Hightower and Berry are Week 3 IDP must-adds

Well, it didn’t take long for injuries to start having some serious effects on IDP leagues. With former No. 1 LBs Luke Kuechly and DeAndre Levy on the sidelines, and LB1s Mychal Kendricks, Kiko Alonso and Paul Worrilow all missing significant time in Week 2 with new injuries, with unknown return dates, it’s going to be a bloodbath in the scramble for waiver wire linebackers this week. A word of warning though, all five of the above linebackers are expected back this season, so don’t over-commit in finding stop gaps for your roster. If you drafted well you should have adequate bench depth to cover for a couple of weeks, especially while no teams are on a bye week.

Defensive Lineman

I highlighted Robert Ayers, Henry Anderson, Jason Hatcher and Michael Bennett in last week’s column, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend again as pickups this week. Of the four, only Jason Hatcher failed to record a sack, and he posted one hit and four hurries, and was only denied by the Rams short passing game getting the ball out so quickly all game.

When ranking the quartet, I’d put Bennett top as he’s such a versatile lineman, and plays on a defense that can provide him with more opportunities than the others but holding up for longer in coverage on the backend of a play. He’s playing great football and although he doesn’t have DL1 upside, he’s going to be productive.

Anderson’s tackle output as a 3-4 end gives him the highest floor of the four, and he should be viewed as a player in the ilk of Corey Liuget or Cameron Heyward – a high floor DL2/3.

Jacquies Smith recorded three sacks, two hurries, and forced two fumbles last week. He’ll be highly sought after by those owners of Cameron Wake and other early season flops, but I’d have him ranked behind Bennett and Anderson, although ahead of Ayers and Hatcher. Tampa are in need to a legitimate edge-threat to compliment Gerald McCoy inside, and perhaps Smith is the answer.

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Ross Miles is a Lead Writer for Pro Football Focus Fantasy. Follow him on Twitter – @RossMilesNFL
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