This week’s waiver claims are shaking up to be one of the busiest of the year following an injury plagued Week 2 of the NFL season. Although the damage was mainly done to the offensive side of the ball, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a spill over into IDPs. With the focus on finding the value in the wake of the rash of injuries to running backs (Jamaal Charles, Knowshon Moreno, Mark Ingram, Ryan Mathews to name a handful), owners will be spending the free agency bucks elsewhere, and loading up their claims with Kirk Cousins and Brian Quick, so the savvy IDP gamers out there might be able to sneak some extra value from their defensive pickups.
That being said, let’s get stuck into my Week 3 recommendations…
Defensive Lineman
Chicago overhauled its pass rush in the offseason with the additions of several new faces, including high profile signings Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston, but it’s been Willie Young who has been the better fantasy play for the Bears. Having scored 14 points and 16 points in the PFF IDP scoring system and racking up three sacks and eight total tackles (four for a loss), Young is benefitting from the attention given to his higher profile teammates. He’s being used in rotation (47 percent of snaps) which does cap his overall upside, but it also keeps him fresh when he does see the field. I like Young as a DL3 moving forwards.
He’s not a flashy play, but Jason Hatcher makes for an excellent bye week alternative if you’re lacking depth for your IDPs. He’s racked up 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss, and put up 19 fantasy points over the first two games, building on a solid season for the Cowboys last season. He can post similar numbers to last season when he finished as the No.20 DE, and is a dependable pickup for your roster.
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Ross Miles is a Lead Writer for Pro Football Focus Fantasy. Follow him on Twitter –@RossMilesNFL Need more specific advice, start/sit help or expert opinions on trades? Let us know on Facebook by joining the conversation
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