one tackle for loss
Overall, this was not a great night for Carolina’s rookies along the defensive line, as Green Bay’s running backs piled up 169 rushing yards. Brown though delivered two sacks – his first of the season – and Roy penetrated the line late in the game to drop Aaron Jones for a one-yard loss. Brown’s second sack was an impressive show of power, as he put the left guard on his heels and walked him back while Brian Burns provided pressure around the edge to keep Aaron Rodgers from rolling out.
Gross-Matos’ stat line was certainly disappointing given the snap share, but you don’t have him in any of your playoff lineups anyway. A full off-season with the team will do him good as he works to provide more consistent and effective pass rush opposite Burns.
Roy suffered a knee injury late in the first half but was able to return.
K’Lavon Chaisson, DE JAX
27 of 66 (41%) snaps; one solo tackle; one tackle for loss
Chaisson, who has emerged a little lately, was not credited with a sack but did drop Lamar Jackson in the backfield. Playing a run-pass option, Chaisson stayed in to play the run, then charged when Jackson kept the ball. After initially showing pass, Jackson tucked and started to run upfield before Chaisson dropped him for a three-yard loss.
Leki Fotu, DT ARI
29 of 83 (35%) snaps; one solo tackle, two assists; one sack; one tackle for loss; one quarterback hit
If you’re desperate for a defensive tackle starter this week and see that Fotu was a back-end DT1 in week 14, look elsewhere. He’s only played more than 50 percent of Arizona’s snaps once this season, and while his splash play – a sack of Jalen Hurts just before the two-minute warning – was big in the Cardinals’ win, it was Fotu’s first of the year.
Neville Gallimore, DT DAL
41 of 84 (49%) snaps; two solo tackles, three assists; one tackle for loss; one quarterback hit; one pass defensed
Gallimore had a bit of a coming-out party this week, showing the ability to penetrate and disrupt plays. With a minute remaining in the first quarter and the 49ers running the ball from Dallas’ two-yard line, Gallimore exploded into the backfield to stick Raheem Mostert for a one-yard loss. Late in the third quarter, he split a double-team and batted down a Nick Mullens pass attempt. If you own Gallimore in a defensive tackle-premium league, he might be worth hanging on to.
Javon Kinlaw, DT SF
43 of 58 (74%) snaps; one solo tackle, two assists; one tackle for loss
Kinlaw saw plenty of double-teams against Dallas and it helped his teammates, including Arik Armstead (two sacks). He did work through the line to bring down Tony Pollard from behind for a one-yard loss.
Alton Robinson, DE SEA
24 of 80 (30%) snaps; one solo tackle, two assists; one sack; one forced fumble
Robinson’s snaps and production have been hit-and-miss this season, but he’s certainly flashed at times. It’s Seattle, so for dynasty purposes, he’s probably mired in an edge rotation for the foreseeable future, but he could still be useful should Carlos Dunlap not return (he won’t be back on his current contract for sure) or the Seahawks opt to go cheap at the position.
Robinson’s big contribution against Washington came late in the fourth quarter when he outflanked backup tackle David Sharpe to strip the ball from Dwayne Haskins on a first-and-ten play with Seattle leading by five.
Chase Young, DE WAS
48 of 57 (84%) snaps; one solo tackle, two assists
Young was fairly quiet on the stat sheet, picking up just a few tackles against the run. He was otherwise disruptive, and would have better production against a less mobile quarterback than Russell Wilson.
Others of note:
- Doug Costin, DT JAX – 52 of 66 (79%) snaps; two assists
- Michael Danna, DE KC – 13 of 55 (24%) snaps; one quarterback hit
- Raekwon Davis, DT MIA – 39 of 55 (71%) snaps; one assist
- A.J. Epenesa, DE BUF – 22 of 64 (34%) snaps; one pass defensed when he knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage; left game in fourth quarter with possible concussion
- Niko Lalos, DE NYG – 16 of 64 (25%) snaps; one assist
- Justin Madubuike, DT BAL – 30 of 58 (52%) snaps; two solo tackles, one assist; one tackle for loss
- John Penisini, DT DET – 48 of 68 (71%) snaps; two solo tackles, four assists; one tackle for loss
- Malcolm Roach, DT NO – 37 of 98 (38%) snaps; one solo tackle, three assists
- Teair Tart, DT TEN – 21 of 65 (32%) snaps; one solo tackle, one assist; one tackle for loss
- Tershawn Wharton, DT KC – 29 of 55 (53%) snaps; one solo tackle; one quarterback hit
- D.J. Wonnum, DE MIN – 43 of 64 (67%) snaps; two solo tackles, three assists
Notable inactives and injuries:
- Marlon Davidson, DE ATL – suffered knee injury in week 14 that kept him out this week
- Julian Okwara, DE DET – practicing but remains on injured reserve
LINEBACKERS
Krys Barnes, LB GB
31 of 69 (45%) snaps; six solo tackles; one tackle for loss; one forced fumble
Kamal Martin, LB GB
22 of 69 (32%) snaps; two solo tackles, two assists
For the second consecutive week, there was no every-down linebacker in Green Bay, as Christian Kirksey logged 71 percent of the snaps. That has resulted in more snaps for Barnes the past two weeks, and the rookie probably would have logged even more snaps had he not been forced from the game during the third quarter with vision problems after getting grass and dirt in his eye.
Before he left the game, he made two huge plays: Midway through the second quarter with the Panthers on the Pack’s one-yard line and trailing 14-3, Teddy Bridgewater tried an unathletic-looking leap over the pile, and Barnes swatted the ball from his outstretched hands for a forced fumble. Early in the third, he snuffed out a short pass in the flat to Mike Davis and delivered a big hit on the running back for a six-yard loss.
Coach Matt LaFleur had good things to say about Barnes after the game: “He sees plays very, very quickly. He’s able to process and diagnose, and there’s no hesitation in his game. Once he sees it, he goes.”
Martin, meanwhile, picked up a few additional snaps, but still operated as the second linebacker to either Kirksey or Barnes.
Troy Dye, LB MIN
24 of 64 (38%) snaps; one solo tackle, five assists
Don’t be fooled by Dye’s uptick in production this week. He’s still playing the same third linebacker role behind Eric Kendricks/Todd Davis and Eric Wilson. The game script helped, with the Bears feeding David Montgomery for 32 rush attempts. Dye was also pulled from the game in the second half with a possible concussion.
Alex Highsmith, LB PIT
53 of 56 (95%) snaps; three solo tackles, two assists; one quarterback hit
It goes without saying, but it has been a struggle down the stretch for the Steelers. For Pittsburgh fans looking for positives during this three-game losing stretch, look no further than Highsmith, who has played well since Bud Dupree’s season-ending ACL injury. He’ll give the Steelers a young, inexpensive starter for the next couple of years as the team works its way out from under the massive amount of cap space devoted to Ben Roethlisberger.
Against the Bengals, he showed a nice ability to bend the edge a couple of times in the second quarter. He got a hit on Ryan Finley on one of those plays, and TJ Watt picked up a sack on the other.
Khaleke Hudson, LB WAS
28 of 57 (49%) snaps; three solo tackles, two assists; one tackle for loss; one quarterback hit
With Cole Holcomb (concussion) and Kevin Pierre-Louis (ankle) sidelined, Hudson saw his first real action of the season. A tweener safety/linebacker out of Michigan, Hudson does look undersized for a linebacker. He was around the ball quite a bit though and came up with a handful of nice plays, including a hit on a scrambling Wilson early in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter just after Washington cut Seattle’s lead to five points, Hudson ran untouched into the backfield to drop Chris Carson for a four-yard loss.
Kenneth Murray, LB LAC
76 of 76 snaps; six solo tackles, two assists; one tackle for loss
Murray turned in a pretty good day that you could argue, given the overtime and snap count, should have been better. Other than his massive week 13, Murray has been just solid – never spectacular – and that was the story Thursday night against the Raiders. As far as his individual game, I didn’t spot any gaffes in coverage, and when playing the run he maintained good gap discipline. He almost dislodged the ball from Josh Jacobs on a third-and-one stop in the third quarter that lost a yard for Las Vegas, which went on to convert on fourth down.
Patrick Queen, LB BAL
47 of 58 (81%) snaps; four solo tackles, two assists; one sack; three tackles for loss; two quarterback hits
Queen continued his solid play as of late, and while the numbers weren’t spectacular, the linebacker showcased big-play upside by getting into the backfield for tackles three times. Late in the first quarter, he shot up the middle to drop Gardner Minshew for a one-yard loss on a read-option keeper. On the very next play, he was credited with a sack after the pocket collapsed and Minshew bailed. He also tagged James Robinson for a two-yard loss with a crushing hit after the running back leaked out of the backfield to catch a pass in the flat.
Isaiah Simmons, LB ARI
63 of 83 (76%) snaps; three solo tackles, one assist
With De’Vondre Campbell limited with an ankle injury, Simmons saw a season-high in snaps and snap share against the Eagles. He was fairly quiet on the day, and failed to get his hands on Quez Watkins before the speedy receiver took off for a 32-yard touchdown after catching a short screen pass.
Others of note:
- Jordyn Brooks, LB SEA – 24 of 80 (30%) snaps; two solo tackles
- Carter Coughlin, LB NYG – 28 of 64 (44%) snaps; three solo tackles, one assist
- Tae Crowder, LB NYG – 45 of 64 (70%) snaps; three solo tackles, three assists; one tackle for loss
- Willie Gay, LB KC – 12 of 55 (22%) snaps; one solo tackle; one pass defensed
- Trevis Gipson, LB CHI – ten of 68 (15%) snaps; two assists; one quarterback hit
- Malik Harrison, LB BAL – eight of 58 (14%) snaps; one solo tackle
- Anfernee Jennings, LB NE – 45 of 73 (62%) snaps; one solo tackle, two assists
- Jacob Phillips, LB CLE – 22 of 54 (41%) snaps; three assists
- Josh Uche, LB NE – 20 of 73 (27%) snaps; one solo tackle, one assist
- Mykal Walker, LB ATL – 22 of 68 (32%) snaps
Notable inactives and injuries:
- Terrell Lewis, LB LAR – missed fourth straight game with a knee injury despite optimism he would play
- Logan Wilson, LB CIN – inactive with a foot injury that limited him in week 14
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Jeremy Chinn, S CAR
62 of 62 snaps; five solo tackles, one assist
No rookie is asked to do as much as Chinn. He stands up on the line over the “A” gap as well as over tight ends, sometimes as a blitzer and sometimes with coverage responsibilities. You see him at defensive back as the single high safety and in split safety looks, and as a slot corner. He’s also a linebacker, playing both strong and weak sides in three-linebacker sets.
While this was not one of Chinn’s better games, it was a great game to watch him deployed in so many different ways just in the first half. During Green Bay’s opening drive, he showed a limitation and a strength – lined up outside the defensive end over a tight end in a run-heavy look from the Packers, Chinn was eaten up by the tight end’s run block. Aaron Jones burst through the gap that Chinn couldn’t fill, but Chinn turned and showcased his speed to bring down Jones from behind on a 46-yard run. A few plays later on Robert Tonyan’s touchdown catch, Chinn lined up over the strong side “C” gap but had coverage responsibility on Tonyan. When the tight end motioned into the flat, Chinn couldn’t work through the trash fast enough to make a play.
Once the Packers got away from run-heavy formations, Chinn had better luck off the line, displaying good gap discipline on a tackle of Jones in the second quarter. Playing deep safety, Chinn closed quickly to trip up AJ Dillon on the running back’s 18-yard gallop.
Kamren Curl, S WAS
57 of 57 snaps; six solo tackles, two assists
Curl had a typical solid tackle day, operating out of a lot of split safety looks where he motioned toward the line just before the snap. On his best play, he perfectly read a pitch to Rashaad Penny, sprinting in and stopping the play for no gain.
Trevon Diggs, CB DAL
43 of 84 (51%) snaps; three solo tackles, two assists; one tackle for loss; one pass defensed
He’s back! Everyone’s favorite rookie cornerback streamer returned to the Cowboys’ lineup after missing four games with fractured bone in his foot. He was active as well, and made a couple of nice plays on back-to-back plays late in the fourth quarter. On the first, he batted away a low pass to Brandon Aiyuk, then snuffed out a short pass to Jerrick McKinnon, tackling the running back for a one-yard loss.
Kyle Dugger, S NE
39 of 73 (53%) snaps; three solo tackles, one assist; one pass defensed
While Dugger played his fewest number of snaps and lowest snap share since week nine, he is a nice player. His speed and quickness have been evident from the start, and he looks like a well-rounded player. In coverage, he disrupted a pass intended for Adam Shaheen on a Tua Tagovailoa scramble. Against the run as a linebacker late in the third quarter, Dugger easily fended off a wide receiver’s block and tracked down Matt Breida for no gain on an outside run.
Michael Jacquet III, CB PHI
68 of 68 snaps; four solo tackles, three assists; half a sack; one quarterback hit; two passes defensed; one forced fumble
The Eagles were without Avonte Maddox (injured reserve) and Darius Slay, and decided to roll with Jacquet in a full-time role. Arizona noticed, and targeted him without mercy. It was good for fantasy, as the undrafted rookie from Louisiana finished as a CB1 on the week and made a handful of big plays – stripping the ball from DeAndre Hopkins with the Cardinals threatening to score on their opening possession, and sacking Kyler Murray on a play that the Arizona quarterback fumbled the ball deep in Philadelphia territory. Hopkins did have a big game with Jacquet in coverage, but Jacquet wasn’t as terrible as the numbers suggest. I expect he’ll continue to get a chance over the next couple of games to prove he can stick.
Xavier McKinney, S NYG
41 of 64 (64%) snaps; two solo tackles, two assists
McKinney’s snaps have drastically increased over the past two weeks with fellow rookie and slot corner Darnay Holmes sidelined with an injury. McKinney is used in more ways than Holmes, however, and essentially split time between the slot and free safety in this game, with Logan Ryan picking up more slot corner responsibilities in sub-packages. This is probably a good indication of how McKinney will be deployed in an assumed full-time role next season, so long as the team doesn’t cut Jabrill Peppers and re-sign Logan Ryan. Peppers has one year remaining on his contract with a $6.77 million salary and can be jettisoned with no cap hit, while Ryan will be an unrestricted free agent.
L’Jarius Sneed, CB KC
51 of 55 (93%) snaps; one solo tackle, two assists; one sack; one tackle for loss; one quarterback hit; one interception; three passes defensed
Sneed was an immediate hit for the Chiefs this season with interceptions in each of his first two games – and nearly a third on a play that he broke his collarbone in week three. He returned in week 11 and has played heavy snaps in each of the past three weeks. He was at his best against the Saints, stepping in front of a Drew Brees pass for an early game interception, then fighting off Alvin Kamara to sack Brees on a corner blitz early in the second quarter. He also jarred a ball loose from Taysom Hill to force an incompletion, and smothered Lil’Jordan Humphrey on another pass attempt. Given his big-play upside, Sneed is a viable championship-week streamer in cornerback-required leagues.
Antoine Winfield Jr., S TB
65 of 65 snaps; one solo tackle, one assist; one pass defensed
Winfield’s low production came in a less-than-ideal week for anyone who started him in semifinal matchups. He made a big play with the game tied in the fourth quarter, getting a hand on a deep pass to Calvin Ridley in the corner of the end zone to prevent a touchdown.
Others of note:
- Julian Blackmon, S IND – 69 of 69 snaps; one assist
- Chris Claybrooks, CB JAX – 40 of 66 (61%) snaps; one solo tackle, one assist; returned after three-week stint on injured reserve
- Cameron Dantzler, CB MIN – 61 of 64 (95%) snaps; three solo tackles; one interception; one pass defensed
- Jordan Fuller, S LAR – 65 of 65 snaps; six solo tackles, one assist
- Jeff Gladney, CB MIN – 64 of 64 snaps; four solo tackles, two assists; one tackle for loss
- Javelin Guidry, CB NYJ – 59 of 59 snaps; six solo tackles
- Bryce Hall, CB NYJ – 59 of 59 snaps; three solo tackles; one interception; one pass defensed
- Brandon Jones, S MIA – 32 of 55 (58%) snaps; four solo tackles, two assists; one forced fumble
- Michael Ojemudia, CB DEN – 55 of 73 (75%) snaps; three solo tackles; disappointing day for those who streamed him. Ejected late in game for punching Bills’ Gabriel Davis
- Troy Pride, CB CAR – 18 of 62 (29%) snaps; one solo tackle; knocked out of game in first half with hip injury
- A.J. Terrell, CB ATL – 66 of 68 (97%) snaps; five solo tackles
Notable inactives and injuries:
- Kristian Fulton, CB TEN – activated from injured reserve after missing seven games with a knee injury, but inactive for the game
- Jaylon Johnson, CB CHI – missed game with shoulder injury that he sustained in week 14
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