Reading the Defense: Get Mercilus with your IDP roster Published: Oct 11, 2016 at 03:31 AM Fantasy Analyst Last week featured a lot of big IDP performances. This week ... not quite as many. That doesn't mean there weren't some standout performances. It also doesn't mean we won't see any more big weeks going forward. As always, Reading the Defense is here to Dennis Rodman Jersey recap the week that was and preview the week that will be. Game Balls Defensive line: Weeks like this last one are what the the were looking for when they drafted to bolster their pa s rush. The second-year player notched 3.5 sacks and eight total tackles in the win over the . With 4.5 sacks on the season, he's already surpa sed his total from an injury-plagued rookie campaign. Is this a fluke or the start of something big? We could learn a lot more next week against Seattle's shaky offensive line. Linebacker: was part of a big day for the ' defense in the win over the . The veteran player already has seven sacks in 2016, most in the NFL and demolishing his previous career high of 2.5 set in 2012. It's apparent that this defense suits Alexander and he's part of what is becoming a pretty formidable linebacker group along with , and . Defensive back: Did I mention that it was a good defensive day for the ? Nickell Robey-Coleman returned to the Los Angeles Coliseum where he starred collegiately for USC and had a day. The corner defended two pa ses, intercepted two more and returned one for a touchdown. This is the second big week for Robey-Coleman, who tallied 13 fantasy points against the in Week 2. As long as he works as the ' main nickel corner in a pa s-happy division, there will be the chance for more big weeks. What went wrong This isn't just a "what went wrong" for Week 5, it's a question for the first Denzel Valentine Jersey five weeks. has been incredibly quiet for the first chunk of the season with just one sack, which came against the in Week 4. As the ' primary pa s-rusher, fantasy owners won't find much value in Mack unle s he's getting to the quarterback. So far that's not happening, but a game against the (13 sacks allowed in four games) offers a little bit of hope. The other thing that offers some long-term hope for Mack is the fact that he started fairly slow last year as well. At this same point in 2015, he had just three sacks but turned it up as the season progre sed -- the highlight being a five-sack performance against the late in the season. Even if the start hasn't been what you expected, remain patient. Good things appear to Jerry Sloan Jersey be on the way. Week 4 boomer , LB, Houston Texans: Without , the need to find QB pre sures from elsewhere in the lineup and Mercilus has been happy to oblige with a team-high 3.5 sacks. That's a number that seems likely to increase against a miserable offensive line that has allowed a league-worst 20 sacks this season. Look for the to bring plenty of pre sure which should give Mercilus chances to chase down . Week 4 buster , DL, Kansas City Chiefs: Statisically, it hasn't been a great season for Hali and this doesn't look like the week where he'll turn it around. The have shut down just about any and all pa s rushers this season with an offensive line that has allowed a league-low five sacks in the first five games. Week 4 sleeper , DL, Pittsburgh Steelers: The lost early in last week's game to a hamstring injury. With Heyward expected to mi s the next 2-3 weeks, there's an opening for to make some plays. Pittsburgh used a committee at defensive end last week after Heyward's injury and could do the same this week. But Tuitt is still seeing a signficant number of snaps and will line up against the , whose offensive line has been -- in a word -- ungood. Four downs Derrick Rose Jersey First down: It was a surprise to many when the cut Ben Benwikere after allowing a huge day to . It's much le s surprising that the have . Miami's secondary has been abysmal this season, to the point that was sent to the bench. Considering Benwikere's struggles this season, this move might not be an upgrade but can it really be any worse? Second down: Washington is making moves to shore up its terrible run defense. The team is defensive tackle about joining the roster. Washington is allowing a league-worst 5.1 yards per carry and has been frequently gashed up the middle. Bringing in a run stuffer like Knighton could change how opponents could attack the defense. Third down: The played without cornerback last week but coach John Harbaugh expects the defensive back to return next week. That's not exactly great news considering Wright has struggled to stay with receivers and could line up against , Jr. next week. But at least there's a chance for him to get plenty of tackles. Fourth down: In addition to mi sing Heyward, the have been without since suffering a knee injury in Week 3. The bad news is that it doesn't look like he'll be back anytime soon. According to reports, Pittsburgh might be without the linebacker . has seen his snaps increase in Shazier's absence and should continue to Thaddeus Young Jersey be a part of the Steeelers' defensive plans. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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