We roll into Week 4 with a good idea of what our teams are and what it will take to stay above the fray or change that pretender to contender. We lost some key guys on defense last week, and there may be holes to fill.
Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.
Defensive Linemen
DT Christian Wilkins, Miami Dolphins
In a rare case we make for a tackle, Wilkins has been doing plenty of that. He has at least five total stops in all three games and 18 on the season. He doesn’t have a sack yet, but history shows those are coming. Wilkins had 89 tackles, 4.5 sacks and four pass defenses last season. He’ll provide good depth, and you always love an IDP that piles up tackles in fantasy.
DE Dorance Armstrong Jr., Dallas Cowboys
DE DeMarcus Lawrence stole the headlines with three sacks in Week 3, but Armstrong is creeping up with three sacks in the last two weeks. The more attention Lawrence gets, the more of an opening the 25-year-old from Kansas will receive. The Cowboys face a putrid Washington team in Week 4 that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to DLs. He could have a big game in store.
Linebackers
LB Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville Jaguars
The first-round rookie opened eyes with 11 tackles in Week 1, but it’s what he has done in coverage that has been impressive. He has an interception and three pass defenses in each of the last two weeks. He tallied 13 total tackles in the two games as well, which you’d like to see more of, but he is floating around too many waiver wires. Even if his tackle numbers don’t pick up, you can fall back on productivity in coverage numbers.
LB Jacob Phillips, Cleveland Browns
The Browns are absolutely decimated by injuries on the defensive side of the ball with LB Anthony Walker Jr. on IR, and DEs Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and DT Taven Bryan all iffy for Week 4. Phillips stepped up when Walker went down in Week 3 and led the team with 7 tackles, a pass defense and had the only sack. The 23-year-old was a 2020 third-round pick and looks to have a lengthy chance for a breakout.
Defensive Backs
FS Mike Edwards, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The fourth-year man started the season slowly, but he delivered a pick-six in Week 2 before opening up a 13-tackle game in Week 3. SS Antoine Winfield Jr. is a stud beside him, and teams will try to stay away from him. That means Edwards is going to have more INT and tackle opportunities. He figures to be extremely busy against Kansas City in Week 4, and you should get busy scooping him up!
FS John Johnson III, Cleveland Browns
It seems like forever ago, but Johnson was once a top-five DB in fantasy with the Los Angeles Rams. Now 26 and trying to find his way back to fantasy prominence, he has been on my watch list all year. He has at least five tackles in all three games and 18 in total. He also has a half sack, a forced fumble and two PDs. So he’s starting to compile across the board, and now might be the time to secure his services as depth.
