IDP is all about getting snaps on the defensive side of the ball, so with that in mind we're going to discuss the teams with the most defensive snaps per game:
1. St. Louis Rams- There's a reason why I had James Laurinaitis ranked as my top IDP guy. The Rams can't get off the field and they're basically a turnstile for teams in the running game. Yeah. They're dead last with (gulp) 179.8 yards per game. Quintin Mikell is on the brink of being a top-10 DB and Justin King has already made his mark as a top-10 CB.
2. Indianapolis Colts- Pat Angerer has been sweeping the IDP nation and it's not just because of his cool name. Angerer leads the league in tackles and is poised to be a top-five option. Kavell Conner also made a huge splash with his 18 tackles on Monday night. The extra snaps also helps out the likes of Antoine Bethea, Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. The Colts are 28th against the run and 20th vs. the pass and don't expect them to improve on those numbers.
3. Arizona Cardinals- I was very high on Daryl Washington coming into the season, but he hasn't exactly been healthy to this point. He gets a fantastic matchup this week against Adrian Peterson. If Washington is sitting on your wire, I'd highly suggest picking him up before Sunday. Kerry Rhodes (a hated ex-Jet for his inability to tackle) had a monster year last season and has yet to hit his stride. The Cardinals are 26th against the pass and that has helped Patrick Peterson emerge as a decent option. Teams picking on rookies will never get old.
The rest of the top 10 after the jump:
4. Tennessee Titans- This is the biggest head-scratcher of all. The Titans are ranked seventh in yards allowed (seventh against the pass and eighth against the rush). They are also leading the league in points per game allowed with only 14.0. The reason has to be the Titans rank 28th in stopping teams on third down. Not winning on third down is the best way to get your defense tired. There have not been a lot of IDP assets on the Titans besides Jason McCourty stepping it up. Barrett Ruud should be on the upswing after his weak performances for the past three weeks.5. Chicago Bears- Chicago ranks 29th against the pass and 23rd against the run. For a team that wins with defense, those numbers are awfully high. The Bears' 4-3 scheme doesn't have the usual big-bodied guys they usually do with Henry Milton not even hitting three bills on the scale at 295 pounds. Get that man a hamburger. The lack of size might explain the higher yardage allowed in the running game The Bears have one of the better IDP tandems at backer with Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, both of whom are just about must-start options in most formats. Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman are also two of the best corners for IDP and Brandon Meriweather is improving at free safety.
6. New York Giants- The Giants are another team that usually win with defense. This season has been nothing of the sort by coming in at 18th against the pass and 21st against the run. The Giants have been devastated by injuries worse than any other team in league as evident by the five ACL injuries so far. The Giants have yet to find their Mike in a 4-3 scheme, although Jacquian Williams has been on the rise. Big Blue does have two outstanding safeties with Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle; they both rank in the top 18 for tackles among defensive backs.
7. Oakland Raiders- The Raiders have made a claim to fame for their defense not getting off the field. They've been perennial matchup dreams for running backs and this year is no different with at 29th. Rolando McClain is beginning to make the necessary steps in becoming a reliable IDP Mike and should already be owned. Tyvon Branch? He's the top DB in IDP by M.E.
8. Seattle Seahawks- The Seahawks were my preseason pick to lead the league in defensive snaps. However, they're doing much better against the run coming in at 14th. They're equipped with one of the best safety duos in the league with Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas. One would think that Aaron Curry, the fourth pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, has been a major bust and the Hawks are reportedly shopping the Demon Deacon. David Hawthorne has yet to make his splash yet either, however, I'm expecting him to get going. He has 19 tackles in his last two games.
9. Kansas City Chiefs- The Chiefs are in quite a hole without their soon-to-be all-pro safety Eric Berry missing the year with a torn ACL. Jon McGraw had stepped up early, but missed time with a shin injury. Expect him to turn it around and should become a reliable option once he's back at 100 percent. Derrick Johnson has been a bust to this point. Owners should expect him to get it going sooner than later. You have permission to cut him for any LB ranked in the top 10 for this week though.
10. New England Patriots- The Pats are by far the worst in the league against the pass and worst in total yards allowed. They're actually the worst on third down as well. They would undoubtedly be in the top three, but there is this guy named Tom Brady handling his business on the other side of the ball. The pass-happy opponents have helped the likes of Devin McCourty and Kyle Arrington become decent options in most leagues. Pat Chung has been hurt and is a fantastic buy-low option.
You can follow me on Twitter for updates throughout the week and instant analysis on Sunday.
Time for some rankings!
| Rank | Linebacker | Team |
| 1 | Pat Angerer | IND |
| 2 | Desmond Bishop | GB |
| 3 | Rolando McClain | OAK |
| 4 | Nick Barnett | BUF |
| 5 | Curtis Lofton | ATL |
| 6 | D.J. Williams | DEN |
| 7 | Paul Posluszny | JAC |
| 8 | Patrick Willis | SF |
| 9 | Lawrence Timmons | PIT |
| 10 | Daryl Washington |
ARI |
| 11 | Stephen Tulloch | TEN |
| 12 | Sean Weatherspoon | ATL |
| 13 | David Harris | NYJ |
| 14 | Gary Guyton | NE |
| 15 | David Hawthorne | SEA |
| 16 | Rey Maualuga | CIN |
| 17 | Brian Urlacher | CHI |
| 18 | Derrick Johnson | KC |
| 19 | Barrett Ruud | TEN |
| 20 | Brian Cushing | HOU |
| 21 | Lance Briggs | CHI |
| 22 | NaVorro Bowman | SF |
| 23 | Kavell Conner | IND |
| 24 | James Anderson | CAR |
| 25 | Mason Foster | TB |
| 26 | Donald Butler | SD |
| 27 | Jonathan Vilma | NO |
| 28 | Takeo Spikes | SD |
| 29 | Daryl Smith | JAC |
| 30 | Tamba Hali | KC |
| 31 | Chad Greenway | MIN |
| 32 | James Farrior | PIT |
| 33 | Leroy Hill | SEA |
| 34 | Thomas Howard | CIN |
| 35 | Jamar Chaney | PHI |
| 36 | Brandon Spikes | NE |
| 37 | DeMeco Ryans | HOU |
| 38 | E.J. Henderson | MIN |
| 39 | Jacquian Williams | NYG |
| 40 | Clay Matthews | GB |
| Rank | Defensive Back | Team |
| 1 | George Wilson | BUF |
| 2 | Morgan Burnett | GB |
| 3 | Roman Harper | NO |
| 4 | Tyvon Branch | OAK |
| 5 | Pat Chung | NE |
| 6 | Jairus Byrd | BUF |
| 7 | Kam Chancellor | SEA |
| 8 | Antrel Rolle | NYG |
| 9 | Sean Jones | TB |
| 10 | Antoine Bethea | IND |
| 11 | Troy Polamalu | PIT |
| 12 | Eric Weddle | SD |
| 13 | Dawan Landry | JAC |
| 14 | Dashon Goldson | SF |
| 15 | Reggie Nelson | CIN |
| 16 | Antoine Winfield | MIN |
| 17 | Kenny Phillips | NYG |
| 18 | Donte Whitner | SF |
| 19 | Charles Woodson | GB |
| 20 | William Moore | ATL |
| 21 | Jason McCourty | TEN |
| 22 | Eric Smith | NYJ |
| 23 | Tim Jennings | CHI |
| 24 | Kyle Arrington | NE |
| 25 | Bryan Scott | BUF |
| 26 | Chris Houston | DET |
| 27 | Charles Tillman | CHI |
| 28 | Jarrad Page | PHI |
| 29 | Devin McCourty | NE |
| 30 | Charles Godfrey | CAR |
| 31 | Patrick Peterson | ARI |
| 32 | Husain Abdullah | MIN |
| 33 | Antonio Cromartie | NYJ |
| 34 | Leodis McKelvin | BUF |
| 35 | Earl Thomas | SEA |
| Rank | Defensive Lineman | Team |
| 1 | Jared Allen | MIN |
| 2 | Ndamukong Suh | DET |
| 3 | Mario Williams (DL eligible) | HOU |
| 4 | Robert Mathis | IND |
| 5 | Charles Johnson | CAR |
| 6 | Jason Babin | PHI |
| 7 | Dwight Freeney | IND |
| 8 | Justin Tuck | NYG |
| 9 | Julius Peppers | CHI |
| 10 | Will Smith | NO |
| 11 | Jason Pierre-Paul | NYG |
| 12 | Michael Johnson | CIN |
| 13 | Brian Robison | MIN |
| 14 | Kyle Vanden Bosch | DET |
| 15 | Cliff Avril | DET |
| 16 | Osi Umenyiora | NYG |
| 17 | Calias Campbell | ARI |
| 18 | Dave Ball | TEN |
| 19 | Vince Wilfork | NE |
| 20 | Adrian Clayborn | TB |
| 21 | Chris Clemons | SEA |
| 22 | Darnell Dockett | ARI |
| 23 | Andre Carter | NE |
| 24 | Antonio Caray | SD |
| 25 | Greg Hardy | CAR |
| 26 | Sione Pouha | NYJ |
| 27 | J.J. Watt | HOU |
| 28 | John Abraham | ATL |
| 29 | Israel Idonije | CHI |
| 30 | Justin Smith | SF |
Thanks for reading! You can post your questions in the comment section below or send them to me on Twitter @MikeSGallagher.