The League Winners are getting defensive. In addition to our weekly fantasy football Start or Sit column found here, we are now offering a weekly IDP Sit or Start column for all you IDP fans out there. So without further delay, let’s take a look at IDP Sit or Start Week 8.
Fantasy Football IDP Start or Sit Week 8 – Start
Linebackers
Ernest Jones – Los Angeles Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys
Jones has had 9 tackles in six of his last seven games and has also added a sack on the season. In Week 8 he faces the Cowboys team that is the best matchup for linebackers and is allowing a 26% boost to linebacker production. Look for him to hit double digits in tackles this week and be a productive starter for IDP leagues.
Azeez Al-Shaair – Tennessee Titans vs. Atlanta Falcons
Al-Shaair has had 15 tackles in back-to-back games and has totaled 8 or more tackles in six of seven games this season. He matches up with a Falcons squad that is the second-best matchup for linebackers and gives them a 20@ boost in weekly production. He should be an elite option at linebacker this week.
Cody Barton – Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Bearton has 8 or more tackles in five of seven games this season and has racked up double-digit tackles in three of those games. This week he matches up with the third-best matchup for linebackers, the Eagles. Linebackers facing Philadelphia have seen a 22% increase in production and this week should be no different for Barton.
Defensive Linemen
Josh Sweat – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders
Sweat has between 2 and 5 tackles in five straight contests and has a sack in five or seven games. He’s also forced two fumbles this season. In Week 8 he faces the Commanders who are the best matchup for a defensive lineman. The Commanders are allowing a point boost of a whopping 52%. Sweat should have little difficulty producing a season-high fantasy output this week.
Khalil Mack – Los Angeles Chargers vs. Chicago Bears
Mack had 10 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles in a single game this season. That should illustrate the massive upside he has in the right matchup. This week, he gets that matchup when he faces the Chicago Bears. The Bears are the second-best matchup for defensive linemen and are allowing a boost in production of 47%. This has the making of another Khalil Mack smash week.
Jarran Reed – Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns
Reed has totaled four sacks on the season and has multiple tackles in every game. In Week 8 he looks to improve on his modest production in a prime matchup with the Browns who have allowed defensive linemen to produce at a rate of 24% above the league median. He is primed for a massive breakout in the coming weeks and is a must-start.
Defensive Backs
Devon Witherspoon – Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns
Witherspoon has been excellent with back-to-back four tackle games. He has produced a 7 tackle and 11 tackle outing this season and Week 8 should see him better those performances. He faces a Cleveland team that is boosting defensive back production by 19% and should challenge for double-digit tackles against them.
Jevon Holland – New York Jets vs. New York Giants
Holland has had two games with a forced fumble and double-digits in tackles and has shown an elite ceiling for fantasy. He has produced six tackles or more in four games this season. In Week 8 he faces the Patriots who are boosting production to defensive backs by 17%. Look for him to add another double-digit tackle game and be a force to reckon with for the opposition.
Jordan Whitehead – New York Jets vs. New York Giants
Whitehead has recorded five straight games with at least three tackles and is the definition of consistency at defensive back. This week he faces the Giants who are the second-best matchup for the position and allow a 17% boost to fantasy production. He should easily be a top-12 player at the position this week.
IDP Start or Sit Week 8 – Sit
Linebackers
TJ Edwards – Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Edwards had only two tackles in Week 7 and was largely unnoticed on the field. In Week 8 he goes up against a Chargers squad that limits linebacker fantasy production and causes a reduction by 34%. If you can sit Edwards this week it would be in your best interest. The ceiling is certainly low this week.
Bobby Okereke – New York Giants vs. New York Giants
Okereke has been a monster over the past month and has totalled ten or more tackles in four straight games. This week, however, he faces a Jets team that limits linebacker production by 28% and could see a hit to his final stat line. He may be impossible to bench this week but expect a decrease in fantasy points.
Fred Warner – San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Warner is another defender who has been on fire as of late but has a terrible matchup. He has three games with double-digit tackles this season but faces a Bengals team that is the second-worst matchup for linebackers and limits production to the position by 30%. He is nearly impossible to bench much like Okereke. Just expect a slight reduction to his fantasy output this week since it’s unlikely you have better options on your bench.
Defensive Linemen
Jonathon Cooper – Denver Broncos vs Kansas City Chiefs
Cooper has been hot and cold this season and has been hampered by injuries. Those injuries have limited his fantasy ceiling and have limited him to six tackles or less in six of seven games this season. This week he has the worst matchup for defensive linemen as he faces a Chiefs team that limits opponents by 35%. Between injuries and a terrible matchup, it’s a good week to sit a player I have been high on all season. There will be better weeks ahead for Cooper.
Danielle Hunter – Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers
Hunter has had four tackles or less in four games this season and for a highly talented player, he has had little to no floor for IDP managers. This week he faces the Packers who are reducing opposing defensive linemen by 26%. It could be another famine week for Hunter in this matchup.
Marte Mapu – New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins
Mapu was expected to see an increase in playing time and production with the Patriots placing Matthew Judon on IR but that simply hasn’t manifested for him. So far, he has not recorded a game with more than three tackles and has struggled to have much of an impact on games. This week he squares off with the Dolphins who are limiting fantasy points by 26% and it’s a perfect opportunity to steer clear of Mapu for another week.
Defensive Backs
Xavier McKinney – New York Giants vs. New York Jets
McKinney has only had one game this season with more than six tackles. While he has been mildly consistent he has lacked upside. His snap share has dipped below 70% over the past two games and this has caused a dip in his fantasy output. In Week 8 he faces the Jets who limit defensive backs by 15%. It’s a good week to look elsewhere if you can.
Vonn Bell – Carolina Panthers vs. Houston Texans
Bell has played on less than 60% of the Panther’s defensive snaps in each of the last two games and has been hampered by a lingering quadriceps injury. This week his injury will meet the worst matchup for defensive backs as he plays the Texans who are limiting defensive back production by 21%.
L’Jarius Sneed – Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos
Sneed has been one of the best shutdown defensive backs of the season and is severely limiting opposing wide receivers. This skill hasn’t always led to fantasy production though as teams have begun to avoid his side of the field. This week he faces the Broncos who limit defensive back production by 16%. At this point, Sneed is far better in real football than he is in fantasy football.
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